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I-TECH

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VMMC for HIV Prevention in Namibia

Post categories: Demand Creation Gabrielle O'Malley HIV and STI Prevention Male Circumcision Namibia Quality Improvement Scott Barnhart
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I-TECH assists the Ministry of Health and Social Services with the expansion and provision of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) as an HIV prevention option. This support started in 2008 with the development of national guidelines and training materials, followed by national trainings of health care workers. In 2015, this support expanded to include direct service delivery in the Oshana and Zambezi regions, as well as Karas region from 2017 onward. Since 2016, I-TECH has also supported demand creation with a network of community-based mobilizers and recruiters using a human-centered design approach to actively engage communities and stakeholders to increase the number of men voluntarily electing medical circumcision. The program has performed over 36,000 VMMCs in Namibia.

I-TECH has trained physicians, nurses, and community counselors to ensure that adequate skills and experience are in place to deliver safe, high-quality male circumcision services.

Support for Pediatric HIV Care and Treatment in Namibia

Post categories: Gabrielle O'Malley HIV Care and Treatment Human Resources for Health Integrating Research and Practice Key Populations Namibia
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I-TECH works to strengthen the quality of pediatric HIV care and treatment in Namibia through the development of a “model” pediatric HIV clinic and supporting decentralization of quality pediatric care to other facilities. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Services, I-TECH developed an innovative, structured, culturally-relevant intervention to help guide health care workers and caregivers of HIV-positive children through the process of disclosing a child’s HIV-positive status to the child.

An evaluation of the disclosure program showed that it increased health care worker and caregiver confidence and communication in pediatric disclosure, as well as demonstrating improved viral suppression, adherence, and HIV knowledge among pediatric patients. I-TECH clinicians have also worked at the site level to support the development, implementation, and monitoring of strategies to improve adolescent HIV services and transition of adolescents from pediatric to adult care.

Evaluating Laboratory Systems to Move toward Accreditation in Côte d’Ivoire

Post categories: Cote d'Ivoire Past Program
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In 2017, in collaboration with the Côte d’Ivoire Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene (MSHP), the National Public Health Reference Laboratory (LNSP), and a local accreditation organization, the Regional Center for Health Evaluation and Accreditation (CRESAC), I-TECH conducted a baseline assessment of laboratory services at 50 laboratories across Côte d’Ivoire.

The purpose of the joint assessment was to determine the laboratory’s capacity to provide HIV and clinical diagnostic services. More specifically, I-TECH aimed to determine the number of laboratorians and HIV counseling and testing staff trained and certified in HIV testing; the quality and timeliness of HIV and clinical diagnostic tests; and the status of each laboratory in order to prepare them for laboratory accreditation under the SLIPTA (WHO’s Stepwise Laboratory Improvement Process Towards Accreditation) scheme.

Strengthening Laboratory Policy in Côte d’Ivoire

Post categories: Cote d'Ivoire Past Program
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In 2017, Côte d’Ivoire’s National Public Health Reference Laboratory (LNSP) and I-TECH convened a series of strategic planning meetings with the objective of reviewing and updating the vision, mission, and objectives of the previous National Laboratory Strategic Plan. These meetings and collaboration with various partners resulted in a revised plan, the 2017-2022 National Laboratory Strategic Plan.

The five-year strategic plan was agreed upon by representatives from key ministry structures, donors, and other stakeholders with influence on the laboratory system. Their joint actions resulted in a common mission: “To provide a biological diagnosis of quality to the populations living in Côte d’Ivoire by using reliable tests, carried out according to national and international guidelines, in compliance with quality assurance procedures, biosafety procedures, biosecurity and bioethics.”

Strengthening the HIV Care Continuum and ART Adherence in Namibia

Post categories: Gabrielle O'Malley Health Information Systems HIV Care and Treatment Namibia Quality Improvement
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In accordance with the HIV Care Continuum, I-TECH supports direct HIV care and treatment service delivery as well as on-site clinical mentoring and technical assistance in 81 facilities in five regions of Namibia. I-TECH supports key evidence-based strategies such as provider-initiated HIV counseling and testing, eMTCT, and decentralization of ART services to the clinic.

In collaboration with the MoHSS, I-TECH is implementing “Treatment for All” guidelines (December 2016), an HIV care and treatment approach that initiates patients on lifelong antiretroviral therapy as soon as they test HIV-positive. I-TECH has developed an interactive education and counseling intervention, ARVs and Healthy Me, for health care workers to support HIV-positive patients in attaining good adherence and engagement in care.

To improve the quality of data for use in clinical decision-making, I-TECH actively participates in national technical working groups and advisory committees, and conducts rigorous monitoring and evaluation (M&E) to build awareness and buy-in for data quality and date use among site-level managers and health care workers.

Strengthening the Community Healthcare Worker (CHW) Program in South Africa

Post categories: Past Program South Africa
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I-TECH has supported the South African Government’s National Department of Health (NDoH) to strengthen its community health workers (CHWs) program so that it promotes linkage, adherence, and retention in HIV care and treatment. The program also aimed to improve HIV care and treatment, and patient outcomes by addressing knowledge and skills gaps that result in low performance related to HIV Care and Treatment indicators.

I-TECH collaborated with the NDoH, district support partners (DSPs), and educational institutions to implement a CHW skills development program to train over 22, 000 CHWs, making strides toward achieving the UNAIDS targets.

Strengthening Regional Training Centres in South Africa

Post categories: Past Program South Africa
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I-TECH supported Regional Training Centers (RTCs) across provinces in South Africa to increase their capacity to coordinate in-service trainings, with an emphasis on reaching the 90-90-90 targets. I-TECH strengthened the capacity of RTC management to coordinate, consolidate, implement and evaluate training activities and supported the rollout of national priority programs such as adult primary care; training initiatives to enable nurses to deliver tests and offer services, and develop the capacity of RTCs to promote alternative service delivery models, particularly adherence clubs. Additionally, I-TECH supported the National Department of Health (NDoH) through the RTCs to roll out a national recruitment and retention strategy and in-service learning strategy, to ensure appropriate human resources for health within public health service. I-TECH also provided continuous technical support for the development of a distance learning program and supported the recruitment and placement of technical personnel at NDoH to support RTCs and offer logistical support for quarterly training review stakeholders meetings.

Key Populations Sensitization Training for Health Care Workers in South Africa

Post categories: South Africa
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I-TECH South Africa supported the development, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive sensitization and capacity development pilot intervention with the following objective: sensitize clinical and non-clinical staff at the primary care and community levels on issues related to stigma and discrimination as they relate to five key populations (men who have sex with men, people in prisons and other closed settings, sex workers, people who inject drugs, and transgender people).