2008 — Ensuring the effective care and treatment of people who are HIV positive is a critically important counterpart to the search for methods to prevent the spread of the virus. Many clinical trials of new HIV prevention methods, such as vaccines and microbicides, are under way or planned in several parts of the world. The men, women and children in these trials often face multiple health threats, not simply from HIV, but also from poverty, hunger and other challenges that can drive poor health.
The Partnering for Care Project — undertaken by the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) and FHI 360, with funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Health — examined strategies at more than two dozen international clinical trial sites and described the challenges faced and successes achieved when addressing the health care needs of trial participants.
This manual describes a system with seven steps, based on the results of the project, for building bridges between the participants in these trials and the health care they need. Several features in this series of steps encourage interactions between clinical trial developers, local communities, host countries, clinical trial participants, and other groups. Also, this system of steps could be used by communities and organizations to develop care for any people living with HIV/AIDS, as well as those with other health problems.
