Issue, 26,HIV/AIDS - Providing a Continuum of Care, published on March 2006.

HIV/AIDS: Providing a continuum of care

People living with HIV/AIDS face a number of consequences - including physical health (opportunistic infections), mental health (psychological distress), economic difficulties (inability to work, cost of health care leading to increased poverty), and often face social and legal issues (stigma, human rights violations).

HIV/AIDS care should not only focus on medical care, but requires a wide range of services, such as psychological, social and legal support - hence the need of a comprehensive continuum of care. Implementation of the whole is more effective than implementation of any of the parts. The quality of each activity is dependent on the availability and quality of the other services.

This issue of Health Messenger discusses the provision of a comprehensive continuum of care, which is a collaboration of medical services and other relevant components in providing effective care for PLHA.