A review of the availability, accessibility and uptake of HIV education and support service provision to sub-Saharan African migrants in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The elevated prevalence of HIV among the sub-Saharan African (SSAn) born community of Australia stands as an anomaly to the low prevalence status of the wider Australian population. This study aimed to review and evaluate the provision of HIV education and support services within Melbourne, Australia with regard to availability, accessibility and uptake by the SSAn community. HIV service providers from within a defined geographical area were identified and representatives from ten organisations interviewed.HIV service providers identified within Melbourne work with a range of community sectors including multicultural groups. Engagement with the SSAn community is limited and presents challenges for all providers. Members of this community link most readily with services that are community-centric, integrated into wider health services, respectful of the individual and cognisant of cultural norms. However, the effectiveness of such services is limited by under-resourcing and a lack of collaboration between service providers.Barriers to community engagement and service delivery were found to be significant being both structural and cultural. Structural impediments relate to the focus and location of services, legal and financial barriers and the limited availability of multilingual workers and materials. Entrenched socio-cultural norms, such as stigmatisation of HIV/AIDS and homosexuality, and gender inequality, present the greatest challenge to wider engagement. Recommendations for addressing these barriers are presented with a view to reducing the vulnerability to HIV of the SSAn community within Melbourne and Australia.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University