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Learning Objective:
By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to:
• Understand the challenges of delivering integrated hepatitis services to Alaska Natives over an area the size of Texas
• Appreciate an approach to diagnosing stigmatized diseases in small, remote communities
• Identify the importance of using village-based providers
Background:
CDC Division of Viral Hepatitis, through the Indian Health Service (IHS) Division of Epidemiology, funds Viral Hepatitis Integration Projects (VHIPs) that serve American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations.
Setting:
Services are delivered in the roughly 30 Athabascan villages of Interior Alaska. Population density is extremely low, and most villages are accessible only by air or river.
Population e.g. API Youth, MSM, IDU:
ANs in villages or residential substance abuse programs.
Project Description:
VHIP services are individual-based (risk assessment, screening for viral hepatitides, HIV and STDs, counseling, vaccination and referral), as well as community-based (at schools, health fairs, Tribal Councils and through radio broadcasts). Blood and urine samples are obtained at village health centers. Laboratory results are received by the VHIP at Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center in Fairbanks, AK. Individualized patient follow-up is delivered by village-based Community Health Aides (CHAs), for whom the VHIP provides viral hepatitis/HIV/STD education within the CHA Training Program Curriculum.
Results/Lessons Learned:
1) The VHIP has had to address complex social networks and cultural norms regarding stigmatized diseases. 2) The use of multiple educational venues has increased the success of community-wide health promotion. 3) Because of the inherent limitations of long travel distances, the VHIP has maximized encounter efficiency by offering all possible services during one field visit. 4) Much of the VHIP's work must be coordinated from a distance while being delivered by local providers. Consequently, collaboration with the CHA Training Program has made CHAs central to the success of the VHIP.
See more of Poster Session #2
See more of The 2005 National Viral Hepatitis Prevention Conference