Marseille 2007
| Abstract #250 - The HIV Epidemic in Libya: A window on North Africa &the Middle East (Option 2) | ||||
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Session: 26.82: Posters B (Poster) on Tuesday in Chaired by Authors: Presenting Author: Dr Saleh El-Gadi - Homerton University Hospital, United Kingdom |
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| Additional Authors: Dr Saleh El-Gad, Dr Abdulhafid Abudher, Dr Mohamed Sammud, | ||||
| Aim: Libya is facing a significant and a growing HIV epidemic. According to available statistics, drugs and substance abuse are the leading cause of HIV/AIDS transmission in Libya. The alarming statistics about the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and drug abuse are now openly and publicly announced. More importantly, a strong message has been sent by the country's leadership that all citizens need to take a proactive and transparent approach in dealing with HIV/AIDS. Libya has a strong relationship with African countries and there is a large migrant African community in Libya. The African migrants constitute a significant proportion of the HIV positive population . Like most Arab countries the HIV epidemic is unexamined and not well recognised. Literature search reveals very little about the epidemic in Libya and many questions remained unanswered: What are the nature and the demographics of the epidemic? What HIV services are there to combat HIV/AIDS in Libya? Why is it that the HIV epidemic in Libya is predominately drug related and why is it different from the predominantly heterosexual epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa? What are the social influences that shape the HIV epidemic in Libya? How Libya is responding to the epidemic? In what way Muslim culture/ethics affect the nature of the epidemic and how people respond to it? How the epidemic is running along the Muslim culture? Why Africans migrate to Libya? What is the influence of these migrants on the HIV epidemic? How the epidemic is represented in the Libyan media? The pattern of HIV epidemic, culture, beliefs and attitudes in the Middle East are similar. In this lecture, taking Libya as an example I will try to draw a clearer big picture of the HIV epidemic within the context of Arabic/Islamic culture and attempt to answer some of these questions. I will examine the HIV epidemic in Libya within the Global and Regional context. This will include the HIV epidemiology in Libya (unpublished data of several surveys including a large survey of over 65,000 people) and the association between HIV and Sexually Transmitted Diseases epidemiology in Libya. I will also examine the Cultural, Ethical, Public Health and Healthcare Service Delivery challenges facing Libya and what can be done to effectively combat HIV/AIDS epidemic. Dr El-Gadi is collaborating with WHO to combat HIV/AIDS in North Africa and the Middle East as an adviser, visiting WHO consultant to the region and in areas of training for Middle Eastern Doctors. | ||||
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