Program for Women and Children with AIDS Begins at Ste. Croix

The global HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to progress rapidly throughout most of the world. Since the beginning of the epidemic over 20 years ago more than 16,300,000 people have died of AIDS, including 3,600,000 children and 6,200,000 women. It is estimated by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Joint Program on AIDS that of the 33,600,000 people living with HIV infection/AIDS, 14,800,000 are women and 1,200,000 are children below 15 years of age. More than 95 percent of HIV-infected people live in developing countries. Over 11,200,000 children below 15 years of age have been orphaned through the loss of their mothers. Women now surpass men in the acquisition of new infections per year. Clearly developing countries have not benefited from the new therapies that have prolonged the quality and quantity of life for HIV-infected individuals in industrialized countries.

In his report on the Program for Women and Children with AIDS to the Children's Medical Mission of Haiti Board, Dr. McNeeley presented an update on the situation of AIDS in Haiti, and in Leogane more specifically. Leogane may have as many as 12,000 HIV-infected individuals, most of whom do not know that they are infected since HIV testing is available only at the Hospital.

There is an urgent need to develop programs for voluntary counseling and testing for HIV for the rural communities, especially since transmission of infection from mother-to-child can be largely prevented.

Additionally, the Hospital at Leogane, like nearly all hospitals in developing countries, cannot absorb the projected future costs of HIV-infected individuals. Home-based care is the only reasonable financial alternative for both the hospital-infected individuals, who cannot afford the expense of multiple, lengthy hospitalizations either. Therefore, there is a need to train the community health personnel in the management of HIV-infected individuals.

The Program for Women and Children with AIDS is primarily focused on this community-based approach to HIV/AIDS care and the prevention of transmission of infection from mother to child.

During the past year all training material for the health workers and midwives was reviewed and the design of new training materials has begun in collaboration with individuals from Atlanta experienced in the development of educational programs.

Training modules are also planned for church and community leaders, given the need to engage all sectors of society in public education against the AIDS epidemic. Once the new program is piloted in Leogane it will be available to all other health institutions and programs throughout the diocese.