Project Description APAIDSCON
Duration: September 2005 - September 2010
Partners: National AIDS Control Organization (NACO)
Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (APSACS)
Andhra Pradesh Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association
Chalmeda Anandrao Institute of Medical Sciences, Karimnagar
MNR Medical College, Sangareddy, Medak
Bhaskara Medical College, Moinabad, Rangareddy
MediCiti Institute of Medical Sciences, Ghanpur, Rangareddy
Deccan Medical College, Hyderabad
Shadan Institute of Medical Sciences, Rangareddy
SVS Medical College, Mahbubnagar
Kamineni Institute of Medical Sciences, Narketpally, Nalgonda
NRI Academy of Medical Sciences, Guntur
Mamata Medical College, Khammam
Pinnamaneni Institute of Medical Sciences, Gannavaram, Krishna
GSL Medical College, Rajahmundry, East Godavari
Konaseema Institute of Medical Sciences, Amlapuram, East Godavari
Maharajah's Institute of Medical Sciences, Vizianagaram
Katuri Medical College, Guntur
PES Medical College, Kuppam, Chittor
Geographic Focus: Andhra Pradesh (twelve districts)
Project Profile: The Andhra Pradesh AIDS Consortium (APAIDSCON), a project of Science Health Allied Research Education (SHARE) India, was started in 2005 to build the potential and realize the opportunity of private medical colleges addressing the HIV epidemic. Andhra Pradesh, the state with the highest estimated burden of HIV in India, has 20 private medical colleges spread across 16 districts with 2,000 medical graduates each year. These institutions are between 3-10 years old and are at various stages of evolution. Most of the colleges are located in rural or semi-urban settings and cater to underserved populations and offer mostly no-cost services or low-cost/subsidized services. These institutions have tremendous potential and opportunity to play a leading role in the HIV epidemic.
The majority of health care (~80%) in India is provided through the private sector. The quality of services provided by private medical facilities range from state-of-the-art to barely adequate. In the last five years there has been explosive growth of private medical education as well. APAIDSCON is working to ensure that the quality of medical education does not vary from the high standards expected from an Indian medical education. APAIDSCON is a unique consortium of private medical colleges and hospitals focused on strengthening HIV-related activities and programs within its member organizations through developing and promoting a comprehensive multi-disciplinary strategy to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Andhra Pradesh. Sixteen independent and often competing private medical colleges came together and formed a consortium to address HIV and medical education issues. The development of APAIDSCON is a noteworthy initial outcome and model for the country. APAIDSCON built bonds with Andhra Pradesh Nursing Homes Association, a 5000 member body, to extend their linkages with the private sector. This has led to substantive system strengthening, including the successful completion of joint training programs, curriculum sharing, advocacy for government funded HIV testing and counseling centers in all 16 colleges and around 40 private hospitals, and a linkage system for subsidized CD4 testing.
In order to address the gap between the public and private sectors, APAIDSCON will work to involve the private sector in HIV and other public health programs through public private partnerships (PPP). Future directions for the project also include the provision of technical assistance to APSACS and other partners in PPP, HIV Clinical Care, capacity building of the healthcare staff (medical, paramedical and allied staff) and lab systems. APAIDSCON will also establish HIV testing quality assured services in and design accreditation/certification models for APSACS to ensure provision of standard services across institutions.
Key Ongoing Activities:
- Provision of training and technical support in HIV/AIDS prevention and control:
- High quality advanced clinical trainings for medical college and hospital faculty/professors and nursing home doctors
- HIV elective curriculum for medical students attending APAIDSCON member institutions
- Care for positive pregnant mothers training for ObGyn physicians
- Establishment of high quality referral laboratory services for subsidized CD4 cell counting
- Strengthened provision of care and support services through innovative models:
- Infectious Disease (ID) Clinics concept
- Community Care Centers (CCCs) established in line with the National AIDS Control Organization guidelines
- Linkages built between Medical College ID Clinics and Community CCCs
- Management of opportunistic infections through provision of subsidized medication
- Provision of post-exposure prophylaxis
- Provision of HIV counseling and testing through a PPP model. Some examples include:
- Encourage private medical colleges to open their doors to HIV/AIDS patients for providing treatment without fear of stigma and discrimination
- Increase the number of high risk individuals served by private medical colleges who know their status
- Conduct awareness camps in community, industrial workers, and college settings through Red Ribbon Clubs
- Increase awareness of HIV/AIDS among the personnel in the partnering institutes through various sensitization trainings and encourage / facilitate the partners
Project Achievements and Innovations:
- Formed the 16-member consortium of medical colleges which serves as a unique model for India on effective mobilization of private medical institutions to address the HIV epidemic.
- Established 16 Counseling and Testing Centers a unique private sector contribution to services in Andhra Pradesh. All data are reported to APSACS and NACO through the national information system, CMIS.
- Enhanced care, support and management services for People Living with HIV (PLHIVs) through establishing three NACO supported CCCs, five Infectious Disease and HIV clinics, and five linkage models between the medical colleges and CCCs to provide expert clinical care to PLHIVs.
- Established a nodal referral center facility for subsidized CD4 tests for all the member institutions.
- APAIDSCON provides state-level, private sector monitoring for Integrated Counseling and Testing Centers (ICTC) in all the partnering private medical colleges and also technical assistance to implement the NACO PPP model counseling and testing in the private sector across the state of Andhra Pradesh.
- APAIDSCON is a lead agency in Andhra Pradesh for developing and implementing unique hands-on HIV/AIDS sensitization/trainings for private sector medical doctors, including a curriculum for basic sensitization and for advanced clinical training. In collaboration with APSACS, curricula are also under development for CCC staff (Doctors, Nurses, Lab technicians and Project coordinators).