HANDLING HIV CARRIERS IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE

Introduction: The reality of the population infected with HIV has changed, as has the way for accessing treatment in Brazil’s Unified Health System, which decentralized patient care from specialized care services (SCS) to Family Health Teams (FHT). The challenge for the Ministry of Health (MS) is to train FHT professionals to handle asymptomatic patients, do prescriptions of antiretroviral therapy (ART), and conduct health promotion. Objectives: Summarize treatment approaches recommended by the MS for handling HIV carriers in primary health care, and show the results in cities that have implemented this model. Method: Bibliographical review of MS protocols in Brazil and internationally about handling HIV in primary health care. Results/Conclusions: The shared management of HIV carrier care between primary and secondary health networks has proved to be effective in at least four Brazilian capitals (Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, and Fortaleza) and served as a laboratory for the implementation of guidelines. Global and regional instruments needed became evident, like direct channels of information and continued education, linking SCS to the FHTs. Releasing lab tests to the FHTs, the simplification of guidelines for asymptosomatic patient care, facilitating access to the beginning of ART, were key for patient's adherence to treatment. The involvement of FHT in the care and reception of patients, in addition to the release of the combination pill, will be important variables to improve access and are crucial in the results, aiming to reduce morbidity and mortality caused by immunodeficiency syndrome.