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| HIV: improving treatment, care and support |
TESTING people for HIV and delivering the life-changing results can often challenge even the most seasoned of doctors.
But what if there was a way to improve accuracy, communicate better, reassure patients and provide them with much needed support? |
That is what Dr Jennifer Stuart-Dixon and Verna St Rose Greaves hoped to offer TCI doctors and nurses during a comprehensive training session this week.
The two experienced freelance consultants represent the Pan American Health Organisation, an international public health agency with more than 100 years experience improving health and living standards in the Americas.
On Monday they spent the day talking about Provider Initiated HIV Testing and Counselling or PITC.
More than 30 health care providers from both the public and private sectors took part in the sessions at the Environmental Centre in the Bight.
Dr Stuart-Dixon explained the main purpose of PITC is to guide countries as they expand their HIV services.
“We want to increase the number of people who know their HIV status and increase access to, HIV treatment, care, prevention and support, and improve HIV treatment outcomes.
“It is important to view PITC as one component in a comprehensive strategy of widening availability and improving access to HIV services.
“Commitment to expand access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support means greater effort should be made to allow people to know their HIV status and have the possibility of easy access to the services they need.”
The two consultants, based in Jamaica, have travelled all over the Caribbean delivering the training including the Bahamas, St Vincent, St Lucia, Suriname and Barbados.
“Participants have embraced the new focus and acknowledged the need for more people to come in to be tested,” Dr Stuart-Dixon said. |
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| [ 11-12-2008 ] |
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