Evolution of HIV/AIDS response in Brazil: Policy innovations and challenges in the fourth decade of the epidemic

Evaluating the impact of social determinants, conditional cash transfers and primary health care on HIV/AIDS: Study protocol of a retrospective and forecasting approach based on the data integration with a cohort of 100 million Brazilians

Background

Despite the great progress made over the last decades, stronger structural interventions are needed to end the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). Brazil is one of the largest and data-richest LMIC, with rapidly changing socioeconomic characteristics and an important HIV/AIDS burden. Over the last two decades Brazil has also implemented the world’s largest Conditional Cash Transfer programs, the Bolsa Familia Program (BFP), and one of the most consolidated Primary Health Care (PHC) interventions, the Family Health Strategy (FHS).

Objective

We will evaluate the effects of socioeconomic determinants, BFP exposure and FHS coverage on HIV/AIDS incidence, treatment adherence, hospitalizations, case fatality, and mortality using unprecedently large aggregate and individual-level longitudinal data. Moreover, we will integrate the retrospective datasets and estimated parameters with comprehensive forecasting models to project HIV/AIDS incidence, prevalence and mortality scenarios up to 2030 according to future socioeconomic conditions and alternative policy implementations.

Methods and analysis

We will combine individual-level data from all national HIV/AIDS registries with large-scale databases, including the “100 Million Brazilian Cohort”, over a 19-year period (2000–2018). Several approaches will be used for the retrospective quasi-experimental impact evaluations, such as Regression Discontinuity Design (RDD), Random Administrative Delays (RAD) and Propensity Score Matching (PSM), combined with multivariable Poisson regressions for cohort analyses. Moreover, we will explore in depth lagged and long-term effects of changes in living conditions and in exposures to BFP and FHS. We will also investigate the effects of the interventions in a wide range of subpopulations. Finally, we will integrate such retrospective analyses with microsimulation, compartmental and agent-based models to forecast future HIV/AIDS scenarios.

Conclusion

The unprecedented datasets, analyzed through state-of-the-art quasi-experimental methods and innovative mathematical models will provide essential evidences to the understanding and control of HIV/AIDS epidemic in LMICs such as Brazil.

Key and general population HIV-related stigma and discrimination in HIV-specific health care settings: results from the Stigma Index Brazil

HIV-related stigma and discrimination lead to poorer mental health, lower levels of services usage, and less adherence to antiretroviral medications. Due to the overlap of different kinds of stigmas, HIV-positive key populations are the most susceptible to negative health outcomes. The Stigma Index is an instrument that measure worldwide trends in HIV-related stigma from the perspective of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The present community-based study aims to estimate the prevalence of HIV-related discrimination in the past 12 months in HIV-related care, comparing general and key populations in Brazil. A total of 30 PLWHA were trained to recruit participants among their peer networks; 1768 PLWHA participated in the study and were asked if, in the past 12 months when seeking HIV-specific healthcare, they had experienced discrimination from health facility staff because of their HIV status. Overall, 269 (15.21%) participants experienced this kind of discrimination. The odds of experiencing discrimination in HIV-specific healthcare settings in the general versus key populations was OR 1.77 95% CI [1.30 -2.42]. It is noteworthy that in Brazil, after four decades of a human rights-based approach to the epidemic, we found high levels of discrimination in the HIV-specific healthcare context affecting the key populations more severely.

Cuidado compartilhado de pessoas vivendo com HIV/AIDS na Atenção Primária

Introdução: Buscando instituir ações para prevenir e reduzir a transmissão, melhorar o acesso ao tratamento e a qualidade de vida das pessoas vivendo com HIV/AIDS (PVHIV), a rede municipal de saúde de Florianópolis implantou entre 2015 e 2016 uma nova forma de suporte em Infectologia para a Atenção Primária a Saúde (APS). Objetivo: Descrever os resultados encontrados no município no processo de descentralização e cuidado compartilhado de pessoas vivendo com HIV/AIDS (PVHIV) com a APS de Florianópolis. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo observacional, transversal e descritivo. Os dados foram obtidos de relatórios do prontuário eletrônico local e a partir de questionário estruturado aplicado junto aos médicos da APS de Florianópolis. Resultados: Entre 2014 e 2018, o número de atendimentos na APS relacionados ao cuidado de PVHIV teve um aumento expressivo, sobretudo após 2016, acompanhado de uma redução de 45,7% na proporção de encaminhamentos para infectologia após a implantação do apoio matricial em infectologia. Aliada à redução da taxa de encaminhamento evidenciou-se a habilidade na prescrição de Terapia Antirretroviral (TARV) por 100% dos médicos da APS entrevistados. Em relação à situação de acompanhamento de PVHIV, exclusivamente sob cuidados da APS, foi encontrada diferença estatisticamente significante entre os médicos que fazem preceptoria em ensino na graduação e residência e os que são residentes ou tem formação específica em medicina de família e comunidade (MFC) em relação aos médicos sem formação específica. A proporção de médicos que se sentem seguros e confiantes em realizar esse tipo de atendimento na APS também foi significativamente maior entre os médicos que fazem preceptoria e são médicos de família e comunidade. Conclusões: A implantação do Apoio Matricial da Infectologia para a APS trouxe grande avanço para o município de Florianópolis, no que tange ao acesso e qualificação do cuidado das pessoas vivendo com HIV/AIDS. Os resultados foram mais significativos para os profissionais envolvidos com atividades de preceptoria e formação específica em MFC, o que reforça o papel da educação permanente na qualificação da coordenação do cuidado pela APS.

Construct validation: coping with HIV/AIDS in Primary Health Care

OBJECTIVE

To validate the construct and measure the trustworthiness of a questionnaire aimed at assessing HIV/AIDS coping actions developed by health professionals in Primary Health Care.

METHOD

A methodological study carried out with 397 primary health care professionals in two municipalities in the Northeast region of Brazil. The construct validity was developed by the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and the reliability analyzed by the reliability and reproducibility.

RESULTS

The validation determined six factors retention that composed the six domains of the questionnaire. Internal consistency was 0.91 and quality of the confirmatory analysis adjustment was 0.998 for Goodness of Fit Index. The domains presented Kappa values between 0.833 and 0.997.

CONCLUSIONS

The final questionnaire was composed of 18 items and presented feasibility of application, and potential to evaluate actions for HIV/AIDS control in Primary Health Care.

Optimising HIV programming for transgender women in Brazil

In Brazil, little data is available to inform HIV prevention programming for travestis and transgender ('trans') women, despite the existence of a social movement that has gained strength in recent years. We conducted formative research in Rio de Janeiro to gather trans women's perspectives on combination HIV prevention approaches. Framing the analysis within the model of gender affirmation, we found that several social and contextual factors inhibited participants' access to HIV prevention and treatment. Experienced and anticipated gender-related discrimination and HIV stigma were linked to the avoidance of HIV testing, health services and HIV status disclosure. Participants recommended HIV prevention interventions which combined socio-structural interventions, such as peer-based empowerment and social support, with biomedical interventions such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Participants expressed a preference for programmes and interventions that emphasised a gender-affirmative approach, promoted autonomy and aimed to reduce stigma and discrimination in public health services.