Currently, Mozambique faces a human resource
shortage that is hindering its ability to rapidly scale up efforts to provide ART to people living with HIV or AIDS. Adding to the complexity of the situation is the fact that approximately 17 percent of the public healthcare
workforce is infected with HIV and in need of care
themselves.
Mozambique’s Ministry of Health recognizes the need to train additional healthcare workers to combat HIV/AIDS and is now targeting in-service training for mid- and lower-level healthcare workers as a key component of its national HIV/AIDS strategic plan.
In an effort to support this Ministry initiative, the HIV/AIDS Twinning Center has linked the Universidade Católica de Moçambique (UCM) with the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. The overall goal of this
partnership is to increase the availability of quality HIV services in Mozambique’s Sofala Province.
Specific objectives and key activities include:
- Increasing the numbers of qualified healthcare workers in trained in HIV/AIDS; and
- Creating a model clinic that provides quality HIV/AIDS care and treatment services and serves as a clinical training facility for healthcare professionals.
Since commencing collaboration in 2006, partners have completed renovations of the UCM clinic and are in the process of transitioning into a clinical training site for UCM students. Partners also developed and organized the agenda, curricula, and syllabi for UCM faculty
training. In addition, 30 instructors have completed an HIV 101 training based on Ministry of Health priorities and guidelines.
Future activities include continued efforts to strengthen organizational capacity at UCM’s HIV/AIDS training center through ongoing faculty development.
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