JITRA: HIV/AIDS UNIT

There HIV/AIDS unit is handled by only one person that is PPKP Mr.Osman bin Ali. He also analyses the data in Kubang Pasu district and the analysis is presented and discussed in epidemiology meeting..

OBJECTIVE

1) To give comprehensive medical treatment to the target group:-
a) Any high risk cases ( referred or voluntary )

b) Mother who conceive

c) Family members or any individual who takes care of HIV/AIDS patients.
2) To give medical information and support to those who in need.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITY AT DISTRICT LEVEL

The programmes in district level is lead by the district officer and helped by family medicine specialist, medical and health officer, assistant of environmental officer (PPKP) and the sisters and staff nurses.

Plan, implement and monitor programmes at district level.

Identification of problems and give feedback about PPHIV programme at district level.

Collect and insert registered cases from health clinic through on line at district level.

Plan and implement PPHIV activities at district level.

Receive all notifiable cases and confirm the contact cases.

HIGH RISK CASES

Drug addicts, who share the needles, having sex partner who have HIV, involve in unsafe sex, from mother who had HIV to the child and sexually transmitted illness (STI) patients are known as high risk cases.

The high risk cases will be counseled:

Pre test
- Given to those who wants to do the HIV screening

Post test
- Test results must be informed as fast as possible.


Home visit by PPKP for 3 reasons:
a) Contact Tracing
b) To give health education to the patient and also to the family members regarding nursing at home
c) To detect defaulters

FORM HIV/AIDS97 is a 3 in 1 form where we record information about HIV,AIDS and death of patient.

To register a patient as a case we need 2 positive results.

Sample verification or 2nd blood test must be obtained 1 week after 1st reactive ELISA test or just after informed by Lab which did the test.

Most cases are obtained from mothers who come for antenatal check-up and drug addicts.

NSP (National Strategy Plan) where by the MOH collaborates with other agencies or NGOs like AADK(Agency Anti-Dadah Kebangsaan,Schools,PLKN,Police) to provide talk and seminars related to HIV/AIDS.

In Kubang Pasu there is 2 PPHIV(Program Pengurusan HIV) that is in K.K Changloon and K.K Kepala Batas. All patients with HIV will be referred to PPHIV and all their contacts will be traced (Contact tracing).PPHIV does counseling,treatment and also lab test such as viral load and CD4.

After been diagnosed with HIV, their spouse and also their children < 6 years old should be informed and screened for HIV.

For year 2008 till 31 July, there has been 8 cases of HIV/AIDS been registered after 2 positive results.

The data from the forms are transferred to registration book and then into computer.

Corpse management

1) Notification received via telephone or verbally
2) Record into the record book
3) Patient record is checked in the communicable disease record book
4) Appropriate tools for corpse bathing (cleansing) procedure is prepared like rubber glove, mask and apron.
5) Visit the patients house and identify the person in charge of bathing the corpse.
6) Proper area for bathing the corpse has to designated.Proper disposal of bathing water has to be done that is into the drain or a hole that has been dug.
7) The dead person’s clothes has to be soaked in Clorox for 30 minutes before washed.
8) Explain to the person in charge the correct procedure to bath the corpse and ensure that’s they practice universal precautions.
9) Monitor the bathing procedure at all time
10) The corpse will be wrapped in 3 layers-
- first layer-white cloth
- second layer –plastic
-third layer – white cloth
Purpose is to eradicate microorganism
11)The equipments are soaked in Clorox for 30 minutes before washed and the floor is mopped with Clorox solution.

HARM REDUCTION
Sharing needles while injecting drugs cause 70% of reported HIV infection (2004)
The risk of practicing “unsafe sex” causes 20% of reported HIV infection (2004)
As a response to the 6th. Millennium Development Goal adopted during the Millennium Summit in 2000.
It is the fight against HIV/AIDS that remained to be achieved !

It is about making dangerous behavior less dangerous--It is less dangerous to inject drug with one’s own clean needle as opposed to sharing contaminated needle, and;
About improving Quality of Life--By providing the various supports to IDUs living with HIV/AIDS
And about saving lives--By not being infected or infecting others with HIV

Needle Exchange Program (NEP) is only one of many more harm reduction activities
NEP’s major role is to serve as a driving force towards a wide range of Harm Reduction related activities;
-Information, education and communication on risk reduction
-HIV Testing & counseling…. Condom use !!
-DST services, Half-way house…..
-T.B & STD screening and treatment,
-ARV treatment and;
-Psycho-social and moral care & support.

The Principles;
-First; to help the uninfected IDUs stay that way;
-Second; to help infected IDUs stay healthy, and;
-Third; to help infected IDUs initiate and sustain behaviors that will keep preventing HIV transmission to others.