Healthy Ageing for People Living with HIV: A Long-Standing Latency of Geriatric Care Integration in Senegal, West Africa
Alassane Ndiaye *
Outpatient Treatment Center, Fann National Teaching Hospital, Dakar, Senegal and Faculty of Health and Sustainable Development, Alioune Diop University, Diourbel, Senegal.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
With the global increase in life expectancy among people living with HIV, ageing-related health challenges have become an emerging priority in healthcare systems. This commentary discusses the need and relevance of incorporating Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) into HIV care for older adults to improve health outcomes and quality of life, with a focus on addressing gaps in Senegal’s current health strategy. The country bears a burden of old people living with HIV (OPLWH) which is rapidly increasing, reaching one third of the national cohort as of 2022. Despite the existence of different models of care to integrate geriatric approach in HIV settings to inform high-quality care, major challenges in implementing strategies to meet the needs of OPLWH persist. Strengthening the integration of geriatric approaches into HIV care, particularly for older people living with HIV (OPLWH), represents a critical opportunity to enhance quality of care, optimise functional outcomes, and build upon the significant progress already achieved in HIV treatment and survival.
Keywords: HIV, healthy ageing, geriatric health services, geriatric assessment, healthcare systems, integration