Treatment for substance abuse and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection historically have come from different providers, often in separate locations, and have been reimbursed through separate funding streams. We describe policy and financing challenges faced by health care providers seeking to integrate buprenorphine, a new treatment for opioid dependence, into HIV primary care. Regulato...

INTRODUCTION Routine viral load monitoring for HIV-1 management of persons on antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to identify treatment failure. However, viral load testing represents a substantial cost in resource constrained health care systems. The central challenge is whether and how viral load monitoring may be delivered such that it max...

As of Dec 2, 1986, there have been 27,704 adult cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) reported in the United States; death has been reported in 56% of these cases. In addition, 394 (1.4%) cases of AIDS have been reported in children younger than 13 years of age, with 240 deaths; 347 (88%) are less than 5 years old.’ Serologic testing has identified additional children in high-risk ...

it is estimated that the number of hiv infected children globally has increased from 1.6 million in 2001 to 3.3 million in 2012. the number of children below 15 years of age living with hiv has increased worldwide. published data from recent studies confirmed dramatic survival benefit for infants started anti-retroviral therapy (art) as early as possible after diagnosis of hi. early confirmatio...

INTRODUCTION In a significant geographical shift in the distribution of HIV infection, the US South--comprising 17 states--now has the greatest number of adults and adolescents with HIV (PLHIV) in the nation. More than 60% of PLHIV are not in HIV care in Alabama and Mississippi, contrasted with a national figure of 25%. Poorer HIV outcomes raise concerns about HIV-related inequities for souther...

Prior to 2011, uptake of PMTCT in Malawi remained low despite increased access to antiretrovirals. We sought to understand barriers to PMTCT in rural Malawi. Twenty-two HIV-infected pregnant and postpartum women in PMTCT programs were interviewed in Nkhoma, Malawi, between April-May 2010. All women were staged by WHO criteria or CD4 count as ineligible for three-drug treatment by Malawi's HIV G...

Introduction The AIDS pandemic is a global crisis with impacts that will be felt for decades to come, demanding massive responses at many levels. Such responses need to continue to be grounded in the three core pillars of prevention, care and treatment, and mitigation. But these responses need to be much larger in scale, far more broadly based, and better connected so as to better match the sca...

HIV-related stigma is regarded as one of the major barriers in the development of effective prevention and care programs; but the stigma associated with HIV stigma is not a singular entity. The stigma of the infection is layered with other stigmas, such as those associated with the routes of transmission (e.g., sex work and injecting drug use) and personal characteristics (e.g., race, religion,...

HIV testing and counselling (HTC) is a gateway to all systems of AIDS-related care. This study examined national programme data to highlight gaps in HTC service utilization, regional differences and differential use of various HTC programs in Ghana in the period, 2007-2010. Analysis showed HTC increased rapidly across the country, however the increase was not uniform across the 10 regions. Also...

BACKGROUND Surveillance points to an urgent public health need for HIV prevention, access, and retention among young men of color who have sex with men (YMSM). The purpose of this multisite study was to evaluate the association between organizational- and individual-level characteristics and retention in HIV care among HIV-positive YMSM of color. METHODS Data were collected quarterly via face...