Doctor suggests early start on therapy

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Thursday 6th September, 2012

By AGNES FIFI UKI
AN early start to anti-retroviral therapy (ART) can have a positive impact on clinical outcomes for HIV positive people, Dr Toloma PJ told yesterday’s Medical Symposium at the Gateway Hotel in Port Moresby.
PJ is one of young research scientists from Goroka’s Institute of Medical Research.
He said little was known about the clinical and immunological profile of HIV positive people in PNG, particularly those newly diagnosed and were yet to start on ART.
He said the context of his study was to improve diagnosis, treatment and clinical management of HIV positive people and investigate the aetiology of respiratory, diarrhoeal and serious illness in HIV-positive patients.
To improve the diagnosis and clinical management of HIV positive people with respiratory disease, it was necessary to study the bacterial and fungal causes of respiratory disease in HIV positive people.
Oil Search Health Foundation’s HIV medical officer Dr Percy Pokeya said in many areas of PNG, ineffective pathways to centralised laboratory services resulted in poor test confirmation and subsequent losses to follow-up.