Researcher helping Estonia develop system for HIV/AIDS (12/22/2007)

A University of South Carolina researcher has received a grant from Estonia to develop a program to understand its burgeoning number of HIV/AIDS cases.

David Parker, director of the Office of Supportive Housing Services at the School of Medicine, has visited Estonia several times this year to meet with public-health and government officials. He will return to the country in January to assist the country in developing a system to track its prevalence of HIV/AIDS cases and, ultimately, establish education and prevention programs.

"Estonia has the highest rate of HIV in Europe," said Parker, who is pursuing a doctoral degree in epidemiology at the university's Arnold School. "Many of the cases are related to intravenous drug use, but the country still needs to understand the prevalence of the disease and how best to develop public-health and medical systems to deal with this serious problem."

Known for its abundance of lakes and beautiful scenery, the country of Estonia has spent the past 16 years grappling with the political and economic changes that have arisen with independence from the Soviet Union. But the spread of HIV/AIDS as people are traveling throughout Europe is challenging the country's public-health system.

Parker, who is the HIV Consultant on the Estonia Project through the Arnold School's department of epidemiology and biostatistics, has an extensive background in healthcare program management.

The grant of $20,000 from Estonia, though small, has much larger implications.

"The University of South Carolina has an opportunity to play a key role in helping Estonia develop its care of people with HIV, develop a system to track HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases and build an infrastructure for research on infectious diseases," he said.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by the University of South Carolina

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