Conference Highlights Treatment Access

Another high profile health conference in Cape Town offered hope for new HIV and TB treatments and vaccines, but many at the conference concluded that these advances may have less impact in the fight against TB and HIV than addressing the question of access to current diagnostics, treatment and support.

The International AIDS Society Conference swept into the city last month from 19-22 July 2009 and brought the latest medical breakthroughs to the attention of the world. New TB diagnostics mean that a patient could soon receive the results of a TB test in 2 hours and cutting-edge developments in the HIV field are promising antiretroviral treatments that administer daily dosing for HIV patients.

But these high tech solutions could be foiled by ordinary problems. There is still a gap in follow-up care after diagnosis, and in access to treatment. If new diagnostics and treatment become available, but people cannot or do not access medical care, these scientific breakthroughs become nearly useless.

Even now, according to Dr Francois Venter, President of the South African HIV Clinicians Society, “We are still doing a terrible job of retaining patients in care, and we need to start looking harder at retention in care.”

A comprehensive list of solutions to some of the problems of access to treatment were proposed by Anthony Harries, who has acted as National Advisor to the Malawi Tuberculosis Control Programme and National Advisor in HIV care and treatment in the Ministry of Health. These solutions included supporting community-based care programmes, the active tracing and follow up of patients who skip appointments, the implementation of treatment support programmes in workplaces and the reduction of indirect costs for patients by decentralisation of services and provision of transport vouchers.

With the TB/HIV Care Association’s projects focussed on just these areas, it seems the organisation is well positioned to make a lasting impact in the fight against HIV and TB.

Sources
TB/HIV Care Association 021 425 0050 www.tbhivcare.org
Alcorn, Keith. Aidsmap. 20 July 2009. http://aidsmap.com/en/news/D1347FE5-601A-4403-A58E-299331CF0282.asp