To address the UNAIDS Sustainable Development Goals for elimination of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases by 2030, and the PEPFAR 3.0 goals, I-TECH leverages the technical expertise of its universities and partners, the broad experience of its funders, and best practices from 15 years of implementing programs.
The International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH) works in partnership with host country governments, universities, professional associations, non-governmental organizations, private sector groups and funding agencies to strengthen local capacity and build sustainable health systems.
I-TECH follows a partnership model that guides the provision of technical services and technical assistance toward local ownership and sustainability, creating projects and programs that can be readily transitioned into national systems.
Based at the University of Washington, I-TECH draws upon a strong global network of public health professionals. The approach described in this document is customized in each country to respond to local needs and priorities. In addition, each I-TECH country office team aligns the model with the unique Partnership Framework Implementation Plans of the partner host government.
I-TECH works with host country governments to assess existing health systems and identify specific areas where the delivery of health care could be improved. This early collaboration helps to ensure that technical assistance accurately reflects the country’s specific health strategies and priorities.
In each partnership, I-TECH develops roles, responsibilities, and timelines based on a long-term vision of integrating projects into existing national systems. As part of this vision, I-TECH recognizes and leverages the strengths and resources of national systems, building on and maximizing these efficiencies. The partnerships that emerge are attuned to the needs, realities, and structure of host country systems. Thus, they build and maintain lasting capacity within host country systems, maximize cost-effectiveness, and produce projects that can be more readily scaled up to meet national goals.
As a center based at the University of Washington, I-TECH has direct access to a wide variety of technical specialists. In addition, I-TECH draws upon a robust global network of locally based public health professionals. These specialists provide a wide range of technical expertise to meet project needs.
I-TECH is committed to technical services and technical assistance approaches that build upon and support the existing strengths of local health systems. In addition, I-TECH prioritizes the use of local and regional expertise, an approach that builds the capacity of local experts to meet locally determined needs.
I-TECH implements projects within a quality improvement framework designed to track progress in institutional capacity building and guide successful implementation. Using the framework, implementers monitor the progress of each project against specific benchmarks of success; for example, the progressive transfer of skills and capacity to local institutions. This methodology ensures that objectives are met and provides data to adjust approaches as projects evolve.
The ultimate goal of I-TECH’s partnership model is to improve health outcomes by strengthening local capacity and building sustainable health systems. I-TECH’s technical services and technical assistance are tailored from the initial planning stage to produce projects that can be successfully absorbed into national systems within mutually determined and realistic timeframes. Recognizing that a successful transition takes time, I-TECH offers transition support in a variety of technical areas including quality improvement and grant management.
Training on leadership and management in health is a major focus of I-TECH’s health systems strengthening efforts. I-TECH works in close collaboration with the Department of Global Health’s E-Learning Program (eDGH) to ensure that training content on leadership and management can be offered at low cost in even remote areas by using e-learning approaches and technologies to expand the reach of its training programs.
Cervical cancer poses a serious threat to women in resource-limited settings, where an estimated 90% of all newly diagnosed cases develop.1 In women living with HIV, the progression from cervical pre-cancer to cancer is more rapid than in women without HIV.2
From 2013 to 2014, I-TECH supported cervical cancer screening and treatment in Haiti through the organization of trainings on visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) and cryotherapy, which helped build the capacity of providers and contributed to risk reduction in cervical cancer, as well as early diagnosis and treatment.
I-TECH currently develops high-quality curricula, organizes training programs, and uses direct service delivery to strengthen and expand access to cervical cancer screening and treatment among women living with HIV; works with the Ministries of Health to update national cervical cancer screening and treatment guidelines; and strengthens routine quality assurance, supervision, mentorship, and coordination of cervical cancer providers.
1Comprehensive Cervical Cancer Control: A Guide to Essential Practice, 2nd Ed., World Health Organization.
2Guidelines for Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in HIV-Infected Adults and Adolescents, National Institutes of Health.
To reduce the number of new cases of tuberculosis and improve diagnosis and treatment, I-TECH collaborates with governments and ministries of health to strengthen their health systems through facilitating trainings, advising on health policy and clinical guideline updates, supporting laboratory quality management, upgrading national health information systems, and implementing integrated TB/HIV care and treatment services.
Mental health and substance use disorders are a growing global burden that is responsible for one out of every ten lost years of health. Additionally, people living with HIV experience higher rates of common mental health conditions, such as depression, which can pose a threat to the success of treatment programs and contribute to decreased antiretroviral therapy adherence.
In South Africa, I-TECH worked with local partners and the National Department of Health to integrate mental health services into routine primary and chronic care as a way to increase access to care, ensure treatment adherence, and improve patient engagement through the Mental Health Integration (MhINT) program.
I-TECH has developed extensive capacity and expertise in voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) program implementation and management by providing comprehensive VMMC services and/or technical assistance across Southern and Eastern Africa in Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Technical focus areas include health policy and guideline development, including early-infant male circumcision and piloting and evaluating devices; external and internal quality assurance; demand creation and community mobilization; training; and direct service delivery – all built on a strong foundation of monitoring, evaluation, and learning. Since 2011, I-TECH has directly provided more than 660,000 VMMCs with an adverse event rate of less than 2%.
I-TECH promotes an integrated model, consistent with the Global Health Initiative (GHI) Principles, and supports data-driven program implementation and management. By working closely with the Ministries of Health, local partners, and communities, I-TECH ensures implementations are country-owned and foster strong health systems and sustainable programs.