[afro-nets] On The Horizon -- November 2004

[Sherry Hutchinson <shutchinson@pcdc.org>]

On The Horizon -- November 2004
-------------------------------

Comprehensive Training Manual on ART Adherence Now Available

"Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy in Adults: A Guide for
Trainers" was developed by the Horizons Program/Population Coun-
cil, International Centre for Reproductive Health, and the Coast
Province General Hospital for the Antiretroviral Therapy Program
in Mombasa, Kenya.

The manual is designed for health workers, including physicians,
clinical officers, and adherence nurse counselors, who work in
ART programs and have received some training on antiretroviral
medications. The manual consists of four modules to be conducted
over four sessions of approximately two hours each. The sessions
can be conducted separately or as part of a comprehensive ART
training program.

Module 1 provides a background to adherence issues and is rele-
vant for all health workers involved in ART service delivery.
Modules 2, 3, and 4 focus on adherence management of patients on
ART and are designed for adherence nurse counselors, but physi-
cians may also benefit from attending, particularly the Module 2
session. The objective for each session is given at the begin-
ning of each module. The methodology, the materials required,
the expected duration of the session, and the handouts are noted
in the margin at the beginning of each exercise. Training hand-
outs include patient materials, counseling checklists, pill
charts, and medication demonstration charts being used in the
Mombasa ART program.

The manual is based on a number of sources in the United States
and elsewhere, including best practices from the New York State
Medical Services, experiences from the Whitman Walker Clinic in
Washington DC and the INOVA Juniper Program in Virginia, train-
ing programs developed by the University of Florida, and the WHO
VCT Counseling Manual for Asia. The manual has been developed in
close collaboration with implementing partners, keeping in mind
field realities and the socio-cultural environment of Mombasa, a
coastal province in Kenya.

Download the Manual as Adobe PDF file (130 pp. 1.04 MB):
http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/horizons/arvadhrnctrngguide.pdf

For those with limited web access, please
mailto:horizons@pcdc.org for a hard copy.


"On the Horizon" is an electronic news capsule from the Horizons
Program (http://www.popcouncil.org/horizons), a global opera-
tions research initiative designed to:

* Identify and test strategies to improve HIV/AIDS prevention,
treatment, and care services.
* Disseminate research findings and promote their utilization
with the aim of replicating and scaling up successful interven-
tions.

Horizons is implemented by the Population Council in partnership
with the International Center for Research on Women, the Inter-
national HIV/AIDS Alliance, the Program for Appropriate Technol-
ogy in Health, Tulane University, Family Health International,
and Johns Hopkins University. Horizons is funded by the U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID).

--
Sherry Hutchinson
mailto:shutchinson@pcdc.org