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Category: HIV Care and Treatment

I-TECH Attends 25th IAS International AIDS Conference

Post categories: Cote d'Ivoire DIGI Gender/Women & Girls HIV Care and Treatment India Lydia Chwastiak Nancy Puttkammer Quality Improvement Stefan Wiktor Ukraine Zimbabwe
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Representatives from I-TECH, I-TECH Ukraine, I-TECH India, and Zim-TTECH attend the 25th IAS AIDS Conference in Munich, Germany.
Representatives from I-TECH HQ, I-TECH Ukraine, I-TECH India, and Zim-TTECH attend the 25th IAS AIDS Conference in Munich, Germany. Photo Credit: I-TECH

The International AIDS Society (IAS) hosted the 25th International AIDS Conference on 22–26 July 2024 in Munich, Germany, and virtually. The theme this year was “put people first” to emphasize the importance of “thinking of solutions from the point of view of those most affected.” The conference brings together HIV researchers and experts for presentations and discussions on a wide range of HIV- and AIDS-related topics.

This year, representatives from the International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH) presented findings from I-TECH-supported programs in Côte d’Ivoire and Ukraine:

Côte d’Ivoire

Ukraine

Additionally, representatives from I-TECH India, PLC, and the Zimbabwe Technical Assistance, Training, and Education Center for Health (Zim-TTECH)—two of I-TECH’s partner network organizations—as well as their program partners presented findings from I-TECH-supported programs being implemented in India and Zimbabwe:

India

Zimbabwe

Note: Bolded names represent I-TECH authors and an asterisk (*) indicates the presenting author

National HIV Psychosocial Services Expansion in Trinidad and Tobago

Post categories: Differentiated Care Health Systems Strengthening HIV Care and Treatment Key Populations Lydia Chwastiak Mental Health Trinidad and Tobago
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In 2019, I-TECH conducted an on-site assessment at Trinidad and Tobago’s largest HIV treatment site. The findings of that assessment led to the establishment of an integrated psychosocial program at this site that has yielded favorable results. This further inspired the need for expansion of this psychosocial approach to other HIV treatment and care sites.

In 2022, I-TECH collaborated with the HIV/AIDS Coordinating Unit (HACU) of the Ministry of Health (MOH) to conduct a similar rapid assessment throughout the national treatment and care sites. The results reflected that there was a need for specialized staff to identify and treat common mental health and psychosocial concerns, as well as a standardized approach. Therefore, I-TECH is supporting the HACU to lead the expansion and strengthening of mental health and psychosocial (MHPS) service delivery for persons living with HIV at HIV treatment and care sites in Trinidad and Tobago. Goals include the standardization of psychosocial assessments to support the early identification of psychological distress, symptoms of co-morbid mental illness and psychosocial issues; as well as the standardization of the procedures for making interventions.

Activities include:

  • Developing a draft MHPS Protocol to include screening and intervention tools and psychosocial standard operating procedures (SOPs)
  • Establishing a standardized referral system
  • Training and supporting psychosocial team members in the use of the SOPs and all screening and assessment tools. Training will address areas of intimate partner violence, gender-based violence, and mental health challenges that are frequently encountered within the client population
  • Training and supporting psychosocial team members in data collection and reporting requirements
  • Training and capacity -building of psychosocial team members of the Psychosocial Coordination Unit being established by the HACU

eLearning Programs for Health Care Workers in Trinidad and Tobago

Post categories: Clinical Mentoring eLearning/Distance Learning HIV Care and Treatment Human Resources for Health Key Populations Lydia Chwastiak Trinidad and Tobago
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I-TECH partners with the HIV/AIDS Coordinating Unit (HACU) of the Ministry of Health (MOH), the National AIDS Coordinating Committee (NACC) of the Office of the Prime Minister, and other local organizations to make accessible learning and capacity-building opportunities for all cadres of health care workers.

  • Learning Management System (LMS): I-TECH and the University of Washington Department of Global Health’s eLearning Program (eDGH) collaborated to adapt an LMS for Trinidad and Tobago from the Jamaica LMS. The LMS for Trinidad and Tobago will support ongoing, standardized capacity-building of an increased number of health care providers in a cost-effective way. The LMS will also function as a monitoring and evaluation tool for training and skill building. I-TECH will support, develop, and adapt HIV course material and provide local administration and coordination support.
  • Key Populations Preceptorship Web Modules: I-TECH is currently developing self-paced, eLearning training modules to improve providers’ knowledge, skill, and comfort in providing respectful and gender-affirming care for gay and bisexual men, other men who have sex with men, people of transgender experience, and people engaging in sex work. This module will be an adaptation of the innovative in-person Key Population Preceptorship (KPP) Program for Clinicians and will be made accessible on the I-TECH/eDGH LMS that is being developed. The modules will incorporate video recordings featuring local community members, modeling of best practices, and show interactive exercises.
  • UW eDGH Online Courses: I-TECH, through eDGH and in collaboration with HACU and the NACC Office of the Prime Minister, provides online certification courses to health care providers in Trinidad and Tobago. Courses include: Clinical Management of HIV; Leadership and Management in Health; Fundamentals in Global Health Research; Policy Development and Advocacy for Global Health; Project Management in Global Health; Monitoring and Evaluation in Global Health; Fundamentals of Implementation Science; Wellbeing for Healthcare Professionals; and Global Mental Health.
  • Medical Research Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago (MRFTT) HIV/STI Project ECHO® Series: In April 2019, I-TECH supported MRFTT, the HIV treatment site with the largest adult population in Trinidad and Tobago, to become an ECHO® hub site. The hub provides virtual clinical consultation support as well as brief didactic sessions for healthcare workers in Trinidad and Tobago on a range of medical/clinical and psychosocial topics, as well as those relevant to HIV care, treatment and support. Healthcare workers (HCWs) who have benefitted from the series not only include those from Trinidad and Tobago, but also HCWs from Haiti, Barbados, Bahamas, St. Vincent, Grenada, and Florida, USA.
  • Management of HIV Infections Diploma Course: In 2014, I-TECH partnered with the University of the West Indies (UWI) – St. Augustine campus in Trinidad and Tobago to develop a blended eLearning course that enables HCWs to provide high-quality clinical management of patients living with HIV. This ten-month post-graduate diploma program is delivered through a series of online, self-paced courses taught by UWI faculty, and is augmented by synchronous virtual classroom discussions and hands-on, clinical practicum experiences. In recent years, I-TECH worked with the UWI to integrate extensive care and treatment content specifically focused on comprehensive care for key populations affected by HIV. The course is offered annually to healthcare workers from PEPFAR priority sites in the region. Course graduates include health care workers from Trinidad, Jamaica, Suriname, and Barbados.

Key Populations Preceptorship Program in Trinidad and Tobago

Post categories: Differentiated Care HIV Care and Treatment Human Resources for Health Key Populations Lydia Chwastiak Trinidad and Tobago
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Reducing stigma and discrimination toward vulnerable groups in health care settings can have a positive impact on enrollment in care, retention in care and treatment, and viral suppression of HIV. The Key Populations Preceptorship (KPP) program is a simulated one-on-one patient-provider training program that brings together a health care provider and a preceptorship trainer (PT), who is a member of a key population group, with the observation of a training facilitator. The PT takes on the role of a mock patient and uses a pre-scripted scenario as a guide to interact with the provider-in-training, giving feedback after each scenario. The KPP builds the provider’s capacity to provide comprehensive and nonjudgmental care to key population groups including gay and bisexual men, other men who have sex with men, persons of trans experience, and sex workers.

The KPP was adapted  based on Jamaica’s KPP for clinicians in 2016 for physicians in Trinidad. In 2017, it was adapted for nurses and was delivered in-person over the course of a two-day period. In response to COVID-19 protocols, the KPP for social workers, which was adapted in 2020, was delivered virtually.

To be both cost efficient and effective, the KPP for Clinicians will be made into web modules and be accessible on a Learning Management System (LMS) that is being developed as a collaborative between I-TECH and the University of Washington Department of Global Health’s eLearning Program (eDGH).

In late October 2021, the KPP lost one of its most vibrant PTs when Trinidad and Tobago activist and community leader, Brandy Rodriquez, passed away.

PLHIV Support in Trinidad and Tobago

Post categories: Differentiated Care HIV Care and Treatment Key Populations Lydia Chwastiak Trinidad and Tobago
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I-TECH Trinidad and Tobago collaborates with  local organizations to implement programs focused on supporting the health and wellness of people living with HIV (PLHIV), including:

• National HIV Helpline: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for virtual support and information on HIV testing, care, treatment, and support, and an increased need for guidance and psychosocial support for PLHIV. This prompted the need for a central line for communication and connection to the HIV/AIDS network. For World AIDS Day 2021, the National AIDS Coordinating Committee (NACC), Office of the Prime Minister, in collaboration with the HIV AIDS Coordinating Unit (HACU) of the Ministry of Health and I-TECH, launched the national HIV helpline. I-TECH provides technical assistance, training, and capacity building support to the HIV Helpline Coordinator and Active Listeners and is supporting efforts to raise the social media profile to increase caller volume.

The NACC website has a new dedicated section titled “It’s All About U:” Identifying the Key Steps to a Healthier U, along your path to becoming Undetectable to support health and treatment for PLHIV.

• Patient Health and Literacy: In collaboration with the National AIDS Coordinating Committee (NACC), Office of the Prime Minister and a technical working group comprised of PLHIV and non-governmental organization (NGO) representatives, I-TECH developed content across nine topic areas aimed at improving PLHIV health and treatment literacy. The content was integrated into the inaugural NACC website in a dedicated section titled “It’s All About U:” Identifying the Key Steps to a Healthier U, along your path to becoming Undetectable. Topic areas were focused on promoting and encouraging U=U with content titled: U and Your Dream Team; A healthy U; All about U and HIV; What U may get wrong; Your journey to U; U and your Partner; U in the future – HIV and Aging; U and your Baby – HIV and Pregnancy; HIV and COIVD-19 . The website is expected to facilitate wider access and reach to the PLHIV community and is the first content of its kind to provide consolidated, standardized and culturally appropriate material on HIV and AIDS treatment, care, and support in Trinidad and Tobago.

 

 

 

HIV Drug Resistance Surveillance in Malawi

Post categories: Gabrielle O'Malley HIV Care and Treatment Malawi Surveillance
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The World Health Organization recommends countries routinely implement nationally representative HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) surveys among people infected with HIV to measure the level of drug resistance. The results of HIVDR surveys are a critical component of HIV programs and can guide changes to pediatric and adult antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment regimens, including first- and second-line regimen decisions. I-TECH has been implementing HIVDR surveys in Malawi since 2016.

HIV DR Surveys Conducted Since 2016:

  • Infant HIVDR Survey: An HIVDR survey was conducted among infants aged 18 months and younger to determine the level of pediatric resistance to nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI), nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI), and protease inhibitors (PI) ART drugs through exposure during pregnancy and breastfeeding. A total of 232 eligible remnant dried blood spot (DBS) samples from nine early infant diagnosis (EID)-approved laboratories were used for the diagnosis of HIV in infants between June 2016 and December 2017.
  • Antenatal Care (ANC)/Pregnant Women HIVDR Survey: An HIVDR survey was conducted to measure resistance to NNRTI, NRTI and PI drugs among ANC clients who were found to have a recent HIV infection. A total of 45 DBS samples from women with recent HIV infection were collected as part of the 2016 HIV sentinel surveillance survey and were successfully amplified and sequenced.

The next step in HIV surveillance activity is monitoring HIVDR among pregnant women initiating dolutegravir (DTG)-based regimens, as well as the potential emergence of DTG resistance in infants via mother-to-child transmission. A study of DTG resistance is currently underway in Malawi and will determine the level of DTG resistance in adults who are unable to achieve viral load suppression and DTG resistance in children < 15 years old who are unable to achieve viral load suppression.

Lydia Chwastiak

Lydia Chwastiak, MD, MPH

Lydia Chwastiak MD, MPH is a psychiatrist and internal medicine physician and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Adjunct Professor in Global Health in the University of Washington. Her research for the past 21 years has focused on improving the care and outcomes of people with chronic medical conditions and serious mental disorders. She has been a principal investigator (PI) or co-investigator on eight NIH-funded clinical trials of integrated care in both medical and community mental health settings, including MPI on the multi-center INDEPENDENT Study (R01 MH100390) which demonstrated the effectiveness of collaborative care for the treatment of depression among patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes in 4 diabetes centers in India.

At I-TECH, Dr. Chwastiak is also the PI on a large global HRSA-funded grant to support capacity building for sustainable HIV services in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, India, Mozambique, and Ukraine (U91HA06801). The goal of Capacity Building Program is to improve health outcomes for people living with HIV (PLHIV) along the HIV care continuum by building sustainable health systems. The program seeks to improve the efficiency and client-centeredness of HIV care systems by strengthening the operational and adaptive capacities of health institutions and the health workforce; expand the use of evidence-based methodologies and best practice approaches to improve health outcomes for PLHIV; increase the functionality and coverage of innovative technology platforms to improve HIV service delivery, public health communication, and data use for decision making; and strengthen equitable collaborations between country governments, implementing partners and communities to achieve and sustain epidemic control.

In addition to her work with I-TECH, Dr. Chwastiak is Associate Director of the UW Behavioral Research Center in HIV (BIRCH), an NIMH-funded developmental AIDS Research Center and directs the Center’s Integrated Care Research Core. She also is the PI and co-director of the SAMHSA-funded Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (Northwest-MHTTC), which provides training and technical assistance to support the behavioral health workforce of HHS Region 10 (AK, ID, OR and WA) to disseminate and implement evidence-based practices for mental disorders.

I-TECH Presents at 2023 IAS Conference on HIV Science

Post categories: Gabrielle O'Malley HIV Care and Treatment India Key Populations Malawi PrEP Quality Improvement Stefan Wiktor Surveillance Tuberculosis Zimbabwe
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The 2023 IAS Conference on HIV Science logo. Read the full background and inspiration behind the 2023 IAS Logo. Image credit: IAS

The International AIDS Society (IAS) hosted the 12th IAS Conference on HIV Science on 23 – 26 July 2023 in Brisbane, Australia, and virtually. This biennial conference brings together top HIV researchers, experts, and scientists for presentations and discussions on the latest advances in HIV research and practice.

This year, representatives from the International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), I-TECH’s partner network organizations, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shared findings from I-TECH-supported programs in India, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. Read the ePoster abstracts below.

India:

Malawi:

Zimbabwe:

I-TECH and Partners Fête Quality Improvement Teams in Côte d’Ivoire

Post categories: Cote d'Ivoire HIV Care and Treatment PrEP Quality Improvement
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Honorees from well-performing sites in the QISSEC project

In late February, the International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH) hosted an awards ceremony for the 10 best-performing health facility-based quality improvement teams focused on improving HIV prevention, care, and treatment services in Côte d’Ivoire. I-TECH currently operates in 80 HIV care and treatment (C&T) health facilities throughout Côte d’Ivoire.

Out of a total of 20 points, and using strict criteria, 10 sites received scores greater than or equal to 18 and were honored at the ceremony. Awards included computer equipment, printers, video projectors, blood pressure monitors, and other vital office equipment.

The ceremony was part of the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-funded Quality Improvement Solutions for Sustained Epidemic Control (QISSEC) project, which seeks to improve interventions such as the  provision of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), decreasing treatment interruption, and improving viral load testing coverage and suppression.

“This ceremony was a way to applaud the enthusiasm from the teams, demonstrate an understanding of the methodology, and share the projects that have so far been implemented,” said Dr. Nathalie Krou Danho, QISSEC Project Director.

PEPFAR Coordinator Bibola Ngalamulume

In addition to Dr. Danho, ceremony attendees included the National AIDS Control Program (PNLS) Director, PEPFAR Coordinator Bibola Ngalamulume, HRSA representatives, QISSEC Principal Investigator Ellen MacLachlan, CDC and USAID Country Directors, and representatives from the regions, districts, and sites.

“It is important that we put an accent on service quality,” said Ms. Ngalamulume. “The CQI project that is being implemented by I-TECH is an initiative that is extremely important because not only does it ensure that we improve access to care for all the HIV population–those who are infected and affected–but also it gives us the opportunity to create some kind of a mentorship network between health facilities that are performing well and facilities that need support. [This ceremony] is going to drive even more innovation moving forward.”

Within the QISSEC project, I-TECH has been working closely with the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene (MSHP) and implementing partners to strengthen provider and community counselor capacity in quality improvement to ensure HIV epidemic control.

I-TECH’s methodology is to build a culture of quality improvement from central, to regional, to site levels. Importantly, I-TECH supports sites to work with the community to center their needs, and patient needs, in providing quality care.

One of the sites honored, an urban health center in Libreville, had set a goal to increase individuals on PrEP from 23 in December 2021 to 78 in June 2022. Their root cause analysis revealed that training in PrEP was insufficient. After orienting prescribers and clinical advisors to PrEP, and organizing community awareness sessions where eligible individuals were identified, the site surpassed their goal by 200%, initiating 230 individuals on PrEP by June 2022. The site continued to increase that pace, reaching 353 by August of that year.

“It’s been a lot for the teams to do this work on top of their day-to-day jobs: to form a quality improvement team, brainstorm, and think of ideas on how to implement the changes,” said Dr. MacLachlan, “but they have taken great care in this work. The quality of HIV care in Côte d’Ivoire will be better for it.”

THIS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY THE HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (HRSA) OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS) UNDER U91HA06801, THE INTERNATIONAL AIDS EDUCATION AND TRAINING CENTER (IAETC). THE CONTENT OF THIS POST IS THE AUTHOR’S AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS THE OFFICIAL POSITION OR POLICY OF, NOR SHOULD ANY ENDORSEMENTS BE INFERRED BY HRSA, HHS OR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT.

I-TECH Supported Reference Center Serves as Critical Lifeline for People with Advanced HIV Disease

Post categories: HIV Care and Treatment HIV Co-Infection Mozambique Pamela Collins Tuberculosis
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The Alto Maé Reference Center (CRAM). Photo courtesy of I-TECH Mozambique.

Four decades into the HIV epidemic, more than 50,000 people per year in Mozambique continue to die from HIV-related conditions.

The Alto Maé Reference Center (CRAM) provides a specialized package of care and treatment services for patients with advanced HIV disease from the urban health network of Maputo, Mozambique. Since January 1, 2021, the International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH) has served as the Ministry of Health’s primary partner for managing CRAM, a role handed over by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which established the clinic in 2010.

Since I-TECH started its activities at CRAM, the center has had 1,599 active patients in follow-up care.

“More than 80% of patients admitted to CRAM for specialized care are referred by other health centers,” explains Dr. Florindo Mudender, Country Director for I-TECH Mozambique. “Critically ill patients are treated at CRAM until they are stable, then sent back to their facilities of origin to continue treatment. In addition to acute care, CRAM also provides individualized supportive services to patients who often present with dire psychological, social, and economic conditions.”

These supportive services proved crucial to Aisha,* a 43-year-old mother of five who had difficulty accepting her HIV status, believing that her church’s pastor had cured her disease through prayer.

Referred to CRAM five years ago with a diagnosis of Kaposi’s sarcoma, Aisha was prescribed second-line antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, after losing her job due to COVID-19, Aisha was subject to food insecurity, discrimination, social stigma, and physical, psychological, and financial abuse by her partner.

After routinely presenting a high viral load and suffering severe weight loss, Aisha’s care team at CRAM assumed she had not been taking her medication – possibly because of her religious beliefs and a lack of food. She was severely depressed, to the point of attempting suicide.

Worried about her condition, the team at CRAM enrolled Aisha in wraparound services, including behavioral psychotherapy, education in self-care and self-esteem, treatment adherence support, positive prevention, couple’s therapy and socio-family integration, group therapy with other patients with depression, and antidepressant medication.

After several months, Aisha’s last viral load test showed a result of “undetectable,” and her depressive symptoms abated. Thanks in part to the support from CRAM, Aisha is now adhering to her ART, has regained her self-esteem, is working again, and eats regular meals. Her partner tested HIV-negative and has learned to support her so that she feels valued and loved. Aisha attends psychotherapeutic sessions quarterly at the CRAM to monitor her psychological and social well-being.

“[My husband] helps me a lot, so I don’t forget to take my pills, and I am very happy about that and with the improvement I made with my health,” says Aisha. “Before, we were hungry, and now, I am back to work. With the little I earn I can help with the household expenses.”

CRAM is considered a center of excellence and the main training site for AHD for Mozambique Ministry of Health clinicians and PEPFAR-funded implementing partners.

“I-TECH is currently refining a referral and counter-referral system between CRAM and Maputo City’s health centers, to ensure patient care continues after discharge,” says Dr. Mudender “The system will include a free mobile line to assist clinicians with advice from senior specialists.”

*Name has been changed to protect privacy.