2009

Prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of STI/HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis towards the vulnerable population in the rural areas of Senegal, with the Fundación Barcelona’s Foundation of AIDS 2002

The context

Until a few years ago, Senegal has had a situation of relative low prevalence of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/AIDS in relation to other countries in sub-Saharan Africa. However, recently there has been a slow increase. In the region of San Luis the prevalence of HIV is relatively low and stable, although there are vulnerable groups with high prevalence of infection by HIV/AIDS, malaria and Tuberculosis (commercial sex workers, pregnant women, teenagers and immigrants). The region of Ziguinchor, the municipality of Bignona, where is an area of transit, tourist and a high of fishermen, passers-by and military population. This social instability and poverty have encouraged clandestine prostitution, which caused a higher high transmission of STDs infections and infection by HIV, especially among vulnerable populations.

Until 2005, when this project started, the attention to the people living with the HIV/AIDS (PLHIV), primarily by making reference to drugs antiretroviral (ARV) and biological analyses, were centrally in regional hospitals. The control of STIs, however, has a direct HIV prevention impact, while malaria and tuberculosis are diseases very prevalent, and produce a high morbidity and mortality. It should be noted that HIV is the most important factor of risk to reactivate latent tuberculosis infection and that 50% of people infected with HIV develop TB during their lifetime.

Currently almost all health districts in the country provide care to PLHIV, especially in terms of ARV, drugs for opportunistic diseases and psycho-social follow-up. But in terms of the biological tests, these are still very centralised in medical areas, except for two health districts serving the project.

The project to evaluate

The project is implemented in the health centres of Bignona (Casamance) and Richard Toll (Saint Louis), in collaboration with the AIDS Division of the Ministry of health of Senegal and the Two Medical Regions. It gives continuity to the first pilot project initiated in the town of Richard Toll to decentralize the attention to PLHIV in health districts, where the initiative was a success; so, it was decided to replicate it in the municipality of Bingona. With the present project, the ACCD has funded all of the continuity of the project in Richard Toll, from the year 2007 to 2009, and a part of the Project was started in Bignona in the same period.

Taking as a reference the results obtained in Richard Toll, we want to strengthen the action plan in the field of STIs, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases associated with poverty in the vulnerable population in rural areas.