Study reveals Zambia’s health services are focused on HIV testing

A study conducted by ZAMBART, the University of Zambia (UNZA) and the University of Toronto has revealed that health services in Zambia have focused on HIV testing, commencement of treatment and adherence, with very little attention to the health and social support needed for living with HIV as a chronic and episodic condition.

The study shows that HIV care and research in Zambia have focused largely on clinical makers and diagnosis with less attention to the impact of HIV and ART on people’s daily lives and little attention has been paid to the experience over time of people living with HIV.

The study has also showed that despite ART, stigma still persists and affects the lives of people living with HIV and that there has been little research on acceptance of one’s HIV status as people are living longer on ART in resource limited settings like Zambia.

Co-lead researcher of the study Stephanie Nixon says there is need to expand or create programs to help address the long term needs of people living with HIV, incorporate rehabilitation into the HIV care continuum, ramp up efforts to address HIV related stigma and address food security and employment as crucial determinants of health.

And speaking during the dissemination of the findings, Health Minister Joseph Kaonde says research evidence is required to any policies being made.

Dr. Kasonde says there is need to for people to begin taking HIV/AIDS as any other chronic disease.

He has urged clinicians to change their management of the illness by going a step further from just issuing drugs to AIDS patients, by going into the lives of the people and understand what other problems people living with HIV/AIDS may be facing.

Dr. Kasonde has further encouraged researchers in the clinical area to harness their solutions and make them available to people living with HIV to help them improve their lives.