Canada's Report on HIV/AIDS - 1999

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Examining HIV/AIDS Treatment Across the Continuum of Care

• Care, treatment and support
• Aboriginal health and community development

The modern care and treatment approaches for people infected by HIV or living with AIDS include such complex issues as different medication regimes, complementary and wellness therepies, secondary infection prevention, treatment failures, drug resistance, returning to work or school and selecting appropriate rehabilitative services.

Care, Treatment And Support

Today physicians have turned from a "hit hard, hit early" approach to one that emphasizes individualized treatment regimes. These new strategies are more responsive to patient needs in pursuing intricate, life-long treatment. Health promotion, wellness and disease prevention are increasingly integral components for HIV-caregiving physicians.

To enhance the response capacity of caregivers, the Canadian HIV/AIDS Primary Care Physician Mentorship Program (CHAMP) links experienced physicians with peers who are new to the care of HIV-infected persons. CHAMP's next phase will focus on the region-specific needs of over 288 primary-care physicians through the development of educational events and resources and the coordination of regional and national educational activities.

Quick response to infected populations governs all dimensions of care. In 1999, managers of palliative care institutions across Canada have seen a surge in the number of HIV/AIDS palliative care patients. A successful pilot project of the Canadian Palliative Care Association (CPCA) is helping to train health care providers working with people living with HIV/AIDS who use injection drugs. The CPCA is now developing pain and symptom management curriculum and training. The Fife House Foundation, in Toronto, will conduct a national project on understanding and dealing with bereavement issues and AIDS.

Psychosocial care is a complex issue. It is increasingly so for infected injection drug users, people living in poverty, women, Aboriginal peoples and prison inmates. These and other groups often exist outside the mainstream or are otherwise difficult to reach. Innovative approaches enable caregivers to better understand the issues facing these people.

Aboriginal peoples living with HIV/AIDS who live off-reserve are benefiting from these pivotal movements in outreach care. The Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada (ANAC) is developing a national HIV Home Care Strategy that investigates the needs of First Nations, Inuit and Métis pseople living in urban, rural, remote and isolated settings. Aboriginal nurses have a unique contribution to make towards understanding the socio-economic and cultural factors of Aboriginal clients and communities.

Nurses in Aboriginal communities are the essential link between home and community. From this unique position, they are taking a strong leadership role in establishing a comprehensive needs assessment of HIV home care.

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