1. Introduction
As ravaging effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic spreads, many businesses are realizing that the spread negatively affects their workforce, market and ultimately ability to earn profits (Sithole, 2007). Organizations now realize that HIV/AIDS is not simply a health issue, but a core business issue, as it affects the performance of infected employees and the company’s production and investments (Lisk, 2002; IFC, 2002). In response to this problem, many organizations are setting up on-site HCT facilities at their work places as a strategy to improve knowledge of HIV/AIDS which is critical to both prevention and treatment goals (DoH, 2009) of the debilitating infection.
This paper is designed to describe the HIV testing facility at the work place, the concepts surrounding the HCT process, wider logistic issues that are required for the smooth running of the HCT programme as well as persons required for manning directly or indirectly the HCT facility.
2. The HIV testing Facility and HCT
The main purpose of the HIV testing facility is to provide quality HCT services. According to the WHO (2001), quality HCT services can be defined as “accessible HCT services that meet the needs of clients and providers, in an equitable and acceptable manner, within the resources available and in line with national guidelines” (p. 1). The HCT process is generally based on the concept that the HIV testing must be ethical, based on human rights, conducted within a supportive environment and performed by a trained health care professional (DoH, 2010), following the principles of confidentially, consent and counselling [Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation (MoPHS), 2008]. Therefore the testing facility should be found in a confident...
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...Counselling in Kenya. National AIDS and STD control Programme (NASCOP), Nairobi: Kenya
Sithole, A., (2007). The Impact of HIV/AIDS on Business and the need for Company Involvement. CCA HIV/AIDS Initiative. Pretoria: South Africa.
The Republic of Uganda, (2005), HIV counselling and testing: Toolkit for coordinators and supervisors. Kampala: AIDS/HIV Model District Programme.
UNICEF, (2008). HIV diagnosis: A guide for selecting rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) kits. Copenhagen: Denmark.
World Health Organization, (2001). Improving HIV counselling and Testing Services. Retrieved on January 16, 2012, from http://www.who.int/hiv/topics/vct/en/index.html
World Health Organization & Centre for Disease Control, (2002). Guidelines for appropriate evaluations of HIV Testing technologies in Africa. Department of Health and Human Services, Harare: Zimbabwe.
"UNAIDS Guidance Note on HIV and Sex Work." Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) (2009): n. pag. UNAIDS. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
Since the development of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) in the 1990s, HIV/AIDs has evolved from a death sentence into a treatable disease. It has presented a unique global health problem because while the treatments were very effective, they were extremely expensive, required advanced laboratory monitoring, were prescribed indefinitely, and required excellent patient compliance. In many of the developing countries devastated by AIDs/HIV, the health and societal infrastructures often had difficult supporting an effective treatment program. For that reason, it is estimated that 71% of HIV/AID cases are in sub-Saharan Africa and only 39% of of them are on ART (AVERT, 2015). Southern Africa is often considered the “epicenter” of the
Gilbert, L. S. (2009). Society, Health and Disease in a Time of HIV/AIDS. South Africa: Pan Macmillan.
According to the CDC, almost 1.1 million people in the United States have HIV, yet almost 20% of those people are unaware that they are living with the condition (CDC, 2013c). When the HIV broke out almost 30 years ago in the United States, the number of new cases in a year was 130,000. Now, each year the new number of cases being presented is approximately 50,000 (CDC, 2013c). In locations like Sub-Saharan Africa, the statistics are higher. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) states, “In 2011, an estimated 23.5 million people living with HIV resided in sub-Saharan Africa, representing 69% of the global HIV burden” (UNAIDS, 2012). The World Health Organization (WHO) reinforces this point by saying, “Sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected region [of HIV], with nearly 1 in every 20 adults living with HIV. Sixty nine per cent of all people living with HIV are living in this region” (WHO, 2013a). The statistics of infected people living in the United States is alarming but there are other countries, like Africa, which have higher rates of HIV due to very limited
According to WHO in 2007, “more than 95% of HIV cases are in developing countries, with two-thirds of them in sub-Saharan Africa. “ In addition, there were 2.1 million deaths related to HIV and 2.5 million...
Half of the world’s cases are found in what is referred to as the AIDS belt, a chain of countries in eastern and southern Africa that is home to two percent of the global population. The main vehicle for spreading HIV throughout Africa is heterosexual intercourse. In contrast, this is the opposite compared to the U.S. where the virus is usually transmitted through homosexual intercourse or contaminated syringes shared by drug users. Besides heterosexual intercourse, HIV transmission through transfusion and contaminated medical equipment is common in sub-Saharan Africa. Africans infected with HIV die much sooner after diagnosis than HIV infected people in other parts of the world. In industrialized countries, the survival time after diagnosis of AIDS ranges from 9 to 26 months, but in Africa the survival time for patients is 5 to 9 months (UNAIDS 3). Factors, such as lower access to health care, poorer quality of health care services, poorer levels of average health and nutrition, and greater exposure to pathogens that cause infection all contribute to the shorter survival in Africa. It is difficult to stop the flood of AIDS cases in Africa because it is not yet known by researchers the factors that contribute to outstanding prevalence of the disease among heterosexuals. This diagnosis will help determine how likely it is that heterosexual epidemics will spread to Asia or the West.
Lamptey, P. R., & Gayle, H. (Eds). (2003). HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care in Resource- Constrained Settings. Arlington: Family Health International.
In chapter 5 the section relating to The Restrictions on HIV-infected Healthcare Workers was an intriguing portion of the chapter. This topic seldom is discussed in the workplace or in upper level occupational health management. The discussion generally surrounds the healthcare worker and their protection measures against becoming affected from the patient. Rarely, do we hear about the HIV-infected worker and their obligations when working with the patient. The three ethical points surrounding the HIV-infected healthcare worker are, should the healthcare worker perform invasive procedures, should the HIV-infected healthcare worker inform their patients, and should the practice of the HIV-infected worker have restrictions? These were all question
Statistics have been show a frightening increase in AIDS/HIV cases. As of the year 2012, South Africa has had the most cases of HIV/AIDS coming to a total of 6,070,800 ("Country Comparison :: HIV/AIDS”). This is a huge contributing factor to this conspira...
This report will allow Trojan the medium and message on how to decrease the spread of HIV and AIDS in those two groups and how they can increase sales. Ultimately, with the increase in brand loyalty from these groups and a positive view from the public, Trojan’s dominant share of the market should only grow, thus increasing profits and capital to for other desired investments.
To decrease HIV transmission and to minimise the impact of the epidemic, on children, young people and families, through the growing effectiveness of national action to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the East of Asia and the Pacific regions. They aim to provide practical support and aid at community level, encouraging the full engament of people affected by HIV/AIDS.
...ry medical treatment. Obtaining medical treatment, and counseling will give HIV positive employees the correct knowledge about their condition. This will also help HIV negative employees in receiving facts about the virus and ways to protect themselves.
Is mandatory testing a better strategy for preventing HIV/AIDS is the main question that is discussed in this document.
There is more than enough data that shows the extent to which AIDS cripples millions of individuals and households around the globe. Also, there are verified methods we can take to address this pandemic. We, as citizens of the world, need to recognize the severity of this problem and take action. Those in power must better distribute resources so that more is spent on saving the families and lives of AIDS stricken patients.
The emergence of HIV/AIDS is viewed globally as one of the most serious health and developmental challenges our society faces today. Being a lentivirus, HIV slowly replicates over time, attacking and wearing down the human immune system subsequently leading to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) at which point the affected individual is exposed to life threatening illnesses and eventual death. Despite the fact that a few instances of this disease have been accounted for in all parts of the world, a high rate of the aforementioned living with HIV are situated in either low or medium wage procuring nations. The Sub-Saharan region Africa is recognized as the geographic region most afflicted by the pandemic. In previous years, people living with HIV or at risk of getting infected did not have enough access to prevention, care and treatment neither were they properly sensitized about the disease. These days, awareness and accessibility to all the mentioned (preventive methods, care etc.) has risen dramatically due to several global responses to the epidemic. An estimated half of newly infected people are among those under age 25(The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic). It hits hard as it has no visible symptoms and can go a long time without being diagnosed until one is tested or before it is too late to manage.