Introduction to the Problem Statement
The intervention programs are influenced by research done in Texas, United States of America. The research which targeted the African American male community reveals a high vulnerability level among youth between the ages 18-24 years (CDC, 2019). According to a CDC report, new HIV infection is prevalent among those within the age bracket of 13-24 years (CDC, 2019). Research shows that 44% of the infected youths do not know their HIV status; hence, the need to amplify testing and create more awareness at the community levels (CDC, 2019). Only 35% of youths between 18-24 years have had HIV tests (CDC, 2019). Individuals diagnosed with HIV have shown reluctance to seek care or adhere to the medications (Koenig et al., 2016). Men who have sex with other men are among the groups who are at higher risk of HIV infection. Among those affected in the United States, African Americans are believed to have the highest new HIV infection rates. Thus, it is vital to conduct a study that analyzes African American HIV status and come up with an intervention plan that will help manage the situation.
The design plan will look at critical aspects, including management and leadership, delivery and technology, stakeholders, regulations and policies, and the timeline for implementing the intervention plan. These aspects will help in executing an intervention plan that will be used in managing the HIV pandemic. The result of the interventional plan will help enhance testing services and reduce exposure to HIV-related activities among young individuals. The plan will also create awareness on HIV-related matters and how to cope with the situation.
Management and Leadership
Leadership and management will be vital in implementing the design plan for the frontline workers who directly come into contact with the population. Nurses become leaders on matters of patient care and guidance by rendering their support and expertise. The provision of healthcare requires collaboration between the patients, the doctors, and the nurses together with other health care teams and staff. Effective collaboration is a legal and professional duty for every nurse and doctor. Efficiently coordinated efforts and interdisciplinary associations facilitate information sharing, which brings about quality care to the patients. The collaboration between team members will ensure quality service to those seeking help. The youthful population will seek help in a friendly environment where they are able to share their personal information without judgment. The managers should enhance and support effective communication, clear directions, sharing responsibilities for team members, the balance of work, and the comprehensive specifications about accountability, procedures, and authority.
- The excellent collaboration will create an atmosphere which will not discriminate against the LGBT members. This will increase the cohort’s commitment to come up with preventive measures to reduce new HIV infection rates.
- The youths will come to the facility assured of confidentiality in information.
- If services are kept at low costs, various infected individuals will seek services without financial constraints.
- Flexible hours of operation will enable the patients to be attended to without coercion, thus improving service delivery.
To counter collaboration and communication impediments, the nurses, doctors, and other staff members must have self-awareness and create a safe space to share helpful information that brings quality and timely arrangements.
Delivery and Technology
The strategies include:
- Setting up mobile clinics.
- Having on-site testing facilities in schools.
- Initiating telephone (toll-free) counseling.
- Adopting social networks and mobile phones in the provision of information.
- Supporting community organizations in HIV prevention and control.
The emergence of mobile telephony or technology that comprises the web and various applications is vital in information sharing, networking, and communication through social media. Men who have sex with other men also utilize mobile communication and can acquire educative information on sexual health and understand how to prevent HIV infections. Social media can enable the entire population to get viable information that will help change the behaviors, thus limiting the gap in information disparity. Toll-free telephone calls will also help bridge the gap by allowing counseling services to the people who cannot reach health facilities
The on-site testing in schools will give youths the opportunity to get group therapies, counseling, and testing services (Ethier, 2019). It will be an opportunity to learn, get educative segments of health, and bring about self-awareness. The mobile-clinics will be convenient to reach people nearest to the residences and urban centers and with utmost timeliness and privacy. The strategies on delivery and technology will bridge the barrier in socio-economic variations, cultural and race issues, as well as stigmatization.
- Implementing the strategies will help increase the Screening of HIV and its treatment among the most at-risk individuals.
- There will be an increase in information sharing and coverage.
- There will be decreased stigmatization among the affected persons through the use of mobile applications and telephone calls.
- New infections will reduce among the youths and males aged 13-24 years.
- The use of HIV preventive medicines such as PEP and PrEP will increase since most infected individuals will be able to understand their value.
- Reduced risky behaviors which result in exposure to HIV infection.
The use of multiple strategies is expensive and involves many resources at play; the interests of those at risk are limited concerning the programming capabilities that exist. The use of technology will amplify access and information sharing around the globe. Information is a powerful tool that can help benefit people in need. The strategies will boost HIV literacy in schools, health centers, and urban areas with the potential of reaching millions of youths enhancing a health-seeking attitude.
Stakeholders, Policy, and Regulations
Involving stakeholders in controlling HIV should be given priority since they actively contribute to various positive ways of managing the HIV pandemic. Stakeholders include the HIV-infected persons, civil society leaders, funding agencies, and international agencies. Government organizations, public health regulatory bodies, the scientific community, and media as well as church leaders are among the group of stakeholders who contribute towards the HIV global fight. Understanding stakeholders’ involvement as well as the policies and regulations put in place to curb the virus spread is vital since it will help to execute the implementation plan effectively.
Church leaders are important individuals within the society; they guide the youths in the right directions. They also give counseling and advice to youths living with HIV status. The churches, temples, and mosques provide a good entry point to the communities in matters that directly affect the people (Stewart et al., 2016). They become the gatekeepers and able to pass information faster with utmost accuracy that will give positive results. There are impacts of the Black church on men who have sex with other men (MSM), with existing faith-related interventions to lower disparities. The impact will involve sharing the target groups’ data and a policy of collaboration between the public health providers and the spiritual leaders.
Government organizations have a great impact on HIV control and management. The United States government has developed a policy to end the HIV endemic in the United States of America by 2030. Congress approved more HIV funding and resources in the 2020/2021 fiscal year (Overview, 2020). The government also developed the HIV National Strategic Plan, a document that provides a clear roadmap to end the scourge by 2030. The policy influences the community to identify the key population in the hotspots. The policies will enable monitoring and measuring key indicators in the hotspots to reduce disparities, reduce new HIV infections, reduce inequalities, improve results, and integrate the stakeholders’ efforts. The strategies are also aimed at uplifting economic standards of the community and providing education to the stigmatized, preventive strategies and HIV services to improve life, which will be able to reduce new HIV infections by 75% by the year 2025 and 90% by the year 2030.
Policy on socio-economic support will uplift the households so that there will be a reduction in risky behaviors. The households to get stipends and business starters pack; the infected and the uninfected and at risk will be able to find activities to engage their minds. The implementation of the programs and interventions are bound to be guided by the existing protocols, ethics, and regulating bodies. With the involvement of schools and students who are human subjects, parental approval will be necessary in some cases, especially at the on-site facilities testing.
The program that will be rolled out in Houston, Texas, will require approval by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2019) and the names of the newly infected transmitted to the CDC. These regulations may not be acceptable to the youths who seek to be tested. The CDC believes schools provide a friendly environment for the bisexuals, the gay, and the men who have sex with men; hence can help them cooperate well with health practitioners. The program will contribute to less stress, depression, and substance abuse as well as a decrease in treatment costs.
Timeline for Implementation
The implementation of the intervention plan will take one year. The programs will be implemented when the schools are open and during the holidays. The schools will provide a good avenue to perform the rapid mass testing on various youths. In addition, it will be possible to offer group or one-to-one counseling and therapies to the HIV- infected or uninfected individuals. Youths who will be absent from school will be reached through their residential centers or public places that they mostly visit. Thus, within a timeframe of one year, the intervention plan would be complete and actual results comprehended.
During the implementation period, the program managers will organize several meetings with stakeholders to obtain better results. They will also strive to obtain ethical approvals needed for executing the plan. It is important to acknowledge some of the factors that may affect the successful completion of the intervention plan. The challenges visualized include inadequate resources, late delivery of resources, miscommunication, late approvals by ethical bodies (CDC/NIH) and schools, late release of funds, and data integrity and reporting issues. The mentioned challenges are to be addressed effectively in the future should any arise. As such, the intervention plan will be executed successfully, achieving the end goal.
Conclusion
The intervention plan, if adequately funded, will be able to reduce new HIV infections among the most at-risk population. Men who have sex with other men and are of ages between 18-24 years are the most vulnerable to contracting HIV infection. The interventional plan will encourage youths to take HIV tests and to adhere to treatment for infected individuals. The intervention plan needs to be implemented effectively to reach the target population of MSM and reduce the new HIV infections among African Americans in Texas and the United States of America.
References
Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2019). HIV prevention Texas. Web.
Ethier, K. (2019) Schools are vital in the fight against youth HIV infection. HIV.gov. Web.
Koenig, L., Hoyer, D., Purcell, D., Zaza, S., & Mermin, J. (2016). Young people and HIV: A call to action. American Journal of Public Health, 106(3), 402-405. Web.
Overview. (2020). HIV.gov. Web.
Stewart, J., Hanlon, A., & Brawner, B. (2016). Predictors of HIV/AIDS Programming in African American Churches: Implications for HIV Prevention, Testing, and Care. Health Education & Behavior, 44(3), 385-393. Web.