In 2007 VCHAP will continue to provide clinical training on HIV/AIDS care and ARV Rx to all physicians practicing in PEPFAR-supported clinics. Clinical training will include basic training courses, follow-up training courses, and clinical mentoring. VCHAP will work closely with partner agencies in Hanoi and HCMC to develop local capacity to assume training activities in the future.
VCHAP will collaborate with the newly reorganized Vietnam Administration for HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC) to develop a national curriculum and training plan on the clinical care of HIV-infected patients. A training-of-trainers course is planned to build a national network of certified trainers who can implement national, regional, and local training programs.
The HIV Network in HCMC will be expanded, hiring additional local staff and increasing training activities for health care workers in HCMC and the southern provinces. TDH and VCHAP will jointly publish a Vietnamese language clinical manual on HIV care.
In May 2007, VCHAP will also be supporting three HIV/AIDS specialists from Vietnam to receive advanced training in addiction medicine as part of the Boston University School of Medicine's Chief Resident Immersion Training Program (CRIT) in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The CRIT Program is designed to give an in-depth review of state-of-the-art clinical knowledge in diagnosis, management and teaching about substance abuse disorders. The program will be presented using a variety of methods, including case-based discussions, skill-based workshops, role-playing and experiential site visits. The Vietnamese participants will then be able to share their knowledge with their colleagues in Vietnam as part of VCHAP's ongoing commitment to support methadone maintenance and ARV therapy.
In order to promote interest in HIV medicine among medical students, VCHAP will support the first HIV clinical electives at medical universities in Hanoi and HCMC. If successful, this program will be expanded to other medical schools throughout the country.
2006-2007 (4th Year)
The ARV Rx program in Vietnam expanded rapidly. By the end of 2006, almost 5,000 patients were receiving ARV Rx and medical care through PEPFAR-funded clinics. Other programs supported by the Vietnam MOH and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria made ARV Rx available for several thousand additional patients.
VCHAP provided training in basic HIV/AIDS care and ARV Rx to all physicians prescribing drug treatment in PEPFAR sites. In addition, many of the physicians working in HIV clinics funded through other programs attended VCHAP training courses. A total of eleven training courses with 324 participants were completed for physicians in the 6 provinces with the highest numbers of HIV-infected patients.
VCHAP provided clinical mentoring to all physicians in PEPFAR-funded clinics and began providing clinical mentoring to other clinics funded by other programs. Clinical mentoring involved VCHAP medical officers attending HIV clinics with local physicians as a way to improve HIV care services at district-based clinics.
In 2006 the MOH extended ARV Rx to all 64 provinces in Vietnam by providing limited amounts of ARV medicines to each province. VCHAP assisted the MOH in developing the curriculum for training provincial medical providers on ARV Rx, and VCHAP medical officers lectured in the MOH courses. A total of 381 health care providers participated in 7 national HIV/AIDS training courses.
In HCMC, VCHAP worked with the TDH to develop the HIV Network. The HIV Network will coordinate HIV treatment educational programs for physicians and other healthcare providers in HCMC and will supervise HIV clinical care in HCMC and southern Vietnam. In 2006 the HIV Network began weekly clinical case conferences and monthly educational conferences for all physicians treating HIV/AIDS in HCMC. TDH and VCHAP will jointly host the first Scientific Conference on HIV/AIDS in HCMC in January, 2007.
Nurse training activities continued to expand as well. Site visits to hospitals and outpatient clinics and long-term treatment facilities were made in HCMC in July and in Hanoi, Quang Ninh, and Hai Phong in December. At each location, workshops introducing basic HIV/AIDS nursing care, prevention, and ARV Rx were held. Faculty included VCHAP nurse consultants and local train-the-trainer participants from the National HIV/AIDS Nursing Network. A third National HIV/AIDS Nursing Workshop for the members of the National HIV/AIDS Nursing Network is planned for early 2007.
The Vietnam MOH published the first National Guidelines on Palliative Care in 2006. VCHAP was instrumental on advocating for these guidelines within the MOH and for providing technical assistance in their development.
2005-2006 (3rd Year)
VCHAP continued to expand activities in training and technical assistance. VCHAP added more staff in HCMC and in Quang Ninh and Hai Phong in the north. By the end of 2005, VCHAP medical officers were based in three locations in Vietnam: Hanoi, Quang Ninh/Hai Phong, and HCMC. In addition, project officers were hired in Hanoi and HCMC.
Local trainings were held in the 6 PEPFAR focus provinces where ARV Rx was to be provided. In addition to the module 1 (basic HIV/AIDS care) and module 2 (ARV Rx) training courses, VCHAP developed a module 3 as a follow-up training in ARV Rx for experienced physicians. All physicians in US government-supported programs are required to attend the VCHAP training modules 1 and 2 before prescribing ARV Rx. By the end of 2005, VCHAP had completed three module 1 trainings and five module 2 trainings, with a total of 234 participants.
VCHAP medical officers provided technical assistance to the CDC, NICRTM, and PAC of HCMC AIDS Committee in developing and implementing outpatient clinics for HIV/AIDS care and ARV Rx. The first drugs were distributed in Hanoi in mid-2005 and in HCMC in September, 2005.
Site visits to nurses working in hospitals and outpatient clinics in Hanoi, Haiphong, and Quang Ninh were also conducted by VCHAP nurse consultants. At each location, clinical visits and discussions were followed by one-day workshops for local nurses introducing basic HIV/AIDS nursing care, prevention, and ARV Rx. Faculty for the workshops included VCHAP nurse consultants and train-the-trainer participants from the National HIV/AIDS Nursing Network. In addition, a second National HIV/AIDS Nursing Workshop was held in Quang Ninh for members of the National HIV/AIDS Nursing Network. Didactic content included advanced HIV/AIDS nursing care, comprehensive introduction of ARV Rx, and preparation for effective teaching.
VCHAP organized the first National Training on Pediatric HIV/AIDS for 45 pediatric infectious disease specialists in HCMC in June, 2005.
2004-2005 (2nd Year)
Two national trainings were held in March 2004. The first training was at Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi, and the second was held jointly by the Tropical Disease Hospital (TDH) and Pham Ngoc Thach Lung and TB Hospital in HCMC. In total, there were 140 physicians participating from 35 provinces. The national trainings were conducted by HIV/AIDS experts from Harvard Medical School in collaboration with colleagues from the NICRTM in Hanoi and the two partner hospitals in HCMC.
Three HIV/AIDS specialists from Vietnam received advanced training in HIV medicine at the teaching hospitals of Harvard Medical School. These physicians also visited harm reduction programs for injection drug users in Boston, New York, and New Haven.
VCHAP began local trainings for physicians who treat HIV/AIDS and developed training modules specifically for physicians in Vietnam. Three courses covering basic HIV/AIDS care were held in Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Quang Ninh.
VCHAP nurse consultants conducted a comprehensive assessment of the need for HIV/AIDS training among Vietnam's nurses. The consultants also conducted site visits and clinical observations of outpatient clinics and inpatient facilities. A National HIV/AIDS Nursing Workshop was held in Danang for 50 nurses from 35 provinces. It introduced basic HIV prevention. Nursing didactic sessions were offered by VCHAP and Vietnamese faculty. In addition, participants were provided with training exercises and materials to use with other staff when they returned to their provinces. Participants in this workshop now constitute the members of the National HIV/AIDS Nursing Network.
The VCHAP medical officer in Hanoi provided technical assistance in development of National HIV/AIDS Treatment Guidelines, which were published by the Vietnam MOH in March, 2005.
2003-2004 (1st Year)
VCHAP conducted two national trainings. The first training was held in Hanoi, and the second was in HCMC. A total of 140 physicians from 39 provinces attended the two sessions. Trainings were given by HIV/AIDS experts from Harvard Medical School in collaboration with colleagues from the National Institute for Clinical Research in Tropical Medicine (NICRTM) in Hanoi.
Two senior infectious disease specialists from Hanoi and HCMC traveled to Harvard Medical School for training on the clinical care of HIV-infected patients. They also visited the Partners In Health HIV/TB Program in Haiti, which is a model of a successful project in a developing country.
In 2003, the first permanent VCHAP medical officer in Vietnam began working in Hanoi, providing daily, on-site clinical mentoring and technical assistance in the treatment of HIV-infected inpatients at NICRTM at Bach Mai Hospital.
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All content is (c) 2006-2009 Harvard Medical School AIDS Initiative in Vietnam.