The prevalence of HIV and the role of immigration in Albania

Abstract

Objective: International migration is an increasingly important aspect of global, regional and national economies. The rapid spread of HIV among communities, states and continents, is the evidence of the link between population and growth-moving epidemic. The purpose of this study is to describe the role of immigration in the spread of HIV within the territory of the Albanian Republic. Methods: We have used the database from the Institute of Public Health, Tirana, Albania and also, the medical records analysis at the Ambulatory Clinic of the Infectious Diseases in University Hospital Center “Mother Teresa”, Tirana, Albania. In this paper are used data records from 1993 to 2012. Results: A total of 575 cases were studied; 215 (37.4%) of these cases refer to have been infected in countries where the infected people were immigrant, and 360 (62.6%) refer to have been infected in Albania. Among the immigrants most of the infected were males (199 patients, 92.5%), with an average age of 42.5 years old.

Conclusion: Immigration is a dominant factor in the spread of HIV disease in Albania. Sexual transmission presumably predominates in majority of the cases; most of the infected immigrants come from Greece and Italy. The high rates of HIV among immigration need for more accurate epidemiologic data along with appropriate HIV service programs. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2015;5(3): 110-113

Key words: Immigration, HIV/AIDS, public health, risk factors

Keywords

• Immigration, HIV/AIDS, public health, risk factors

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Öz

Amaç: Uluslararası göç; küresel, bölgesel ve milli ekonomiler için gittikçe önemi artan bir konudur. HIV’in topluluklarda, devletlerde ve kıtalarda hızlı yayılması nüfusla göç arasındaki ilişkinin göstergesidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı Arnavutluk’ta göçün HIV yayılımındaki rolünü açıklamaktır.Yöntemler: Bu çalışmada Tiran’daki Arnavutluk Halk Sağlığı Enstitüsü veri tabanını ve gene Tiran’da bulunan Üniversite Hastanesi “Nene Teresa” Merkezi Enfeksiyon Hastalıkları Polikliniği kayıtlarının analizlerini kullandık. Bu çalışma 1993’den 2012’ye kadar olan kayıtları ihtiva etmektedir.Bulgular: Toplam olarak 575 vaka çalışıldı, bu enfekte kişilerden 215’i (%37,4) göçmendi ve geri kalan 360’ı (%62,6) Arnavutluk’ta enfekte olmuştu. Enfekte olan göçmenlerin çoğu erkekti (199 hasta, %92,5) ve yaş ortalamaları 42,5 yıldı.Sonuç: HIV hastalığının Arnavutluk’ta yayılmasında göç baskın faktördür. Olguların çoğunluğunda cinsel ilişki muhtemelen bulaşma nedenidir ve enfekte göçmenlerin büyük çoğunluğu Yunanistan ve İtalya’dan gelmektedir. Göçmenler arasındaki yüksek HIV sıklığı daha kesin epidemiyolojik verilere ve uygun HIV hizmet programlarına olan ihtiyacı göstermektedir

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Göç, HIV/AIDS, halk sağlığı, risk faktörleri

Kaynakça

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