08.P0102 PMTCT Health Care and Training

Botswana's national PMTCT program has 100% geographic coverage, and midwives, nurses, and

counselors nationwide are trained in PMTCT. Training activities focus on new providers, evolution in

program guidelines, and solving of existing problems and weaknesses.

In 2008 the Francois Xavier Bayroud (FXB) Center from the University of Dentistry and medicine of New

Jersey (UMDNJ) will provide assistance to the PMTCT unit with curriculum development and maintenance

and training of staff. The FXB Center will evaluate the use and usefulness of existing training materials,

create new training materials and clinician support tools where needed, and revise generic international

training tools to meet local needs. In 2008, this may include adaptation of the new WHO infant and young

child feeding course, revision of existing PMTCT training manuals to incorporate new guidelines, and

increase emphasis on follow-up of mothers and infants.

The FXB center will also help maintain the currency of knowledge and skills among PMTCT staff by

conducting two trainings for national program staff on new developments in the field of PMTCT or areas in

which staff feel they had inadequate training. Three PMTCT training of trainers (TOT) sessions will also be

held on new PMTCT guidelines.

Finally, the FXB center will facilitate linkages between the PMTCT Unit and other relevant PMTCT

departments such as the Food and Nutrition Unit and the Sexual and Reproductive Health Unit on PMTCT-

related activities such as infant feeding and family planning for HIV-positive women. The FXB Center will

plan and implement two coordination workshops for MOH departments on PMTCT-related planning, training

and program management.

08-X1423 UMDNJ

Since the beginning of the epidemic in Botswana, training in HIV/AIDS has focused on providing practicing

health workers with information and skills to enable them to offer new HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and

care services in public facilities as they are developed and rolled out nationally. Pre-service training in

HIV/AIDS for nurses and other allied health workers has not kept pace with these developments and has

only recently been integrated into pre-service curricula. The Institutes of Health Sciences (IHS), a tertiary

institution for the training of health personnel located under the MOH, trains the vast majority of nurses and

other allied health workers for the country. The IHS consists of eight health training institutes with over

1,500 students. A basic diploma is offered in general nursing, medical laboratory technology, pharmacy

technology, dental therapy, health education and environmental health. Post-basic level courses are

offered in midwifery, family nurse practice, community health nursing and nurse anesthesia. Since 2003,

USG has provided technical assistance to IHS for the integration of Prevention of Mother-to-Child

Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) into the midwifery curriculum, strengthening HIV/AIDS content and teaching

in all program areas and has provided HIV/AIDS informational resources to faculty and libraries. The

overall aim of this capacity building is to develop high-quality pre-service training in HIV/AIDS. In addition to

curricula and faculty development, a workplace program to provide HIV education and services to both

faculty and students is currently being established at the Institutes in collaboration with the MOH National

Wellness Program for Health Workers. Additional training and support materials for use in the national

program and in the Institutes will be needed in 2008. 2007 Achievements: Developed a long-term strategic

plan for capacity building at IHS Gaborone; provided technical expertise for faculty updates on PMTCT and

HIV, (infant feeding, early infant testing, caring for caregivers); established resource corners (computer unit

with HIV/AIDS information) in 8 Institutes and provided training for students and staff; developed

competencies and integrated HIV/AIDS into the course content for the nursing program; established

workplace wellness program for health workers. 2008 Plans: Evaluate the capacity building activities to date

and identify capacity building gaps and needs related to HIV/AIDS pre-service training; design and

implement a long-term capacity building strategy for all Institutions; develop HIV/AIDS competencies and

integrate HIV/AIDS information and skills development into IHS course plans for Pharmacy Technology,

Dental Technology, and Community Health Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner and Midwifery programs;

develop a system for regularly integrating in-service HIV training into pre-service training and keeping

faculty up to date; provide mentoring for the MOH HIV Training Coordinator and assist in the development

of annual MOH pre-service work plans; develop three additional wellness modules; develop support tools to

be used in conjunction with training and during follow-up.