THE Pan-Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), the body that provides a structured and unified approach to the Caribbean’s response to HIV, is providing financial support for 20 public health practitioners to attend the Clinical Management of HIV course at the University of Washington Global Health E-Learning Programme, which is slated to begin in April 2021.

The aim of the course is to provide a global perspective on the diagnoses and clinical management of HIV. Participants will learn from experts in the field, who offer real-world examples of diagnosing and treating HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in both resource-rich and resource-constrained settings, focusing on US-based guidelines.

PANCAP Director Dr Rosmond Adams, during a virtual orientation, highlighted the course’s occurrence at a critical time when public health practitioners are being challenged with maintaining the response to HIV, while simultaneously tracking and tackling COVID-19.
“Our public health practitioners have mounted an extraordinary response to COVID-19”, Dr Adams stated, according to a press release by PANCAP.

“Within a few months, the Region reacted with COVID-19 testing, appropriate safety measures and public health education. Now, we’re witnessing the rollout of effective COVID-19 vaccines within a year after the start of the pandemic. Our healthcare workers were responding to COVID-19 while maintaining the gains made in the HIV response. PANCAP is pleased to enhance their ability to test, treat and provide care for HIV by facilitating access to the course,” Adams added.

PANCAP Coordinator of Knowledge Management, Dr Shanti Singh-Anthony, detailed that the online graduate-level course consists of video lectures, readings, discussion forums, and quizzes. She further emphasised the encouragement of group participation, noting that it “provides a platform” for discussing course concepts and applying them to the Caribbean.

Singh-Anthony further highlighted that the course is part of PANCAP’s overarching Knowledge Management strategy to empower regional public health practitioners to achieve the 2030 goal of ending AIDS through providing the requisite capacity building, training and knowledge.
According to PANCAP, the course is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through support to the PANCAP Coordinating Unit. USAID Country Representative to Guyana, Jason Fraser, expressed pleasure on behalf of USAID in their ability to support the initiative to build capacity, as the Region advances action towards ending AIDS.

Mr Malcolm Watkins, Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Health, Guyana, also thanked PANCAP for spearheading the initiative and stated that it would build capacity for practitioners working in HIV to advance national and international targets.

Participants of the course include medical doctors, nurses, physician assistants/medexes, National AIDS Programme Managers, and Civil Society Organisation (CSO) representatives with clinical backgrounds.

The course is the first phase of a planned capacity-building initiative by PANCAP, encompassing more training opportunities and virtual courses for public health practitioners working in the Region’s HIV response.