A little planning goes a long way: multilevel allocation of HIV prevention resources.

BACKGROUND: HIV prevention funds are often allocated by decision makers at multiple levels. High-level decision makers may allocate funds to regions, and regional decision makers then allocate those funds to specific programs. Often, funds are allocated proportionally (e.g., in proportion to HIV incidence) rather than efficiently (i.e., to maximize HIV infections averted). The authors investigate the impact of efficient and proportional allocation methods at 2 different decision levels. METHODS: The authors developed an optimization model of resource allocation at 2 levels-an aggregate upper level and multiple local levels-and considered efficient allocation and allocation proportional to HIV incidence. Using data from 40 U.S. states, they compared 4 strategies for allocating HIV prevention funds. RESULTS: The greatest health benefit (HIV infections averted) occurred when efficient allocations were made at both levels. When funds were allocated proportionally at the higher level and efficiently at the lower level, the health benefit was about 5% less than when efficient allocations were made at both levels. When funds were allocated efficiently at the higher level and proportionally at the lower level, the health benefit was 15% less than when efficient allocations were made at both levels. The least health benefit (23% less than when efficient allocations were made at both levels) occurred with proportional allocation at both levels. CONCLUSIONS: Efficient allocation only at the higher level cannot overcome poor allocations at lower levels. Moreover, efficient allocation at the lower level is likely to yield greater gains than efficient allocation at the higher level. Thus, upper-level decision makers, such as donor organizations, should develop incentives to promote efficient allocation by lower-level decision makers.     

云南艾滋病防治专项经费分配影响因素分析

目的深入了解中央专项经费分配过程中的影响因素,为完善分配决策提供科学依据。方法采用定性调查的方法,对云南省德宏州芒市、红河州建水县、蒙自县及保山市龙陵县各级从事艾滋病防治中央专项经费管理的相关人员进行深入访谈,并对结果进行分析。结果资金拨付时间过长,统一物资招标采购过程漫长等因素影响中央专项经费的拨付;二次分配使得基层对经费信息掌握不全面,计划工作量与实际工作量的差异导致经费不足,预算制定缺少后勤保障经费将直接影响防治活动的实施,工作中临时增添的活动缺乏相应的经费支持等因素影响中央专项经费的使用。结论解决艾滋病防治中央专项经费分配存在的问题,需要合理制定计划工作量和经费预算,激励地方财政投入配套经费,紧密结合基本公共卫生服务等。     

The past,present and future of HIV,AIDS and resource allocation

Background

How should HIV and AIDS resources be allocated to achieve the greatest possible impact? This paper begins with a theoretical discussion of this issue, describing the key elements of an "evidence-based allocation strategy". While it is noted that the quality of epidemiological and economic data remains inadequate to define such an optimal strategy, there do exist tools and research which can lead countries in a way that they can make allocation decisions. Furthermore, there are clear indications that most countries are not allocating their HIV and AIDS resources in a way which is likely to achieve the greatest possible impact. For example, it is noted that neighboring countries, even when they have a similar prevalence of HIV, nonetheless often allocate their resources in radically different ways.These differing allocation patterns appear to be attributable to a number of different issues, including a lack of data, contradictory results in existing data, a need for overemphasizing a multisectoral response, a lack of political will, a general inefficiency in the use of resources when they do get allocated, poor planning and a lack of control over the way resources get allocated.

Methods

There are a number of tools currently available which can improve the resource-allocation process. Tools such as the Resource Needs Model (RNM) can provide policymakers with a clearer idea of resource requirements, whereas other tools such as Goals and the Allocation by Cost-Effectiveness (ABCE) models can provide countries with a clearer vision of how they might reallocate funds.

Results

Examples from nine different countries provide information about how policymakers are trying to make their resource-allocation strategies more "evidence based". By identifying the challenges and successes of these nine countries in making more informed allocation decisions, it is hoped that future resource-allocation decisions for all countries can be improved.

Conclusion

We discuss the future of resource allocation, noting the types of additional data which will be required and the improvements in existing tools which could be made.

     

Shifting the burden: the private sector's response to the AIDS epidemic in Africa

As the economic burden of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) increases in sub-Saharan Africa, allocation of the burden among levels and sectors of society is changing. The private sector has more scope to avoid the economic burden of AIDS than governments, households, or nongovernmental organizations, and the burden is being systematically shifted away from the private sector. Common practices that transfer the burden to households and government include pre-employment screening, reductions in employee benefits, restructured employment contracts, outsourcing of low skilled jobs, selective retrenchments, and changes in production technologies. Between 1997 and 1999 more than two-thirds of large South African employers reduced the level of health care benefits or increased employee contributions. Most firms also have replaced defined-benefit retirement funds, which expose the firm to large annual costs but provide long-term support for families, with defined-contribution funds, which eliminate risks to the firm but provide little for families of younger workers who die of AIDS. Contracting out previously permanent jobs is also shielding firms from benefit and turnover costs, effectively shifting the responsibility to care for affected workers and their families to households, nongovernmental organizations, and the government. Many of these changes are responses to globalization that would have occurred in the absence of AIDS, but they are devastating for the households of employees with HIV/AIDS. We argue that the shift in the economic burden of AIDS is a predictable response by business to which a deliberate public policy response is needed. Countries should make explicit decisions about each sector's responsibilities if a socially desirable allocation is to be achieved.     

Allocating HIV prevention resources: a tool for state and local decision making

The CDC provides funding for HIV prevention activities and state and local decision-makers must allocate these funds. The implementation of a resource allocation tool designed to facilitate this process that incorporates concepts of efficiency and equity as well as CDC mandates on the use of community planning groups is demonstrated, showing how information obtained from the resource allocation tool can be used to guide the policy analysis. The demonstration uses a simplified example based on data from Florida. The tool quantifies the inherent trade-offs associated with efficiency and equity and allows decision-makers to explore different ways of achieving equity. Given the underlying epidemiological model, results are not necessarily linear so common proportionality assumptions do not hold. However, a sense of equity can be provided by implementing various metrics allowing the policy maker flexibility in their decision process. By quantifying the impact of policy choices in terms of efficiency, cost, and distribution, the resource allocation tool makes the decision process more transparent and permits more informed choices.     

A linear programming model for allocating HIV prevention funds with state agencies: a pilot study

Given the initiatives to improve resource allocation decisions for HIV prevention activities, a linear programming model was designed specifically for use by state and local decision-makers. A pilot study using information from the state of Florida was conducted and studied under a series of scenarios depicting the impact of common resource allocation constraints. Improvements over the past allocation strategy in the number of potential infections averted were observed in all scenarios with a maximal improvement of 73%. When allocating limited resources, policymakers must balance efficiency and equity. In this pilot study, the optimal allocation (i.e., most-efficient strategy) would not distribute resources in an equitable manner. Instead, only 12% of at-risk people would receive prevention funds. We find that less efficient strategies, where 58% fewer infections are averted, result in significantly more equitable allocations. This tool serves as a guide for allocating funds for prevention activities. Funding: This research was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number R18/CCR420943 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent official views of the CDC.     

2010 - 2015年广西艾滋病防治人力资源现状及公平性分析

目的 了解2010 - 2015年广西艾滋病防治人员分布的情况、分析2015年广西各市艾滋病防治人力资源分布公平性。方法 分析广西各市艾滋病防治人员情况,采用Lorenz曲线和基尼系数对2015年艾滋病防治工作人员分布公平性进行分析。结果 2010 - 2015年广西艾滋病防治人员总数分别为20 695人、22 194人、2 4027人、26 779人、27 982人、30 638人,2015年防治人员总数较2010年增加48.1%,至2015年,市级、县（区）级、镇（乡）级平均拥有的艾滋病防治人员数量分别为100.1、29.6、5.1人。市级、县级、镇（乡）级兼职人员所占比例均高于专职人员比例。2015年广西平均每千人拥有艾滋病防治人员0.65人,平均每平方公里拥有艾滋病防治人员0.7人,平均每平方公里拥有艾滋病防治人员0.1人,广西艾滋病防治人员的人口Gini系数及行政区域面积Gini系数均为0.2。结论 广西艾滋病防治人员分布的公平性较好,但基层兼职人员比例较大,应适当增加基层专职艾滋病防治人员数量。     

A model for allocating CDC’s HIV prevention resources in the United States

The Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has an annual budget of approximately $325 million for funding HIV prevention programs in the U.S. The purpose of this paper is to thoroughly describe the methods used to develop a national HIV resource allocation model intended to inform DHAP on allocation strategies that might improve the overall effectiveness of HIV prevention efforts. The HIV prevention resource allocation problem consists of choosing how to apportion prevention resources among interventions and populations so that HIV incidence is minimized, given a budget constraint. We developed an epidemic model that projects HIV infections over time given a specific allocation scenario. The epidemic model is then embedded in a nonlinear mathematical optimization program to determine the allocation scenario that minimizes HIV incidence over a 5-year horizon. In our model, we consider the general U.S. population and specific at-risk populations. The at-risk populations include 15 subgroups structured by gender, race/ethnicity and HIV transmission risk group. HIV transmission risk groups include high-risk heterosexuals, men who have sex with men and injection drug users. We consider HIV screening interventions and interventions to reduce HIV-related risk behaviors. The output of the model is the optimal funding scenario indicating the amounts to be allocated to all combinations of populations and interventions. For illustrative purposes only, we provide a sample application of the model. In this example, the optimal allocation scenario is compared to the current baseline funding scenario to highlight how the current allocation of funds could be improved. In the baseline allocation, 29% of the annual budget is aimed at the general population, while the model recommends targeting 100% of the budget to the at-risk populations with no allocation targeted to the general population. Within the allocation to behavioral interventions the model recommends an increase in targeting diagnosed positives. Also, the model allocation suggests a greater focus on MSM and IDUs with a 72% of the annual budget allocated to them, while the baseline allocation for MSM and IDUs totals 37%. Incorporating future epidemic trends in the decision-making process informs the selection of populations and interventions that should be targeted. Improving the use of funds by targeting the interventions and population subgroups at greatest risk may lead to improved HIV outcomes. These models can also direct research by pointing to areas where the development of cost-effective interventions can have the most impact on the epidemic.     

Optimal investment in a portfolio of HIV prevention programs.

OBJECTIVES: In this article, the authors determine the optimal allocation of HIV prevention funds and investigate the impact of different allocation methods on health outcomes. METHODS: The authors present a resource allocation model that can be used to determine the allocation of HIV prevention funds that maximizes quality-adjusted life years (or life years) gained or HIV infections averted in a population over a specified time horizon. They apply the model to determine the allocation of a limited budget among 3 types of HIV prevention programs in a population of injection drug users and nonusers: needle exchange programs, methadone maintenance treatment, and condom availability programs. For each prevention program, the authors estimate a production function that relates the amount invested to the associated change in risky behavior. RESULTS: The authors determine the optimal allocation of funds for both objective functions for a high-prevalence population and a low-prevalence population. They also consider the allocation of funds under several common rules of thumb that are used to allocate HIV prevention resources. It is shown that simpler allocation methods (e.g., allocation based on HIV incidence or notions of equity among population groups) may lead to alloctions that do not yield the maximum health benefit. CONCLUSIONS: The optimal allocation of HIV prevention funds in a population depends on HIV prevalence and incidence, the objective function, the production functions for the prevention programs, and other factors. Consideration of cost, equity, and social and political norms may be important when allocating HIV prevention funds. The model presented in this article can help decision makers determine the health consequences of different allocations of funds.     

Trends and responsiveness in national resource allocation for needed HIV services: a five year (1996-2000) analysis

A recent study conducted by the Institute of Medicine concluded that there are approximately 1,200 to 1,400 avoidable deaths per year in the U.S. among people living with HIV (PLWH) who do not have health insurance (Institute of Medicine, 2002). The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1990 to provide funding for community-based HIV care services for uninsured and underinsured PLWH--the only Federal program to provide such funding. There is substantial local autonomy in the allocation of CARE Act funds, with planning processes that take place in both States and metropolitan areas. The purpose of this study is to examine trends in the allocation of such funds from 1996 through 2000, the first five years during which effective antiretroviral medications were available for HIV. The study also considers whether these trends were responsive to the evolving modalities of care and the service needs of a changing population of PLWH.     

Country watch: Malawi

The Drought Network for information sharing eventually led to the establishment of the more formal Southern Region AIDS Network (SORAN) where representatives from government and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) focused on awareness raising, lobbying, and advocacy. As an initial step towards networking on HIV/AIDS issues, a festival was organized in Blantyre on December 4, 1993, by NGOs, private companies, church groups, school children, and volunteers to bring about behavior change. About 2000 people gathered to listen to music, learn about HIV transmission through drama group presentations, watch videos with HIV/STD prevention messages, and learn about proper condom use. The participants officially established SORAN in February 1994 to act as a coordinating body for organizations working in prevention and care for HIV/STD-infected persons and their families. Network activities endeavored: to assist organizations interested in developing HIV/AIDS programs and activities; to encourage the business communities to participate in multisectoral coordination and to help channel funds from them to HIV/AIDS programs; to act as a resource center for information about HIV/AIDS; and to lobby among politicians as well as traditional local and religious leaders. When the first multi-party parliamentary election approached in May 1994, SORAN challenged representatives of 7 political parties and a women's organization to speak out publicly on what they envisioned doing about HIV/AIDS. The Grand Walk was also organized by SORAN members representing the Catholic Episcopal Conference of Malawi, the Protestant Blantyre Synod, a local brewery, and UNICEF. About 500 walkers received support from passersby. 70% were school children 10-18 years old who sang AIDS awareness songs and passed out flyers. Three months later the National AIDS Program's Big Walk for AIDS, following a National AIDS Crisis Conference, signaled the government's public recognition of the need for a multisectoral approach to combatting HIV/AIDS.     

S4HARA: System for HIV/AIDS resource allocation

Background

HIV/AIDS resource allocation decisions are influenced by political, social, ethical and other factors that are difficult to quantify. Consequently, quantitative models of HIV/AIDS resource allocation have had limited impact on actual spending decisions. We propose a decision-support System for HIV/AIDS Resource Allocation (S4HARA) that takes into consideration both principles of efficient resource allocation and the role of non-quantifiable influences on the decision-making process for resource allocation.

Methods

S4HARA is a four-step spreadsheet-based model. The first step serves to identify the factors currently influencing HIV/AIDS allocation decisions. The second step consists of prioritizing HIV/AIDS interventions. The third step involves allocating the budget to the HIV/AIDS interventions using a rational approach. Decision-makers can select from several rational models of resource allocation depending on availability of data and level of complexity. The last step combines the results of the first and third steps to highlight the influencing factors that act as barriers or facilitators to the results suggested by the rational resource allocation approach. Actionable recommendations are then made to improve the allocation. We illustrate S4HARA in the context of a primary healthcare clinic in South Africa.

Results

The clinic offers six types of HIV/AIDS interventions and spends US$750,000 annually on these programs. Current allocation decisions are influenced by donors, NGOs and the government as well as by ethical and religious factors. Without additional funding, an optimal allocation of the total budget suggests that the portion allotted to condom distribution be increased from 1% to 15% and the portion allotted to prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections be increased from 43% to 71%, while allocation to other interventions should decrease.

Conclusion

Condom uptake at the clinic should be increased by changing the condom distribution policy from a pull system to a push system. NGOs and donors promoting antiretroviral programs at the clinic should be sensitized to the results of the model and urged to invest in wellness programs aimed at the prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections. S4HARA differentiates itself from other decision support tools by providing rational HIV/AIDS resource allocation capabilities as well as consideration of the realities facing authorities in their decision-making process.     

Differences among U.S. states in estimating the number of people living with HIV/AIDS: impact on allocation of federal Ryan White funding

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the impact of differing laboratory reporting scenarios on the completeness of estimates of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (PLWHA) in the U.S., which are used to guide allocation of federal Ryan White funds. METHODS: We conducted a four-year simulation study using clinical and laboratory data on 1,337 HIV-positive women, including 477 (36%) who did not have AIDS at baseline. We estimated the completeness of HIV (non-AIDS) case ascertainment for three laboratory reporting scenarios: CD4 < 200 cells/microL and detectable viral load (Scenario A); CD4 < 500 cells/microL and no viral load reporting (Scenario B); and CD4 < 500 cells/microL and detectable viral load (Scenario C). RESULTS: Each scenario resulted in an increasing proportion of HIV (non-AIDS) cases being ascertained over time, with Scenario C yielding the highest by Year 4 (Year 1: 69.0%, Year 4: 88.1%), followed by Scenario A (Year 1: 63.3%, Year 4: 84.5%), and Scenario B (Year 1: 43.0%, Year 4: 67.7%). Overall completeness of PLWHA ascertainment after four years was highest for Scenario C (95.8%), followed by Scenario A (94.5%), and Scenario B (88.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Differences in laboratory reporting regulations lead to substantial variations in the completeness of PLWHA estimates, and may penalize jurisdictions that are most successful at treating HIV/AIDS patients or those with weak or incomplete HIV/AIDS surveillance systems.     

艾滋病防治国际合作项目资源配置分析

目的 了解中国艾滋病防治国际合作项目投入状况以及影响因素,为国际合作项目资源分配提供决策依据.方法 收集中央和各省2000-2006年国际合作项目资源与分配相关数据,选择各省GDP、艾滋病病毒感染者和艾滋病患者(HIV/AIDS)数作为影响国际合作项目投入的因素,通过多因素回归分析计算他们与国际合作项目投入经费数量的相关性,在此基础上计算了各省需求Z值并与国际合作项目投入状况进行了比较.通过卡方检验计算艾滋病防治国际合作项目与中央经费在不同防治领域投入的一致性.结果 2000-2006年国际合作项目投入地方的资金分别为489.30、2466.91、5056.65、5294.96、11 214.31、36 339.63和24 704.53万元;投入中央的资金分别为300.65、1972.56、2903.52、3753.00、7749.99、10 578.62和7703.54万元.各省国际合作项目的投入情况与HIV/AIDS数(R=0.56,P＜0.01)及艾滋病患者数(R=0.69,P＜0.01)的相关系数差异有统计学意义,但是与GDP之间差异无统计学意义(R=0.066,P=0.725).各省的国际合作项目投入与需求并不完全对应,广东、山东、江苏的Z值排名分别为3、5、6,而国际合作项目的经费投入排名仅为18、13、28.在监测(检测)、宣传教育干预、治疗关怀和其他领域的经费投入比例2005年中央经费分别为22.4%、19.7%、36.8%和21.1%,国际合作项目分别为11.5%、20.8%、10.4%和57.4%,2者比较差异有统计学意义(x2=35.09,P＜0.001);2006年中央经费分别为18.6%、23.8%、32.6%和25.0%,国际合作项目分别为14.0%、34.3%、17.1%和34.6%,2者比较差异有统计学意义(x2=9.26.P=0.026).说明国际合作项目与中央项目投入的侧重点不同.结论 国际合作项目应该纳入国家和项目地区的整体防治工作,结合各地的疫情流行严重程度和各地的经济发展水平确定投入的数量和领域,同时要强调国际合作项目的技术优势.     

Accounts from the field: a public relations perspective on global AIDS/HIV

This study is a theoretical as well as empirical exploration of the power and cultural differentials that mark and construct various intersecting discourses, specifically media discourse, on global AIDS/HIV. It applies the language and concepts of public relations to understand how the press coverage of the pandemic is associated with the variables that impact the newsmaking process as well as the public and policy implications of macro news frames generated over time. Theoretical work in the areas of agenda setting and news framing also instruct the conceptual framework of this analysis. Narrative analysis is used as a methodology to qualitatively analyze three pools of accounts-from people either living with AIDS/HIV, involved in AIDS/HIV work, or discursively engaged in the media construction of the pandemic; from transnational wire service journalists who cover the issue at global and regional levels; and policy shapers and communicators who are active at the global level. These three communities of respondents represent important stakeholders in the AIDS/HIV issue. The findings are analyzed from a public relations standpoint. Perhaps the most important finding of this study is that the public relations approaches used to address AIDS/HIV related issues need to be grounded in context-specific research and communicative practices that bring out the lived realities of AIDS/HIV at grassroots levels. The findings also posit that those situated at critical junctions between various stakeholders need to cultivate a finely balanced understanding of the etic and emic intersections and subjectivities of global/local AIDS/HIV.     

Accounts from the Field: A Public Relations Perspective on Global AIDS/HIV

This study is a theoretical as well as empirical exploration of the power and cultural differentials that mark and construct various intersecting discourses, specifically media discourse, on global AIDS/HIV. It applies the language and concepts of public relations to understand how the press coverage of the pandemic is associated with the variables that impact the newsmaking process as well as the public and policy implications of macro news frames generated over time. Theoretical work in the areas of agenda setting and news framing also instruct the conceptual framework of this analysis. Narrative analysis is used as a methodology to qualitatively analyze three pools of accounts--from people either living with AIDS/HIV, involved in AIDS/HIV work, or discursively engaged in the media construction of the pandemic; from transnational wire service journalists who cover the issue at global and regional levels; and policy shapers and communicators who are active at the global level. These three communities of respondents represent important stakeholders in the AIDS/HIV issue. The findings are analyzed from a public relations standpoint. Perhaps the most important finding of this study is that the public relations approaches used to address AIDS/HIV related issues need to be grounded in context-specific research and communicative practices that bring out the lived realities of AIDS/HIV at grassroots levels. The findings also posit that those situated at critical junctions between various stakeholders need to cultivate a finely balanced understanding of the etic and emic intersections and subjectivities of global/local AIDS/HIV.     

Causes of death among persons reported with AIDS.

OBJECTIVES. This study describes causes of death in persons with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and assesses the completeness of reporting of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or AIDS on death certificates of persons with AIDS. METHODS. AIDS case reports were linked with death certificates in 11 local/state health departments; underlying and associated causes of death were available for 32,513 persons with AIDS who died. RESULTS. HIV/AIDS was designated as the underlying cause of death for 46% of persons with AIDS who died between 1983 and 1986 and 81% of persons with AIDS who died since 1987 (the year specific coding procedures were implemented for HIV/AIDS). Most other underlying causes of death were conditions within the AIDS case definition (notably Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia), pneumonia, infections outside the AIDS case definition, and drug abuse. Unintentional injuries, suicide, and homicide were less common. HIV/AIDS was listed as underlying or associated on 88% of death certificates from 1987 to 1989; reporting varied primarily by HIV exposure category and time between diagnosis and death. CONCLUSIONS. Physicians and other health care professionals should realize their critical role in accurately documenting HIV-related mortality on death certificates. Such data can ultimately influence the allocation of health care resources for HIV-infected individuals.     

Recommendations for increasing the use of HIV/AIDS resource allocation models

Background

Resource allocation models have not had a substantial impact on HIV/AIDS resource allocation decisions in spite of the important, additional insights they may provide. In this paper, we highlight six difficulties often encountered in attempts to implement such models in policy settings; these are: model complexity, data requirements, multiple stakeholders, funding issues, and political and ethical considerations. We then make recommendations as to how each of these difficulties may be overcome.

Results

To ensure that models can inform the actual decision, modellers should understand the environment in which decision-makers operate, including full knowledge of the stakeholders' key issues and requirements. HIV/AIDS resource allocation model formulations should be contextualized and sensitive to societal concerns and decision-makers' realities. Modellers should provide the required education and training materials in order for decision-makers to be reasonably well versed in understanding the capabilities, power and limitations of the model.

Conclusion

This paper addresses the issue of knowledge translation from the established resource allocation modelling expertise in the academic realm to that of policymaking.

     

Injection drug use and HIV/AIDS in China: Review of current situation, prevention and policy implications

Illicit drug abuse and HIV/AIDS have increased rapidly in the past 10 to 20 years in China. This paper reviews drug abuse in China, the HIV/AIDS epidemic and its association with injection drug use (IDU), and Chinese policies on illicit drug abuse and prevention of HIV/AIDS based on published literature and unpublished official data. As a major drug trans-shipment country with source drugs from the "Golden Triangle" and "Gold Crescent" areas in Asia, China has also become an increasingly important drug consuming market. About half of China's 1.14 million documented drug users inject, and many share needles. IDU has contributed to 42% of cumulatively reported HIV/AIDS cases thus far. Drug trafficking is illegal in China and can lead to the death penalty. The public security departments adopt "zero tolerance" approach to drug use, which conflict with harm reduction policies of the public health departments. Past experience in China suggests that cracking down on drug smuggling and prohibiting drug use alone can not prevent or solve all illicit drug related problems in the era of globalization. In recent years, the central government has outlined a series of pragmatic policies to encourage harm reduction programs; meanwhile, some local governments have not fully mobilized to deal with drug abuse and HIV/AIDS problems seriously. Strengthening government leadership at both central and local levels; scaling up methadone substitution and needle exchange programs; making HIV voluntary counseling and testing available and affordable to both urban and rural drug users; and increasing utilization of outreach and nongovernmental organizations are offered as additional strategies to help cope with China's HIV and drug abuse problem.     

湘南地区某高校大学生艾滋病相关知识态度调查

目的了解地方院校在校大学生对艾滋病相关知识的认知、态度及信息来源途径,使地方院校进一步的艾滋病健康教育模式更具针对性。方法采取整群抽样的方法,进行问卷调查。结果"艾滋病病毒感染后是否就是艾滋病人"、"世界艾滋病日"和"红丝带意义"的正确回答率分别是65.8%、8.6%和34.4%。大学生对三大传播途径知晓率86.8%～98.0%不等。对日常生活(如握手等)不会传播艾滋病的知晓率为82.0%,对蚊子叮咬不会传播艾滋病的知晓率是37.6%。虽然有89.8%的被调查者回答不歧视HIV/AIDS,但表示愿意与其同桌学习或吃饭的只有47.2%和49.4%,回答"对待感染者象对待平常人一样的"及愿意帮助因不洁行为而感染AIDS的分别占46.4%和47.4%。被调查的大学生主要信息来源是电视(73.0%)、书报(67.4%)、免费宣传材料(61.2%)、书籍(59.6%)。结论目前大学生对艾滋病相关知识有一定的了解,但对一些专业较强和非传播途径的认知水平还有待提高。艾滋病宣传教育中应具有针对性,着力开展反歧视活动和培养大学生的自我保护技能。