HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment Advocacy Project [PTAP] - Nigeria - Groupes virtuels - Communauté

Message

De:	OGOCHUKWU IBEKWE [ Profil ]
Sujet:	Universal Access to treatment: PLWHA in Rural Areas Have Limited Access to Antiretroviral
Envoyé:	Jun 12th, 2008 - 07:45:09

	Universal Access to treatment: PLWHA in Rural Areas Have Limited Access to Antiretroviral PLWHA in rural areas are experiencing increasingly limited access to antiretroviral drugs. People in the rural areas also tend to be more marginalized than those in urban locations. Although most of people living with HIV/AIDS in the country who need antiretroviral access live in rural areas, three-quarters of PLWHA taking the drugs are from urban areas. PLWHA in rural areas often rely on herbal remedies due to lack of correct information and access to treatment. PLWHA living in the rural area who need antiretroviral find themselves in a quandary because off the distance to urban city and levels of income for a rural household tend to be low, The financial costs associated with antiretroviral go beyond the price of the drugs, the high cost of transportation to health centers means that many low-income PLWHA who need ARV, often take antiretroviral infrequently or not at all. In addition, stigma and discrimination often prevent people from receiving HIV test or accessing treatment in the rural area. Young people particularly are vulnerable to the virus because they sometimes become sexually active at a young age and are not empowered to make decisions because of a rigidly social structure in the rural area. There is much need for social structures to impart information to poor rural people so that they know their rights as far as getting tested and counseled. There is need to establish treatment centers in the rural area so that it will be accessible for rural communities. How can we achieve 100% adherence if PLWHA travels for more than two hours to access treatment? Some herbal homes and private hospitals are taking advantage of that on PLWHA in the rural area NEPWHAN have done well by straightening support groups of PLWHA through capacity building, Office equipment, introduction of Income generating activities (IGA) etc. to response to the numerous challenges PLWHA are facing from that area. This has gone a long way to reduce the burden of transportation to treatment centers among PLWHA in that area. But how many PLWHA can this IGA support? More needs to be done and proper decentralizations of treatment centers are urgent need. -------------------------------------------- Ibekwe Ogochukwu Alexander, South East and State Coordinator Association of Positive Youth in Nigeria (APYIN) EX-Officio, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Project Coordinator, Health Link Organization Ekwulobia. alexodegreat.tigblog.org alexodegreat

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