%0 Journal Article
%T Sociocultural and epidemiological aspects of HIV/AIDS in Mozambique
%A Carolyn M Audet
%A Janeen Burlison
%A Troy D Moon
%A Mohsin Sidat
%A Alfredo E Vergara
%A Sten H Vermund
%J BMC International Health and Human Rights
%D 2010
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1472-698x-10-15
%X To review the unique challenges faced by Mozambique as they have attempted to stem the HIV epidemic, we undertook a systematic literature review through multiple search engines (PubMed, Google Scholar£¿, SSRN, AnthropologyPlus, AnthroSource) using Mozambique as a required keyword. We searched for any articles that included the required keyword as well as the terms 'HIV' and/or 'AIDS', 'prevalence', 'behaviors', 'knowledge', 'attitudes', 'perceptions', 'prevention', 'gender', drugs, alcohol, and/or 'health care infrastructure'.UNAIDS 2008 prevalence estimates ranked Mozambique as the 8th most HIV-afflicted nation globally. In 2007, measured HIV prevalence in 36 antenatal clinic sites ranged from 3% to 35%; the national estimate of was 16%. Evidence suggests that the Mozambican HIV epidemic is characterized by a preponderance of heterosexual infections, among the world's most severe health worker shortages, relatively poor knowledge of HIV/AIDS in the general population, and lagging access to HIV preventive and therapeutic services compared to counterpart nations in southern Africa. Poor education systems, high levels of poverty and gender inequality further exacerbate HIV incidence.Recommendations to reduce HIV incidence and AIDS mortality rates in Mozambique include: health system strengthening, rural outreach to increase testing and linkage to care, education about risk reduction and drug adherence, and partnerships with traditional healers and midwives to effect a lessening of stigma.Mozambique, a southeast African nation of ¡Ö21 million people, suffers one of the world's highest burdens of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (Figure 1). In 2007, HIV prevalence in the 36 antenatal clinic (ANC) sentinel surveillance sites ranged from 3% to 35% with a national estimate of 16% (plausibility bounds from 14-17%) in women ages 15-49 years [1]. Provincial HIV prevalence estimates ranged from 8% to 27% and were highest in the cen
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-698X/10/15