Medical Focus 2022 - Vol 4 No 2

Introduction

Considerations in managing women living with HIV

Women living with HIV have long been considered a vulnerable population, requiring tailored care to address previous under representation in antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinical studies, with few attempts to explore gender-specific factors determining the response to and appropriateness of treatment choices available. This is further compounded in South Africa where rates of concurrent interpersonal violence, poverty and intersectional discrimination remain high. In this article we’ll explore some of the considerations when treating women living with HIV, pertinent to the South African context.

Optimising HIV care in the era of COVID-19 pandemic

Gobally the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on people living with HIV and HIV care. People living with HIV experience more severe outcomes and higher comorbidities. Studies from England and South Africa have found that the risk of dying from COVID-19 among people living with HIV was more than twice that of the general population.

The role of nutrition in the management of TB

Tuberculosis remains a disease of global health concern. At least one third of the world population is said to be carrying latent TB infection. During the year 2020, it was estimated that 9.9 million people developed tuberculosis. Of these, 1.5 million died. The largest proportion of TB cases is in developing countries. TB is linked to poor social-economic status. The global data from the World Health Organization shows undernutrition is one of the significant drivers of TB alongside HIV/AIDS, smoking, alcohol misuse and diabetes. The two conditions run parallel with each other. Where there are high rates of undernutrition there is a corresponding burden of TB.

The mind's (blind) eye

The term anosognosia is not a frequently used term to describe a person diagnosed with a clinical condition such as a mental illness. It is difficult to spell, challenging to pronounce, and of limited use to that patient. Amongst colleagues, especially in the academic setting, anosognosia is a word dished out by a registrar that sounds fancy to examiners, and (perhaps) notches that examinee’s score to a distinction.