AEGiS-13IAC: Providing a primary health care service to HIV positive patients.

13th International AIDS Conference


Durban, South Africa - July 9-July 14, 2000

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Providing a primary health care service to HIV positive patients.

Int Conf AIDS 2000 Jul 9-14; 13:(abstract no. MoOrB120)

Harley B
B. Harley, South Peninsula Municipality, 12 Pinewood Road, Newlands, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa, Tel.: +27 21 674 1827, Fax: +27 21 674 1827, E-mail: bharley@mweb.co.za

ISSUES: The HIV epidemic has sparked off new fields for specialisation and research. However, in many ways, the primary health care workers have been left behind. In Cape Town the impact of the epidemic has become too great for the specialist hospital clinics to continue to cope with, but the training and protocols for primary care doctors are not yet in place. Anti-retroviral agents are not an option for the majority of infected South Africans, but an agreed upon standard of care at primary care level is absent. Discussion: The South Peninsula Municipality took a decision to start a comprehensive primary care service for HIV positive patients at some of its busier clinics early in 1998. The service includes ongoing counselling, staging, prophylaxis when appropriate, treatment of opportunistic infections and referral to hospital level when necessary. Because the clinics are run by nurses with doctor support only on a sessional basis, a protocol was written for use within the municipality, and training was given to staff. A limited range of investigations and medication were also made available for this service. Since its introduction, the service has expanded to include all South Peninsula clinics.

CONCLUSIONS: Once the need has been identified and a decision made to offer a primary care service to HIV/AIDS patients, a quality service can be provided with committed staff and limited resources.

Keywords: AEGIS, Primary Health Care, HIV Infections, Counseling, HIV Seropositivity, Referral and Consultation, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Ambulatory Care Facilities, Health Services Needs and Demand, Human, Education, Surgical Procedures, OperativeKWDaegis,primaryhealthcare,hivinfections,counseling,hivseropositivity,referralandconsultation,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,ambulatorycarefacilities,healthservicesneedsanddemand,human,education,surgicalprocedures,operative
000709
MoOrB120

Copyright © 2000 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.