Press Release

CDC helps increase countries' skills in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs through collaborative research, training and mentoring in Africa

Presentations at the XIX International AIDS Conference demonstrate how collaborative research, training and hands on mentoring from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are helping to build capacity to prevent HIV/AIDS and provide live-saving care and treatment to those suffering from this devastating disease. 

CDC plays an essential role in implementing the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through its scientific and technical expertise, and long-standing partnerships with Ministries of Health (MOH) and other key global partners such as the World Health Organization.  Presentations at the conference provide a snapshot of a broad array of activities and reflect CDC’s commitment to fighting global HIV/AIDS and to achieving President Obama and Secretary Clinton’s call to action to achieve an AIDS-free generation.

“These studies and programs will help countries increase their capacity to plan, implement, and evaluate effective services to turn the tide on the HIV/AIDS epidemic,” said Kevin DeCock, CDC’s Director for Center for Global Health.

Key presentations include:

Technical exchange program helps advance national HIV/AIDS goals in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR)
A technical cooperation between CDC, Thailand, and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) shows how an effective model for technical exchange between countries with limited resources can help advance national HIV/AIDS goals. Best practices from successful Thailand programs were adapted to Lao PDR, a country whose population is especially at-risk for HIV due to increasing mobility, tourism, urbanization and migration. CDC’s Achara Teeraratkul and colleagues report that by December 2011, improvements had been seen in the quality of care, treatment and prevention of mother to child HIV transmission, and in the quality of laboratory systems.  Lao PDR also improved its ability to manage and use strategic information for planning programs.
Strengthening the Health System to Achieve National HIV/AIDS Program Goals in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) through South-South Technical Cooperation: A Collaboration between Thailand, Lao PDR and CDC.
23 July, 12:30 PM ET

Project management practices pay off in Botswana
CDC collaborated with Botswana’s Institute of Development Management to conduct pilot projects in various service delivery areas implementing project management practices. One project was designed to clear a backlog of more than 1,000 HIV-positive women with pre-malignant lesions requiring surgery. Prior to the pilot project, patients had waited up to 24 months for surgery. Within 12 weeks of launching the pilot project 479 surgeries were conducted.  According to CDC researcher Monica Smith, this initiative provided the MOH with the systems and technical expertise to improve coordination and timely delivery of HIV/AIDS and other interventions.
Improving Efficiency in Project Implementation Through a PEPFAR-funded Initiative to Strengthen Governance of Ministry of Health Programs. 25 July, 12:30 PM ET

More clients using Voluntary and Testing (VCT) centers in Botswana, thanks to process improvements
Since 2001, CDC has assisted the Botswana government to improve HIV program management using the Sustainable Management Program process improvement method. The results have included more clients using voluntary and testing centers (from 412 to 665 clients per month); more pregnant women being screened for CD4 (from 33 to 65 percent); and laboratory turnaround time has decreased by 50 percent.
Strengthening HIV Program Management through Process Improvement:  The Botswana Sustainable Management Development Program.  24 July, 12:30 PM ET

Learning-by-doing key to success of program evaluation pilot mentoring process in India
Over 12 months, CDC personnel mentored colleagues in India through a rigorous and comprehensive program evaluation that included collecting, coding, and monitoring data gathered from the field as well as applying management and debriefing techniques. According to CDC researcher Srilatha Sivalenka, local teams now have the knowledge and skills to teach this hands-on approach to government and non-government partners at national and state levels, furthering the goal of building capacity to fight HIV/AIDS in the country.
Using a Unique Mentoring Process to Build Capacity for Program Evaluation. 25 July, 12:30 PM ET

To schedule interviews with any CDC authors during or after the conference, please contact:

Arleen Porcell
CDC Public Affairs Specialist                                                                                  
Email: fyd4@cdc.gov
Mob: +1 404-388-0165

Did you know?
CDC - through PEPFAR – provides support to over 75 countries to strengthen their national HIV/AIDS programs and build sustainable public health systems. To learn more about the agency’s scale-up (“treatment as prevention”) and integration efforts, and scientific and technical leadership for Ministries of Health as well as achievements to date, visit
http://www.cdc.gov/globalaids/Global-HIV-AIDS-at-CDC/AIDS-Free.html

CDC’s Center for Global Health
Providing CDC leadership and coordination to maximize global health outcomes, protect Americans from health threats that begin overseas, and increase the ability of international partners to improve health around the world.
www.cdc.gov/globalhealth

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

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