HIV and AIDS
This blog, by Anthony Kinghorn, originally appeared on the Oxford Policy Management website, and is reposted with their permission. World AIDS Day is a time to celebrate successes in tackling the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The global response has achieved reductions in the numbers of AIDS deaths and of new infections which we might once have thought… Read more
This review has found a number of peer reviewed studies and grey literature on interventions targeted at sex workers for HIV prevention. Several were systematic reviews, some comprehensive reviews and policy papers. A number of individual studies focused on cost effectiveness are presented. Two interventions in India are considered particularly effective and scalable interventions. A… Read more
Evaluation of the evidence on the effectiveness of male circumcision (MC) suggests that implementation should be accelerated in sub-Saharan Africa. Experts reviewing six simulation models agree that programmes that focus on subpopulations with a high HIV prevalence and incidence would have substantial impact on HIV incidence. The review of the six simulation models found estimates… Read more
This helpdesk provides a rapid analysis on the existing evidence related to effective behaviour change interventions. It has a particular focus on where interventions are related to hygiene and sanitation, nutrition, gender based violence, indoor air pollution, family planning adoption, unsafe sex, motor vehicle driving. The geographic focus is Malawi, but where necessary it draws… Read more
Everyone who was at the Durban AIDS conference in 2000 remembers the moment we learnt of effective medications for HIV. Some of us were too scared to believe it. But it turned out to be true and what unfolded was relatively straightforward. Life rapidly changed for people with the virus who were able access treatment…. Read more
The South African economy is dependent on the productivity of its labour. To maximise productivity, the labour force must possess the appropriate skills. The private sector invests more funds than the government on training. However, the HIV and AIDS epidemic is eroding this investment. Based on an estimate of the HIV and AIDS death rate… Read more
Attention to the negative effects of structural barriers on HIV efforts is increasing. Reviewing national legal and policy environments with attention to the international human rights commitments of states is a means of assessing and providing focus for addressing these barriers to effective HIV responses. Recognition of the harms inherent in laws that constitute structural… Read more
There has been increasing global interest in documenting funding flows for health, but none of that work has focused on the Pacific region. This paper outlines external funding for two specific areas of overseas development assistance (ODA) for health in the region—HIV/AIDS and non-communicable diseases (NCDs)— during 2002-09. These are compared to the comparative disease… Read more
DFID committed 12 million GBP to uplift frontline health workers’ salaries in Sierra Leone from 2010 to 2015 to support the implementation of the Free Healthcare Initiative (FHCI), launched in April 2010, which made health services free for pregnant women, children under five years of age and nursing mothers. Increasing the availability of frontline health… Read more
In this blog post Ireen Namakhoma discusses the importance of gender equity analysis within health research. In March 2015, the Global Health Action produced a special issue on Gender and Health. One of the articles which I co-authored together with colleagues from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Eleanor MacPherson, Sally Theobald and Esther Richards, highlights… Read more
Objective—To assess the effect of HIV care (including HAART if eligible) on neurodevelopment. Design—Prospective cohort study Methods—Motor and mental development of 35 HIV-infected children (age 18-71 months) was assessed at entry into care, and after 6 and 12 months using age-appropriate tools. Developmental trajectory was compared to 35 HIV-uninfected, affected and 90 control children using… Read more