PLoS ONE (Jan 2014)

Improved health among people living with HIV/AIDS who received packages of proven preventive health interventions, Amhara, Ethiopia.

  • Ciara E O'Reilly,
  • Ethel V Taylor,
  • Tracy Ayers,
  • Ribka Fantu,
  • Sisay Alemayehu Abayneh,
  • Barbara Marston,
  • Yordanos B Molla,
  • Tegene Sewnet,
  • Fitsum Abebe,
  • Robert M Hoekstra,
  • Robert Quick

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0107662
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 9
p. e107662

Abstract

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In 2009, basic care packages (BCP) containing health products were distributed to HIV-infected persons in Ethiopia who were clients of antiretroviral therapy clinics. To measure health impact, we enrolled clients from an intervention hospital and comparison hospital, and then conducted a baseline survey, and 7 bi-weekly home visits. We enrolled 405 intervention group clients and 344 comparison clients. Intervention clients were more likely than comparison clients to have detectable chlorine in stored water (40% vs. 1%, p<0.001), soap (51% vs. 36%, p<0.001), and a BCP water container (65% vs. 0%, p<0.001) at every home visit. Intervention clients were less likely than comparison clients to report illness (44% vs. 67%, p<0.001) or health facility visits for illness (74% vs. 95%, p<0.001), and had lower median illness scores (1.0 vs. 3.0, p<0.05). Participation in the BCP program appeared to improve reported health outcomes.