Establishing effective systems to improve the delivery
of ART is particularly challenging with pediatric cases. The CDC and Columbia University are working together to establish pediatric HIV care and treatment centers of excellence at the University Teaching Hospitals in
Lusaka and Livingstone and a Twinning Center
partnership that links the Milwaukee-based Center for International Health (CIH) with both hospitals is
supporting these efforts.
The CIH partners are providing much-needed technical expertise, training, and mentoring to develop the
knowledge and skills of Zambian pharmacists. They are also assisting with the development of effective management systems at the teaching hospitals.
With the overall goal of improving the quality of care provided by pharmacists working with the pediatric ART programs, partners have jointly developed and are
implementing a series of in-country training programs. These trainings focus on arming pharmacists and
pharmacy technicians with the skills they need to better organize and manage pharmacy services at the Lusaka and Livingstone centers thereby helping to ensure the
delivery of quality HIV/AIDS care to mothers, infants, and children.
Partners are also working to integrate clinical
pharmacists into the multidisciplinary ART care teams practicing at the Lusaka and Livingstone ART Centers.
US partners have already conducted an intensive
short-term training on pharmacy organization and
management in Milwaukee for their Zambian colleagues and commenced efforts to expand the role pharmacists play in the provision of ART and other care and support services for mothers, infants, and children in Zambia.
Updated September 17, 2009
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