Critical health communication scholars point out that the acceptance of HIV risk prevention methods are bound inside inequitable structures of power and knowledge. Nicola Bulled’s in-depth ethnographic account of how these messages are selected, transmitted and reacted to by young adults in the AIDS-torn population of Lesotho in southern Africa provides a crucial example of the importance of a culture-centered approach to health communication. She shows the clash between traditional western perceptions of how increased knowledge will increase compliance with western ideas of prevention, and mixed messages offered by local religious, educational, and media institutions. Bulled also demonstrates how structural and geographical forces prevent the delivery and acceptance of health messages, and how local communities shape their own knowledge of health, disease and illness. This volume will be of interest to medical anthropologists and sociologists, to those in health communication, and to researchers working on issues related to HIV.

Infectious diseases are the leading cause of death globally, particularly among children and young adults. The spread of new pathogens and the threat of antimicrobial resistance pose particular challenges in combating these diseases. Major Infectious Diseases identifies feasible, cost-effective packages of interventions and strategies across delivery platforms to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, malaria, adult febrile illness, viral hepatitis, and neglected tropical diseases. The volume emphasizes the need to effectively address emerging antimicrobial resistance, strengthen health systems, and increase access to care. The attainable goals are to reduce incidence, develop innovative approaches, and optimize existing tools in resource-constrained settings.

"These guidelines were produced by the World Health Organization (WHO), Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) a Guidelines Development Group of technical experts, and in consultation with the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) secretariat and other WHO departments. WHO also wishes to acknowledge the financial contribution of UNODC and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to this project. " - p. iv

PrEP is a broad set of clinical tools that can be used to reduce the chances of acquiring HIV. Although it is highly effective, many people who could benefit from PrEP lack access or are not familiar with it. However, primary care providers can remedy this situation and truly make a difference in the lives of their patients who may be at risk of acquiring HIV. This eHealth SourceTM educational activity comprises 5 chapters, covering an overview of HIV epidemiology, practical approaches to sexual history-taking and assessing patient risk of HIV acquisition, initiation and monitoring of PrEP medication, and overcoming the bias and stigma surrounding HIV and PrEP. Throughout the program, our expert faculty will provide their unique insights surrounding sexual health, HIV prevention, and PrEP, and how these may be incorporated into primary care practice.

The objectives of this study were to analyse prescribing errors in the prescribing process of HIV/AIDS patients in term of types, rate and prevalence of error, and to assess the reduction of prescribing error after pharmacist participation on prescribing error prevention. The study was conducted in the HIV clinic at Samutsakhon Hospital. The study was divided into three phases. In phase 1, the prescribing process was observed and prescribing errors were assessed by the investigator during October 1, 2007 to November 15, 2007. In phase 2, pharmacists with physicians and nurses develop the model of pharmacist participation in prescribing error prevention and the model was tested for a 1-month period. In phase 3, The role of pharmacist in the model and prescribing errors were evaluated during December 15, 2007 to January 31, 2008. A total of 249 patients in phase 1 and 254 patients in phase 3 were evaluated. There were 123 prescribing errors in phase 1 but only 8 prescribing errors in phase 3. The error rates were 19.19% in phase 1 and 1.20% in phase 3. Types of errors most commonly found were prescribing medication with the incorrect time (not around the clock)(44.72%), do not specified strength (21.14%), and incorrect indication of opportunistic infections (13.01%). Types of physician associated with prescribing errors were internist (45.45%), general practitioner (23.17%), and medical specialist (13.61%). All pharmacists' recommendations to physician were accepted, including clarification of order, time changing, and cessation of drug. The results indicated that substantial reduction of prescribing error rate came from pharmacist participation prior to physician prescribing which included reviewing the regimen, identifying the name of antiretroviral regimen using self-inking stamp, calculating the quantity of medication, and preparing the medication. This study recommended that collaboration with physicians and nurses to develop the system that enhances pharmacist participation in prescribing error prevention will ensure that patients are safe and receive appropriate drug therapy.

This edited collection brings together the social dimensions of three key aspects of recent biomedical advance in HIV research: Treatment as Prevention (TasP), new technologies such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and the Undetectable equals Untransmittable (U=U) movement. The growth of new forms of biomedical HIV prevention has created hope for the future, signalling the possibility of a world without AIDS. In this context, the volume discusses the profound social, political and ethical dilemmas raised by such advances, which are to do with readiness, access, equity and availability. It examines how HIV prevention has been, and is, re-framed in policy, practice and research, and asks: How best can new biomedical technologies be made available in a profoundly unequal world? What new understandings of responsibility and risk will emerge as HIV becomes a more manageable condition? What new forms of blame will emerge in a context where the technologies to prevent HIV exist, but are not always used? How best can we balance public health’s concern for adherence and compliance with the rights of individuals to decide on what is best for themselves and others? Few of these questions have thus far received serious consideration in the academic literature. The editors, all leaders in the social aspects of HIV, have brought together an innovative and international collection of essays by top thinkers and practitioners in the field of HIV. This book is an important resource for academics and professionals interested in HIV research. Chapters "Anticipating Policy, Orienting Services, Celebrating Provision: Reflecting on Scotland’s PrEP Journey", "How the science of HIV treatment-as-prevention restructured PEPFAR’s strategy: The case for scaling up ART in ‘epidemic control’ countries", "Stigma and confidentiality indiscretions: Intersecting obstacles to the delivery of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis to adolescent girls and young women in east Zimbabwe" and "The drive to take an HIV test in rural Uganda: a risk to prevention for young people?" are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.