AEGiS-15IAC: Effective STI care in Mumbai, India for HIV/AIDS prevention.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Effective STI care in Mumbai, India for HIV/AIDS prevention.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. C10198)

Talwar S
Action Research Centre, Thane, India

ISSUES: Effective STI control programs have helped minimize the impact of HIV/AIDS around the World. However, in some resource poor situations, such efforts have not been possible for reasons, such as, poor health infrastructure, difficulty in reaching out large number of high-risk individuals, and poor quality of care. Further, programs have suffered due to lack of knowledge about how different high-risk groups seek care for such infections.

DESCRIPTION: This paper examines different programmatic issues pertaining to STI care in Mumbai, which is considered the epicenter of HIV/AIDS in India. Based on the situational analysis, a cross-sectional view of STI care infrastructure, care-seeking behavior, and the quality of care is presented in this paper.

LESSONS LEARNED: A few big teaching hospitals in Mumbai have become de-facto government STI care centers. However, more than 80% STI patients are known to seek care from private providers for reasons, such as, easy accessibility, familiarity, and low consulting fees. On the other hand, lack of privacy and drugs are some of the barriers for seeking care in government hospitals. Two successive surveys indicated that health care providers were using poorly standardized STI case management. More than half of the providers were not giving drugs recommended by WHO/NACO. On the positive side, majority providers were interested in undergoing training on syndromic management of STIs.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Strengthening community based government health centers in the city would have greater positive impact on STI/HIV prevention. All the non-allopathic and non-qualified providers need to be provided with further training on syndromic management of STIs. Government STI/HIV prevention programs should involve private providers to have wider impact. Involving NGOs in organizing training of private providers would help reduce the gulf between the private and public health initiatives in STI/HIV prevention.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Seropositivity, HIV Infections, Infection, India, Health Services Needs and Demand, Health Personnel, Private Sector, Public Health, Humans, prevention & control, economics

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C10198