Travel and HIV/AIDS

Abstract

Although travel has been recognized as contributing to the spread of HIV infection little empirical data have been collected on the specific risks of travel or why there are risks. The discussion is concerned with reviewing studies of migrants truck drivers and commercial sex workers and their relationships with travelers and HIV infection. Migration studies include work by Yelibi on Ivory Coast migrants. Gousard and Sahraoui on North African populations in France Painter on West African migrant populations Haour-Knipe on migrants in 12 European countries Van Duifhuizen on prevention with European travelers and Bronfan on Mexican migrants in the US. The spread of AIDS through truck drivers from urban to rural areas was examined by Wawer et al. on Uganda populations Gashau on Nigerian truckers the Kenya Medical Research Institute Kumaresan on truckers in Madras India and Oliveria in Brazil. Tourists as a source of transmission were examined by Hawkes in London Ankrah in Uganda and Choi in South Korea. Studies of commercial sex workers were conducted by Wirawan in Australia Wilke in Thailand and Vorakitphokatorn on Japanese tourists in Bangkok. some of the findings for instance of Yelibi were that foreigners were less educated and not as knowledgeable about AIDS. Women participated less in community and religious groups. Education must reflect these conditions. Educational messages in France should be in Arabic for less literate North African populations. The radio was a frequently cited source of information in the Ivory coast; low levels of literacy means written campaigns would be irrelevant. In the 12 European country study of AIDS prevention programs there was little evaluation conducted and a variety of programs which were linguistically and culturally sensitive. The Van Duifhuizen project aims to coordinate efforts among AIDS prevention workers across Europe; and annual publication a data base and pilot projects will be established. Findings from a truck driver study showed that transmission of HIV infection followed lines of communication along major and secondary roads in rural Uganda; distance from the main road meant fewer cases of infection. HIV prevalence was found to be 4.9% among Nigerian truckers and 27% among Kenyan drivers; only 6% used condoms.