Because Ethiopia has been so heavily affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the Federal Government, along with international donors, have increased resources to strengthen human and organizational capacity to
support the implementation of prevention, care, and treatment programs.
Partners at Debre Berhan
Hospital and Elmhurst Hospital Center in New York City have been working together since 2007 to strengthen Debre
Berhan’s capacity to provide medical and psycho-social care for PLWH. On-site mentoring and training for Debre Berhan healthcare workers has played a crucial role in the success of this partnership.
Key focus areas have been strengthening hospital
services related to HIV care through improved
infection prevention training and policies, increasing patient involvement to improve quality of care, and improving professional knowledge and training opportunities through professional exchanges. Through these, Debre Berhan staff have received targeted training on topics ranging from case management and adherence to integrated care and the role of nurses in patient assessment and care.
US Partners trained their Debre Berhan counterparts on other topics as well, including palliative care, mental health screening, ophthalmological care for PLWH, post-partum
hemorrhage, and hypertension in pregnancy. They developed an Infection Prevention and Control Policy and
Procedure Manual and are working on continuous quality improvement and patient safety standards.
Partners also established a pen pal project between patients at both hospitals, who share information about their experiences living with HIV, as well as strategies for coping and staying adherent to treatment; this project has strengthened the patient advisory panels at both hospitals.
As a result of the partnership, Debre Berhan created the position of nursing supervisors to oversee nursing education and act as a liaison between the nurses and the administration and introduced
8-hour shift schedules to improve efficiency and quality of care. Partners also opened a Learning Resource Center
to facilitate the practice of evidence-based medicine.
Updated November 14, 2011
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