ABSTRACT
@#HIV self-testing (HIVST) is a new innovation in HIV testing where one can conduct an HIV test and interpret results secretly. However, the kit used for HIVST is not yet available in the Philippine market. This formative study aims to identify the awareness of men who have sex with men (MSM) from Metro Manila, Philippines towards HIVST as well as their willingness to pay for a self-test kit. Two-hundred fifty MSM who received a non-reactive HIV screening test result from a community-based voluntary counseling and testing center were recruited. Results indicated that slightly more than half of the respondents (56%) have heard about HIVST, indicating moderate level of awareness among MSM. The social media and the internet were the most prominent source of awareness about it. Frequent testers and being exclusively or more attracted to the same sex are more likely to be aware of HIVST. Median price one is willing to pay is 500 Pesos (roughly 10 US Dollars) and preference for saliva test that blood was reported. Willingness to pay was not related with any personal characteristic. Over-all, results implicate that efforts to inform MSM about HIVST should be initiated to increase awareness. Should it be available, HIVST services can be optimized if done through saliva test and if provided at low price.
ABSTRACT
<b>Introduction</b><br> Of the 55,000 deaths per year due to rabies, 56% occur in Asia and 44% in Africa. Despite the existence of the national rabies control program in Sri Lanka, rabies is still prevalent, suggesting that animal bite victims may have failed to observe the proper first aid measures and seek immediate medical treatment. The purpose of this study is to describe the health-seeking behavior among animal bite victims of a selected population in Kandy District, Sri Lanka. The influences of subjects’ demographic characteristics to these behaviors were studied.<br><b>Methods</b><br> We conducted face-to-face interviews in May 2006 among households with family members having history of animal bite injuries. Data on health-seeking behaviors such as first aid measure application, immediate medical consultation, and completion of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) were obtained. The association between behaviors and demographic characteristics were evaluated using Chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test.<br><b>Results</b><br> Of the 6968 sample population, 357 (5.1%) had history of animal bites one year prior to the survey. Most of the subjects performed first aid measures (n=297, 83.2%) and sought medical treatment (n=319, 89.4%) within 24 hours (n=295, 82.6%) of the injury. Only 9.8% (n=35) of the subjects completed the PEP. There was no association between health-seeking behavior and demographic characteristics. Two subjects died having symptoms that resembled rabies without completing the necessary PEP, and two animal specimens were sent for laboratory testing that confirmed one case of feline rabies one year prior to the study.<br><b>Conclusion</b><br> In general, the health-seeking behaviors of the subjects were not influenced by their demographic characteristics which may contribute to greater difficulties in controlling rabies. To strengthen the rabies control program, effective education of both the public and health sectors by thorough and adequate wound washing, and strict adherence with the recommended treatment schedule is of paramount importance.
ABSTRACT
It has been estimated that by 2010, there might be more people living with HIV in Asia than in Africa. There is an urgent need for a safe, effective, accessible and affordable AIDS vaccine suitable for use in Asia. Factors that may hinder the development of AIDS vaccines in Asia include: 1) difficulty in recruiting adequate number of trial participants due to the low incidence of HIV infection in the general population and in defined population groups at high risk for HIV; 2) circulation of multiple HIV genetic subtypes and recombinant forms, and 3) unique geographical diversity of populations, cultures, social and political backgrounds. A proposed strategy to accelerate the development of an effective AIDS vaccine for Asia could be the constitution of a collaborative regional network in support of AIDS vaccine research and development. Collaborations would include 1) promoting the conduct of additional epidemiological studies and establishment of regional vaccine trial cohorts to reach adequate sample size for efficacy trials, 2) developinga regional platform for the conduct of clinical trials at multiple sites and harmonization of legal, regulatory and ethical frameworks to facilitate the review and approval processes, 3) strengthening the regional clinical research capacities and human resources for efficient development and testing of various vaccine candidates; and 4) promoting the development of regional capacities and infrastructures for vaccine production for the conduct of all phases of clinical trials, licensing and future public health use. A collaborative regional network in support of AIDS vaccine research and development will also require strong political commitment and leadership by all regional and international partners playing a significant role in the region.