Sociocultural and epidemiological aspects of HIV/AIDS in Mozambique

BMC International Health and Human Rights

Research Article

Mohsin Sidat¹  Janeen Burlison²  Sten H Vermund³  Troy D Moon⁴  Alfredo E Vergara⁵  Carolyn M Audet⁵ 

[1] Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique;Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 37203, Nashville, TN, USA;Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 37203, Nashville, TN, USA;Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 37232, Nashville, TN, USA;Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 37203, Nashville, TN, USA;Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 37232, Nashville, TN, USA;Friends in Global Health, Maputo and Quelimane, Mozambique;Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 37203, Nashville, TN, USA;Department of Preventive Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 37232, Nashville, TN, USA;

关键词: Human Immunodeficiency Virus;    Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection;    Bacterial Vaginosis;    Male Circumcision;    Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1472-698X-10-15

 received in 2009-12-17, accepted in 2010-06-08,  发布年份 2010

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundA legacy of colonial rule coupled with a devastating 16-year civil war through 1992 left Mozambique economically impoverished just as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic swept over southern Africa in the late 1980s. The crumbling Mozambican health care system was wholly inadequate to support the need for new chronic disease services for people with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).MethodsTo review the unique challenges faced by Mozambique as they have attempted to stem the HIV epidemic, we undertook a systematic literature review through multiple search engines (PubMed, Google Scholar™, SSRN, AnthropologyPlus, AnthroSource) using Mozambique as a required keyword. We searched for any articles that included the required keyword as well as the terms 'HIV' and/or 'AIDS', 'prevalence', 'behaviors', 'knowledge', 'attitudes', 'perceptions', 'prevention', 'gender', drugs, alcohol, and/or 'health care infrastructure'.ResultsUNAIDS 2008 prevalence estimates ranked Mozambique as the 8th most HIV-afflicted nation globally. In 2007, measured HIV prevalence in 36 antenatal clinic sites ranged from 3% to 35%; the national estimate of was 16%. Evidence suggests that the Mozambican HIV epidemic is characterized by a preponderance of heterosexual infections, among the world's most severe health worker shortages, relatively poor knowledge of HIV/AIDS in the general population, and lagging access to HIV preventive and therapeutic services compared to counterpart nations in southern Africa. Poor education systems, high levels of poverty and gender inequality further exacerbate HIV incidence.ConclusionsRecommendations to reduce HIV incidence and AIDS mortality rates in Mozambique include: health system strengthening, rural outreach to increase testing and linkage to care, education about risk reduction and drug adherence, and partnerships with traditional healers and midwives to effect a lessening of stigma.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Audet et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2010