Marseille 2007
| Abstract #153 - Rise in Uptake of Routine Testing and Counselling in a hard to reach, poor community in south western Uganda. | ||||
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Session: 48.3: Behaviour and prevention (Parallel) on Wednesday @ 08.30-10.30 in CP Chaired by Michael Ross, Marie Preau Authors: Presenting Author: Dr MUKUZI Muhereza - The AIDS support Organisation TASO, Uganda |
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| Additional Authors: | ||||
| Aim: Introduction: Kabale Regional Referral Hospital is the only referral hospital in south-western Uganda. It serves a region lying between 1000-3500 meters above sea level with diverse geographic features like volcanic mountains, temperate bamboo forests, game park and the deepest volcanic crater lake. These contribute to the poverty of the people living in this area. These geographic features also present a barrier to the usual health facility based voluntary counseling and testing of HIV/AIDS. This paper assesses the rise in uptake of RCT in this hard to reach region. | ||||
| Method / Issue: Methods: We compared the figures for the hospital VCT from the period of 1998 to 2004 and those of 2004 to 2006 routine counseling and testing where most patients who presented to the hospital were offered RCT. We also identified the reasons for the rise in numbers in the RCT vis-a vis VCT group. We identified the causes/barriers of low numbers in the VCT group. However, glaring gaps were also identified in the RCT group. | ||||
| Results / Comments: Results and lessons learnt: There were 691 people who had undergone VCT in the period 1996-2004 compared to 1542 people in the period 2004-2006 who had undergone RCT. This translated into a 2.24 fold increase. The biggest cause of increase in number was mass education and mobile clinic outreaches by Kabale RR hospital staff especially in island areas where numbers sometimes overwhelmed the service providers. The biggest success was in maternity ward where uptake was over 96% of all mothers coming to deliver there upon suggestion of PMTCT services. The main barriers in VCT section included: No transportation fees (46%), physical barriers/long distance to health services (28%), fear of (+ve HIV) results (15%), didnt know the service exists (4%) and others (7%). The gaps that must be addressed include: Accurate; but not publicist information to RCT group. Delicate groups like Adolescents and children, handicapped (mentally and otherwise) must be given VCT. | ||||
| Discussion: We recommend RCT approach to testing for HIV and group/mass counseling to reduce cost and time. Spread of PMTCT and ART services to difficult to reach areas. | ||||
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