HCI completes first training seminars for healthcare professionals in Central Asia

27-01-2010

In December 2009, Health Connections International (HCI) held its first training seminars for National Medical Moderators in Central Asia. Two separate four-day trainings sessions for local healthcare professionals took place: one in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (9-12 December) and one in Dushanbe, Tajikistan (14-17 December). A total of 24 local medical moderators (12 from each country) received training on topics related to HIV, HIV/TB co-infection, and harm reduction.

The purpose of these trainings was to provide local medical moderators with an opportunity to come together as a team, as well as to receive specific targeted training on HIV and AIDS–related treatment and diagnosis, the specific challenges related to HIV/TB co-infection, and best practices on harm reduction. This training will assist the National Medical Moderators in working with their peers at the grassroots level. In addition, participants in the training seminars were provided with an introduction to HCI’s Knowledge- and Information-Sharing Platform (KISP). This web-based tool, which is currently in the final stages of beta testing, will allow healthcare professionals from across the globe to share information and professional experiences quickly and easily in Russian and English.

The trainings were carried out in co-operation with our strategic partners–the National Red Crescent Societies of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan and the Tajik Republic, respectively, the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC), and AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW)–and with significant input and assistance from our in-country medical consultants, Drs. Ainura Kutmanova, Tatyana Madjitova and Umed Talbov. The Civil Initiative of Policy on Internet (CIPI) served as the chief facilitator for the segment on information and communications technology (ICT) in Tajikistan.

HCI’s first training seminar has set a positive precedent for future events and in-country programme activities. All parties involved have hailed the seminars as great successes, further strengthening the sense of community amongst peers and affirming our unified commitment to improve the responses to the HIV, tuberculosis and drug use epidemics in Central Asia.