Update from Zwedru

Hi all,

here with a rapid update. as you can tell there has been a flurry of activity over past month (October) on the HIV Equity Initiative.

Highlights are:
(1) HEI's First Report Complete -- Completed report on 6 months of implementation and submitted to Nat'l AIDS Control Program and Ministry of Health.

(2) HEI 2-year proposal submitted -- Submitted propoal for block grant from Global Fund (via Nat'l AIDS Control Program) to cover project activities over 2 years.

(3) HEI continues to care for more patients -- Of course, our clinical activities are ongoing and the HIV Equity Initiative has now enrolled over 70 HIV patients into treatment and care, with nearly 35 receiving ART. 20 are being followed by an accompanier. It's been such a joy to see the reclaiming of lives that would have been lost much too early. Patients whom have gained over 20kgs and re-started work after months to years of suffering. And all new patients (from Tchien) are now asked to send their neighbors for accompanier training each month. Next training is to be held on Nov 10-11. So our community-based HIV care approach is growing beyond Zwedru and into Tchien district.

(4) Formalizing our partnership with Ministry of Health -- Weafus (accompanier supervisor) and I met with Netus (the Chief Administrator for Grand Gedeh County Health services; equivalent to North Carolina Secretary of Health) and he is happy to formalize Tiyatien's partnership with them regarding the HIV Equity Initiative. So we'll develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and circulate for feedback next week.

(5) Laying groundwork for expanding community-based HIV and primary healthcare -- Finally, I also mentioned to Netus that we hope to expand HEI's work into a rural clinic (to prove that high-quality HIV care can be delivered even at this level). In so doing, we would hope to expand and re-establish primary care services writ large. Coincidentally, there was a young man representing a community called Tarloken (in Konobo district; 6 hours from Zwedru) that has requested support from the Ministry of Health for a clinic they've just rebuilt using makeshift materials. Will try to visit this and other potential clinic sites before returning in late November. Over the next several months, we could work to identify a clinic site into which HEI could be expanded. Once we've done this, we could build on the success of the HEI in Zwedru and push for funding to help the new site become accredited for delivering ART (which, according to Liberia's new guidelines, requires basic infrastructure -- maternal/child services, clinical staff, laboratory resources..etc). In this way, we would be leveraging HIV resources to help stregthen primary healthcare infrastructure.


yours from Zwedru,
Raj