HIV Treatment in Rural Zimbabwe - Term Paper Example

? HIV Treatment in rural Zimbabwe Introduction HIV and AIDS has been a health crisis globally. The effects are, however, magnified in the developing countries due to various social economic factors. High-level s of poverty, inadequate health facilities and a lacking in the education front has contributed immensely to the spread of this disease among these countries. Since the search for the cure is still ongoing, the only method that the health departments worldwide are employing is prevention and management of the disease. In Zimbabwe for instance, the fight against HIV and AIDS faces unique challenges because of culture, and the economic situation evident among the population. In rural areas, in Zimbabwe, the spread of the disease has been especially high and its management is problematic. This has forced the health department in Zimbabwe, to adopt new methods of treatment for the disease to improve the health situation of the rural inhabitants. The new methods that were employed to counter the pandemic need to be measured to establish the accomplishment of their implementation. In Zimbabwe, the health departments encouraged voluntary testing among the population and measured the outcome realized in relation to the treatment and management of the disease. HIV Situation and the Method Used In HIV Management Research has shown that women have a higher chance of contracting the disease than men. This reason has made the stakeholders in their fight against aids to put more effort on this vulnerable group. The women in rural Zimbabwe practice sexual activities occasionally in exchange for money and some instances, gifts are exchanged for sex. This has made the fight against the disease more challenging citing economic difficulties. It has proved difficult to convince the women in the region to refrain from the habit, since it provides supplementary income for their already impoverished lives. This practice puts more women at jeopardy of getting the disease due to their vulnerability. Research has shown the reasons why women have a higher prevalence of contacting the disease than men range from biologic make up to social and economic factors. In rural Zimbabwe, the women are not empowered economically making them increasingly vulnerable to contracting the disease (Mu?ller, 2005). This underlines the fact that, for the treatment of the disease in this area to be successful, both the health and the social economic challenges should be tackled (Carae?l, 2008). One of the methods being employed to combat the disease is through encouraging voluntary testing by individuals in order for them to know their status. This was achieved through the creation of Voluntary Testing and Counseling Centers (VCT), and trained counselors to handle the testing, and counseling of individuals. The process is voluntary in order to encourage individuals to take the initiative in matters concerning their health. When an individual is aware of their status, they can better manage the disease by taking the necessary measures to manage its symptoms and effects on an individual’s health (Beyrer and Celentano, 2007). The VCT approach has also been instrumental in demystifying the disease in the rural areas. This has made the inhabitants more knowledgeable on the disease improving the response of the public towards the management of the disease. The resulting effect realized from the use of the VCT centers was that the rural population became more knowledgeable about the disease, which in turn translated into behavioral change for individuals in the population (Carae?l, 2008). The behavioral change that was observed because of the voluntary testing exercise included the utilization of condoms, and the embracing of having regular sexual partners, as opposed to multiple ones. The downside to this, however, is that the individuals that tested negative for the disease were seen to engage in reckless sexual activity by having multiple partners. The motivating factor behind the inhabitant’s willingness to know their status was that was driven by the urge for individuals to learn more about the disease (Mu?ller, 2005). This was as opposed to the common rationale in other regions globally that have the tests done due to the risk factor caused by the disease. The results show that the inhabitants of rural Zimbabwe are not worried about contacting the disease, but rather want to know m ore on the subject. The encouragement of counseling has seen the practice rise significantly up to more than 5% recently (Joint United Nations Programme, 2009). Metrics Used The measure of success in a program is relative, and heavily depends on the objectives set by the medical department. The program had successes in some areas, in that positive gains, were realized in the management and treatment of the disease. The threshold used to measure the effectiveness of the program set in Zimbabwe was determined by the impact the program had on sexual behavior and the prevalence of the disease in the rural Zimbabwe population. The impacts that were realized because of the program included behavioral change among the individuals found to be positive. The individuals adopted the use of condoms and did not practice sexual relations with multiple partners (Lala and Merchant, 2012). These gains will have a significant impact on the combat against the virus in the region. Though there were areas that were not fully addressed, the program attained some success in the fight against HIV and AIDS. To measure the success of a program, it is crucial the stakeholders determine the effectiveness of the program. The Return on Investment (ROI) of the program can measure the effectiveness of the same. The principle used to determine this is through the calculation of the returns realized and the cost that was incurred in the program. This will make it possible for the stakeholders to determine whether the program was cost effective or not viable. The metrics in this case will be the number of people that will take part in the voluntary counseling, and the costs that will be incurred in the program. If the cost justifies the result, then the program was a success. This process is, however, different from the evaluation process, since evaluation is more comprehensive, and includes many variables to determine the outcome. In ROI, however, cost and outcome are the key metrics to determine the outcome. Management Issues It is imperative that the managers who are involved in the program are effective to ensure that a program of this magnitude is successful. The management skill that is crucial in such an endeavor is the ability to coordinate the events that characterize the program. Coordination between the counselors, the population and the relevant medical bodies is essential for favorable results to be realized. A clear management structure should be created to ensure that the roles are specified to avoid ambiguity, and conflicts that may arise due to lack of a clearly defined leadership structure. Leadership is a key element for a program to be successful. If a program lacks direction and leadership, the goals set will not be achieved. References Beyrer, C., & Celentano, D. (2007). Public Health Aspects of HIV/AIDS in Developing Countries: Epidemiology, Prevention and Care. New York, NY: Springer New York. Carae?l, M. (2008). HIV, resurgent infections and population change in Africa. Berlin: Springer Netherland. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS., & World Health Organization. (2009). AIDS epidemic update: December 2009. Geneva: UNAIDS. Lala, M. M., & Merchant, R. H. (2012). Principles of perinatal and pediatric HIV/AIDS. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers. Mu?ller, T. R. (2005). HIV/AIDS and human development in sub-Saharan Africa: Impact mitigation through agricultural interventions : an overview and annotated bibliography. Wageningen: Wageningen Acad. Publ. Read More