AIDS Ribbon.

The International Centre for AIDS Care and Treatment Programmes (ICAP) Tanzania, in collaboration with the Ministry of Heath and Social Welfare in Kagera, Kigoma, Coast Regions and Zanzibar, concluded an innovative training of health care workers (HCWs) as part of a pilot “District Mentorship Initiative (DMI)” this week.

The aim of the initiative is to build a network of competent and creative mentors in each district and to improve the quality of care for clients.

The training is aimed at equipping the District Mentors with skills to serve as mentors to other HCWs working at primary health facilities.

During the pilot activity, District Mentors will provide mentorship at two HIV Care and Treatment Clinics (CTC) and over time they will expand to additional sites.

The first group of 32 health care workers, from all eight districts of Kagera Region, will be recognised as District Mentors (DMs) after the training.

The ICAP DMI grows out of proven quality improvement approaches in both the health sector and private sectors. Mentors will provide support to new and existing staff needing skills improvement or on-the-job-training.

Fundamental to the DMI are skills in conflict management, coaching, problem solving, goal setting, and adult learning techniques, through didactic and experiential learning.

The training and approach draws on clinical and technical experiences pertinent to the mentors following a self assessment of strengths and challenges.

According to ICAP Country Director Amy Cunningham, “To meet the new challenges in the health sector, providers need strong leadership and management skills. It is a natural transition in the programme and the time is right.” Following this intensive training, mentors will have an in-depth understanding of how to carry out continuous quality improvement work through measurement of quality improvement indicators that both ICAP and the NACP have selected.

The training was officially closed by the Regional Medical Officer of Kagera Region, Dr. Juma Nyakina, who noted, “This innovative District Mentoring Initiative is a step towards higher quality services, and empowered health care workers. We embrace it and may be leading the way in Tanzania for a new way of working.”

In July 2004, Tanzania launched a national HIV/Aids care and treatment programme. More recently, it announced plans to expand HIV services from 200 to 700 healthcare facilities.

The number of patients that were to be initiated on antiretroviral therapy (ART) was expected to increase from 440,000 in 2008, to 600,000 by 2012.

In support of these goals, the International Centre for AIDS Care and Treatment Programmes (ICAP) at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health has been working with the Tanzania Ministry of Health and Social Welfare since 2004 to build broad capacity for HIV/Aids services at the national and local levels.

Supporting sites in Kagera, Kigoma, and Pwani Regions, as well as in Zanzibar, ICAP provides a range of technical and financial support, including: infrastructure development, renovations of clinics and laboratories, and provision of equipment and supplies clinical training and supportive supervision of multidisciplinary teams assistance with laboratory, pharmacy, and medical records systems and the establishment of services and programmes to enhance patient enrollment, follow-up, and adherence.

Support for Programmatic activities ICAP activities in Tanzania are comprehensive and designed to build sustainable programmes.

They include, supporting comprehensive HIV/Aids services for children and adults, including counseling and testing, prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, ART, and prophylaxis for opportunistic infections, and adherence support systems.

Other activities include strengthening human resource capacity, including training and mentoring of health care workers, and assisting districts in developing HIV/Aids programs, developing specialty services, including early infant HIV diagnosis capability and management of HIV-related malignancies, and palliative care services for HIV-positive people.

Also in the list of activities include designing supportive services, including computerisation of patient records.

ICAP supports Tanzania’s district network approach to bring HIV/Aids services to remote portions of the country. HIV-infected individuals are identified through prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and counseling and testing services at health centers and dispensaries, and subsequently linked with HIV care and ART at higher level facilities.

In addition, ICAP is supporting the government’s effort to decentralize HIV/Aids services from district hospitals to local health centers in rural areas. To this end, ICAP pioneered a “fast-track” approach for the rapid initiation of HIV/Aids services at rural health facilities.