Benin City, Nigeria – With the alarming increase in the HIV/AIDS pandemic in developing countries, and limited accessibility and availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy, the majority of people living with HIV/AIDS continue to endure a serious impact on their quality of life.
A team of researchers from the University of Benin City found that outpatients living with HIV/AIDS experience improved quality of life during their treatment with antiretroviral medicines.
The investigators recruited patients living with AIDS in Nigeria to report their quality of life during treatment. By utilizing this information, the researchers determined the differences in quality of life among different socio-demographic groups. For example, the majority of patients receiving antiretroviral medications were single and reported high quality of life in terms of life satisfaction and health worries. Quality of life was low regarding disclosure worries while sexual function declined with the age of the patients.
Azuka Oparah, PhD, Professor, University of Benin City, and lead researcher on the study, has been an advocate for the need for governmental and non-governmental agencies in Nigeria to heighten advocacy towards reducing stigmatization and discrimination of people living with AIDS, in order to encourage uptake of HIV/AIDS care and reduce spread. He explains that, “Results that were disclosed by patients indicated their concerns for stigmatization and discrimination in the society.” The full study, “
Patient Reported Quality of Life during Antiretroviral Therapy in a Nigerian Hospital,” is published in
Value in Health Regional Issues.
Value in Health Regional Issues (ISSN 2212-1099) is a scientific journal that encourages and enhances the science of pharmacoeconomic/health economic and health outcomes research and its use in health care decisions. The journal is published up to three times a year with one issue focusing on the Asia region, one issue focusing on the Latin America region, and one issue focusing on the Central & Eastern Europe, Western Asia and Africa regions.
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