Introduction
HIV/AIDS remains a dire health problem that threatens many people around the world. In this review, the latest academic discussions in relation to serving HIV/AIDS patients, difficulties of accessing those services, and unmet needs present within their communities are addressed. Through the merging of findings from a few recent studies, this review seeks to provide an exhaustive analysis of the situation at hand and discuss the prospects of research and policymaking. Instead of just listing the resources at hand, we look at the types of services available, the reasons why people may have difficulty accessing these services, and the areas where there is a noticeable gap that needs to be filled. This combination represents an important source of input for research and policy development, making sure that the needs and wants of HIV/AIDS-affected persons get a satisfactory response and that the worldwide fight against HIV/AIDS remains steady.
Types of Services for HIV/AIDS Populations
Govender et al. (2021) study has a special place among HIV/AIDS services research for providing a comprehensive global analysis of the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS. This research has the primary focus on showing that there is an extensive disparity in approach to antiretroviral treatment (ART), which is a live savior, across regions. Most importantly, areas of high prevalence, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, North America, and Europe, identify gaps in service coverage. There exists a wide gap in these regions, which is further augmented by a recent spike of HIV infections in the area, thus implying the necessity of much better service delivery. By way of this study, the authors have therefore introduced the framework through which populations affected by HIV/AIDS can be understood in terms of the roadblockages they have been found to come across in getting access to the necessary treatment.
Aurola et al. (2021) take the lead in understanding how community-powered initiatives could add to the excellent outcomes of persons living with HIV/AIDs. Their work reinforces this idea that the role of the community-based programs led initiatives can go a long way in improving the chances that patients will readily get services, adhere to treatment, and have empowerment. These projects prove to be even more potent in touching the lives of the poor and forgotten members of society, even though they missed out on regular healthcare services. Grasping the community-led visions, Ayala et al. (2021) provide an insightful perspective on how the community is the key to success in planning, implementing, and evaluating services that are aimed at combating the disease. On the one hand, such an approach is targeted at the immediate needs of these groups, and on the other – it boosts a sense of self-dependence and self-rule in them; thus, both contribute to the broader anti-AIDS direction.
Barriers to Service Access and Utilization
Reviewing the hurdles to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment efficacy shows that socio-demographic and psychological factors are key determinants. Collins and colleagues (2021) suggest that mental health difficulties hinder HIV prevention behaviors. Thus, managing HIV/AIDS and mental health concerns together will increase extreme stigma, which will isolate an individual from the community and prevent them from participating in HIV and mental health programs. This shows the need for multifaceted mental health and extreme HIV service linkages. Offering combination services that are readily available and responsive to the requirements of at-risk individuals helps achieve this.
Issues of socio-demographic and economic nature that some groups may encounter complicate their access to HIV prevention services, and among the groups are female workers in bars in sub-Saharan Africa, as reflected by Dambach et al. (2020). These women typically encounter various hindering factors, namely economic vulnerability and widespread transactional sex, which can make their access to medical services difficult and complex to navigate. The societal stigma ascribed to their functions and environments of work they operate in further drives their position to the margin; hence, it is difficult for women to look for healthcare services. Besides, Liboro et al. (2021) also offer the resilience of HIV-positive and ethnic-racial men who have sex with men, stating that community-based services and social support are vital for them to overcome systemic barriers they face. This embraces overcoming language barriers, fighting racial prejudice, and maneuvering beneath the bed of toxic norms within North American gay culture, all of which negatively affect people’s well-being and instead disable them from getting the healthcare services they need.
Areas of Unmet Needs
Despite international efforts to reduce HIV/AIDS, new infections are rising in specific locations, indicating a gap in meeting subgroup needs. Govender et al. (2021) noted that prevention methods should be successful and dynamic, but they should also be able to adapt to changing demographics and epidemic patterns. To stop the spread of the disease in high-risk communities, approaches should be sensitive to the populations affected and may require additional interventions that address local community challenges.
Moreover, Collins et al. (2021) bring up a crucial deficiency concerning the integration of mental health provisions into HIV prevention initiatives. Mental health conditions are coupled with people who are either living with HIV or with those at a higher risk of getting this disease. This leaves the already taxing procedures of getting into information and treatment programs even more complicated. Community support services are in great demand so as to ensure nationwide health coverage that embodies the relevant mental health intervention plans that are assessed and adapted to each needy person’s health status and risk behaviors. Hence, the need for such a comprehensive method of approach is of fundamental importance not only for the elimination of HIV transmission that prevails in already vulnerable groups but also for the improvement of the treatment outcomes in those groups.
Demographics and Statistics
The waves of HIV/AIDS in some areas of North America and Europe include, for instance, the dynamism of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, as scientists Govender et al. (2021) state. With this being a demographic shift, the relevant authorities should accommodate the process of frequent monitoring and stepping up the services according to the requirements of the affected people. As a result of 36.9 million cases of HIV/AIDS in 2019, which covered 0.5% of the global population and was characterized by a prevalence rate of 476 cases per 100,000 individuals, the global disease burden of HIV/AIDS remained high. Notably, this rate remained at its peak in 2005 before a short plummet from 2006 to 2010, which entered into a steadily rising trend since 2010, probably because of the enhanced survival rate thanks to ART’s effectiveness. Nowadays, the cases of the Zika virus are multiplying in various parts of the world, And countries like South Africa, Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Spain, Germany, and the USA are affected the most. Mainly the case of Portugal, where the visit rate among teenagers increased to 370 cases per 100,000 from 86 cases in a specific timeframe between 1990 and 2019. Notwithstanding, the change for South Africa to 14,251 observed during the same period from 354 is remarkably higher than the last (Govender et al., 2021). Indeed, this tendency correlates with the number of HIV/AIDs cases soaring above natural population growth and hence calls for the reappraisal and adjustment of services provision to fit the modifying situation of the suffering people.
Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost owing to AIDS prevention and treatment issues also show the entire burden of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. AIDS-related disability and untimely death are most prevalent in central and southern African countries. In 2022, UNAIDS estimated 39 million HIV-positive people and 1.3 million new infections. AIDS-related deaths peaked at around 2.0 million in 2004. This is a significant drop from the high. The decline in AIDS fatalities has not been uniform across groups. Since 2010, the AIDS mortality rate has dropped by 55% for women and girls and 47% for men and boys (UNAIDS, 2023). Despite these advances, service monitoring and adaptation remain crucial, especially in revitalized areas. Women, girls, teenage girls, and young women account for over 77% of new infections among 15-24-year-olds in sub-Saharan Africa in 2022. The data emphasizes the need for specialized therapy for women and girls, especially adolescent girls and young women.
Conclusion
The literature review brings to the forefront some of the critical aspects of service delivery, accessing services, and unmet needs, which are significant problems in the AIDS/HIV community. It should not be overlooked that even though progress has been made, many critical issues still need to be addressed to ensure quality, all-embracing, and non-discriminatory care for all people living with HIV/AIDS. As for the future, there is a need to work on joining together the services, in particular, making mental health care part of HIV prevention services. The community members should be given an opportunity to become part of this process and mobilized in charge of the excellent health of their neighbors.
References
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Collins, P. Y., Velloza, J., Concepcion, T., Oseso, L., Chwastiak, L., Kemp, C. G., Simoni, J., & Wagenaar, B. H. (2021). Intervening for HIV prevention and mental health: a review of global literature. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 24(S2). https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.25710
Dambach, P., Mahenge, B., Mashasi, I., Muya, A., Barnhart, D. A., Bärnighausen, T. W., Spiegelman, D., & Harling, G. (2020). Socio-demographic characteristics and risk factors for HIV transmission in female bar workers in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic literature review. BMC Public Health, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08838-8
Govender, R. D., Hashim, M. J., Khan, M. A., Mustafa, H., & Khan, G. (2021). Global Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS: A Resurgence in North America and Europe. Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health, 11(3), 296–301. https://doi.org/10.2991/jegh.k.210621.001
Liboro, R. M., Bell, S., Ranuschio, B., Barnes, L., Despres, J., Sedere, A., Puno, T., & Shuper, P. A. (2021). Barriers and Facilitators to Promoting Resilience to HIV/AIDS: A Qualitative Study on the Lived Experiences of HIV-Positive, Racial and Ethnic Minority, Middle-Aged and Older Men Who Have Sex with Men from Ontario, Canada. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(15), 8084. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18158084
UNAIDS. (2023). Global HIV & AIDS Statistics — 2022 Fact Sheet. UNAIDS; UNAIDS. https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/fact-sheet
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