Evaluation on comprehensive service mode for foreign HIV/AIDS patients in Sino-Burmese border areas in China

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of comprehensive service mode for foreign people living with human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in Sino-Burmese border areas in China,and to provide a basis for developing comprehensive service mode for foreign HIV/AIDS patients.Methods Surveys were conducted among 151 and 131 foreign HIV/AIDS patients who were aged ≥15 years and had effective communication ability before and after the implementation of the comprehensive service between September 2013 and June 2014 in Ruili city of Yunnan province.The comprehensive service of different manners were provided to the patients with cross-country marriage,visiting surveillance and supervision institutions and other foreign groups according to the duration staying in China,legality of the service procedure,and the willingness of the patients.The utilization and the quality of the comprehensive service and changes in high risk behavior of the patients after the implementation of the service were assessed.Results There were significant increases in the ratio of receiving notification of HIV antibody detection result (74.2% to 100%),follow-up health care (25.8% to 99.2%),CD4⁺T detection (66.9% to 98.5%),anti-HIV virus therapy (44.4% to 69.5%),checkup for tuberculosis (9.3% to 87.0%),and psychological counseling during follow-up health care (18.5% to 91.6%) among the patients 10 months after the implementation of the comprehensive service (P<0.05 for all).Among the foreign HIV/AIDS patients,the condom usage rate during every sex with their Chinese sexual partners increased significantly from 26.1% to 50.0% (P<0.05) after the implementation of the comprehensive service.The ratio of never sharing syring needle with a Chinese drug user when uing drugs during the latest 6 months dereased from 15.5% to 1.3% after the implementation of the service mode(P<0.05).Conclusion The comprehensive service mode for foreign HIV/AIDS patients can help to promote relevant health care utilization and to decrease high risk behavior among the patients.