Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a disease that attacks immunity. HIV treatment lasts a lifetime and requires a strong commitment from various parties, including adherence to medication for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The low level of adherence of PLWHA in taking ART drugs will reduce the optimal effect of ART, namely minimizing the replication of the HIV virus in the body of PLWHA.
The Faculty of Nursing, University of Indonesia (FoN UI) has organized a series of community service activities in the form of CEMARA (Counseling Taking Antiretroviral Drugs) counseling, which is aimed at nurses caring for HIV/AIDS patients. This activity is a community service and empowerment program at the University of Indonesia, with a PPM Practice scheme in the field, carried out by lecturers and students specializing in Immunology, UI Faculty of Nursing, chaired by lecturer, Sri Yona, SKp, MN, PhD, and a team of lecturers. , Ns Liya Arista M.Kep., Sp.Kep.MB, and Medical Surgical nursing specialists, namely Reineldis Gerans M.Kep., Nancy Dida M.Kep., Novi Pampalia M.Kep., and Khumaidi M.Kep.
This activity aims to train nurses in providing counseling to PLWHA, with the ultimate goal of increasing adherence to ART medication for PLWHA. This activity begins with the initial session, namely the session providing basic material on basic concepts about HIV, ART therapy and the concept of drug adherence. The second session included the provision of basic concepts of ART counseling, as well as booster materials on HIV/AIDS that had been delivered in the initial session, as well as discussion of barriers to taking ART medication and their solutions. The third session, in the form of self-evaluation of nurses after applying counseling materials to PLWHA patients, as well as the level of patient adherence to taking medication after being given counseling by nurses.
This activity has been carried out during May-June 2020, by training as many as 4 nurses who treat HIV patients in Palembang, and 2 nurses who treat HIV patients in Kupang. Of these 6 nurses, they have implemented the CEMARA program for 24 patients with PLWHA for 2 weeks. Based on the results of the evaluation of the patient’s compliance level, it was seen that the level of patient compliance increased. From the results of the confidence survey, it was seen that the nurse’s confidence increased after being involved in the CEMARA counseling program.
All of these activities aim to implement a structured counseling program for nurses as an effort to improve adherence to ART for patients treated by nurses. This counseling program seems to be able to increase the level of knowledge of nurses about HIV/AIDS, as well as nurses’ confidence in providing counseling to PLWHA patients. For PLWHA, the CEMAR program is able to increase the patient’s level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS, as well as to improve adherence to ART
