The Economic And Social Impact Of Aids In Europe

This analysis of the economic and social aspects of AIDS in Europe aims to persuade key policy-makers of the continuing need to address HIV and AIDS, and fund AIDS prevention. Topics covered include treatment costs in selected countries and the impact of HIV on the individual's family.

From the early days of its recognized occurrence, AIDS has been per ceived as posing tremendous threats, burdens and challenges to human beings. Individuals, societies and, in a global point of view, mankind are affected by the effects of the HN infection, the nature and extent of which is still unclear in many ways. In the beginning only biomedical and epidemiological analyses of the problem were the top research priori ties, the former laden with great hopes that it may soon be possible to stop the spread of the disease and to overcome its physical impact. Yet it soon became clear that AIDS would be something to be reckoned and coped with on a long-term basis, making a thorough investigation of its impact absolutely mandatory. AIDS has serious economic consequences. Taken seriously, they can not be confined to predictions of costs intended to support the AIDS issue in the struggle for resources. Besides cost calculations - a method ologically tricky and wide-ranging topic in itself -and their application to cost-effectiveness and other analyses, economic issues include identify ing and assessing patterns of care, analyzing problems of financing, exploring impacts on markets other than health care, and modelling scenarios for future developments and strategies. At present, the eco nomic aspects of AIDS still constitute a very recent topic in European health economics and health systems research. Many projects are just about to start, and there must be a better exchange of information between research groups.

Europe's "Black Death" contributed to the rise of nation states, mercantile economies, and even the Reformation. Will the AIDS epidemic have similar dramatic effects on the social and political landscape of the twenty-first century? This readable volume looks at the impact of AIDS since its emergence and suggests its effects in the next decade, when a million or more Americans will likely die of the disease. The Social Impact of AIDS in the United States addresses some of the most sensitive and controversial issues in the public debate over AIDS. This landmark book explores how AIDS has affected fundamental policies and practices in our major institutions, examining: How America's major religious organizations have dealt with sometimes conflicting values: the imperative of care for the sick versus traditional views of homosexuality and drug use. Hotly debated public health measures, such as HIV antibody testing and screening, tracing of sexual contacts, and quarantine. The potential risk of HIV infection to and from health care workers. How AIDS activists have brought about major change in the way new drugs are brought to the marketplace. The impact of AIDS on community-based organizations, from volunteers caring for individuals to the highly political ACT-UP organization. Coping with HIV infection in prisons. Two case studies shed light on HIV and the family relationship. One reports on some efforts to gain legal recognition for nonmarital relationships, and the other examines foster care programs for newborns with the HIV virus. A case study of New York City details how selected institutions interact to give what may be a picture of AIDS in the future. This clear and comprehensive presentation will be of interest to anyone concerned about AIDS and its impact on the country: health professionals, sociologists, psychologists, advocates for at-risk populations, and interested individuals.

Tells the story of HIV/AIDS in Europe from a broad variety of perspectives: bio-medical, social, cultural, economic and political. The authors are leading experts from across the region and include both the infected and the affected, be they doctors or former drug users, United Nations employees or gay men, public health researchers or community activits. They describe how, from the first documented cases in 1981 to the present era of antiretroviral management, controlling the human inmmunodeficiency virus in Europe has provided elusive.

The AIDS epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa continues to affect all facets of life throughout the subcontinent. Deaths related to AIDS have driven down the life expectancy rate of residents in Zambia, Kenya, and Uganda with far-reaching implications. This book details the current state of the AIDS epidemic in Africa and what is known about the behaviors that contribute to the transmission of the HIV infection. It lays out what research is needed and what is necessary to design more effective prevention programs.

Major changes in the nature and dynamics of the AIDS epidemic over the last few years are reflected in changing epidemiological trends as well as in the progress made in biomedical research and treatment. AIDS in Europe brings together papers from leading social science researchers to look at the opportunities and challenges these changes bring and the different ways in which they are being responded to in both western and eastern Europe. Papers are organised under three headings: *new challenges for HIV prevention *care of people living with HIV/AIDS in a new therapeutic context *AIDS public policies: from specialisation to normalisation AIDS in Europe provides a comprehensive overview of current social and behavioural research on HIV and AIDS for all health professionals.

This review accompanies the Guidelines for Preparation and Execution of Studies of the Social and Economic Impact of HIV/AIDS. Its purpose is to supplement and complement those practical guidelines by presenting some of the literature which informed their development.

First published in 1997, this volume examines how, in the last 15 years, HIV/AIDS has become a challenge for public health, public policy and research. Reducing further HIV transmissions as well reducing the personal and social impact of HIV/AIDS requires a wide range of activities developed by a wide range of organizations – the supply of which varies widely between countries, regions and social groups. The book describes the programmes which seem particularly effective in dealing with HIB/AIDS and sets out to explain the disparities in their distribution. It documents and tries to understand both similarities as well as the variety of national approaches taken to cope with HIV/AIDS in a number of European countries. On the basis of the welfare-mix model, six country studies and an introductory chapter draw particular attention to the different mixes of public policies and private non-profit, community-based activities; the functional mixes between different types of services in the areas of prevention, care, research, control and monitoring, interest representation, fund-raising. The mixes between specialized, so-called "exclusive" HIV/AIDS service organizations and services made available by general, comprehensive, or so-called "inclusive" institutions which provide AIDS-specific programmes among other activities will also be elaborated. The whole range of HIV/AIDS activities, from professional services to self-help, is analysed in a comparative perspective. The book is based on data from the European Centre / WHO Collaborative Study Managing AIDS. It is a comparative policy study focused on the role of non-profit organizations in public health and welfare policy, covering several thousands of organizations and HIV/AIDS programmes in six European countries. Unexpected similarities and divergence in AIDS service organizations across Europe were found. The sheer multitude of programmes offered called a surprise to experts in the field, as did remaining conspicuous blank spots or deficiencies in services. Degrees of AIDS policy coherence, prevention efforts, service density and quality, self-help and professionalization, medicalization vs. social integration of HIV/AIDS programmes, sectoral specialization and institutionalization all vary tremendously, as do the efficiency and effectiveness of organizational responses to HIV/AIDS. Interestingly, variations in the supply of activities can hardly be explained by epidemiological patterns and corresponding demand and needs. AIDS management requires long-term institutional strategies and information which cannot be provided by epidemiological or behavioural analysis alone. An effective struggle against HIV/AIDS also requires institution-building, inter-organizational development and policy-field analysis.

Training, co-ordination, financing and quality assessment.