14th Annual Conference of the British HIV Association 23-25 April 2008, Belfast

THE NECESSITY FOR IMPROVED HEALTH SYSTEMS RESEARCH IN COUNTRIES WITH HIGH HIV PREVALENCE

HIV Med 2008 Apr 23-25 (Suppl 1);14:13 (abstract no. P14)

CS Brown
Royal Free Hospital, London, UK

BACKGROUND: The WHO Essential Medicines list contains the necessary highly active antiretroviral therapies (HAART) to effectively manage HIV. Despite global advocacy to reduce HAART price disparity between countries a key concern is a lack of health care infrastructure and the need to overcome social barriers to deliver equitable access to medicines and professional care. Such health systems research has traditionally been lacking in high prevalence countries.

METHODS: The evidence that high prevalence countries have increasing health resource inequity and thus need to address health systems research was evaluated. A combination of resources including the UNAIDS/WHO online HIV country database; a literature review of HIV prevalence and access to health care in urban and rural areas; and progress made on health systems research in high prevalence countries from the Council on Health Research for Development's database on national health policy research were analysed. Findings: Though much of the literature has focussed on the rise of HIV in urban environments in many high prevalence countries HIV is causing return migration to rural areas, further decreasing equity in accessing services and HAART. Within these countries there is an increasing mention in current government discourse of the need for health systems research however this is often not backed up by in depth policy documents detailing how such research will be conducted.

CONCLUSIONS: Further commitment is required from high prevalence countries to define policies and targets on health systems research to improve equitable access to HIV care and services. Assistance from health research organisations and institutional support that will help provide an enabling environment for such research to be conducted is required.

2008-04-23
P14

Copyright © 2008 - British HIV Association (BHIVA) Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the BHIVA Organising Secretariat 1 Mountview Court, 310 Friern Barnet Lane, London N20 0LD