This is a new award/mechanism with limited eligibility for a TBD partner to implement a program aimed at building human resource capacity in the health workforce, specifically physicians, and improving health work force retention. Specific objectives include improved health professionals knowledge and skills in the delivery of healthcare service including HIV/AIDS services; produce and disseminate periodic medical updates; mobilize and work with indigenous professional health associations; and provide technical assistance to support the FMOH, Federal HAPCO in the process of HIV-related standardization of health workforce training. The geographic coverage will be national and the target population is primarily medical doctors. The implementation strategies will include working in partnership with local professional associations and in close collaboration with the FMOH/FHAPCO and other USG partners; providing in-service training and continuing medical education on HIV/AIDS to health professionals working at health facilities; and providing periodic HIV/AIDS updates through medical journals. The program will also support Ethiopian Medical Laboratory Association (EMLA) to enable it to carry out its role in lab system strengthening. The partner will develop a monitoring system to evaluate periodically program performance. The program is aligned with the goals of the GOE and USG HIV/AIDS Partnership Framework and Global Health Initiative.

Ethiopian Medical Laboratory Association (EMLA) is a long-standing professional association focused on excellence in medical laboratory practice. EMLA supports local capacity development of the laboratories and laboratory professionals via curricula development, trainings, workshops, seminars, and continuing medical education. They are also involved in the development and review of the National Laboratory Policy Guidelines. EMLA is a member of the Ethiopian Health Professionals Council which is responsible for advising the Minister on matters related to the overall health policy, health professionals training and professional licensing and accreditation. EMLA has established a working relationship with many stakeholders including the Federal MOH. They have also developed a five year strategic plan for 2011-2015. The association currently has multiple organizational capacity limitations preventing them from functioning at the highest level. Under COP2012, the TBD partner will work with EMLA on lab system strengthening by improving administrative, programmatic and financial management capacity. This support will help EMLA in empowering laboratory professionals by providing capacity-building trainings and continuing medical education. Advocacy for quality lab education and service, lab accreditation, and implementation of lab policy will also be supported through EMLA in collaboration with regional chapters and other stakeholders as well as promotion of medical laboratory research, publication preparation and dissemination. As this is a local association, this support will be helpful to establish sustainability in laboratory support programs in Ethiopia.

Despite the multifaceted efforts to increase access to and utilization and availability of ART services, the proportion of ART eligible patients receiving treatment is still ~60% and falls short of meeting the target. Ethiopia needs health professionals to provide leadership and guidance to the national AIDS response based on the latest scientific evidence. Ethiopia has now escalated its commitment to intensify the level and scope of response to AIDS by scaling up comprehensive interventions to avert new infections, provide chronic care and reduce AIDS-related morbidity and mortality by adopting global standards and targets around universal access. There is a need to fully mobilize and work with indigenous resources to achieve the set targets for treatment and care. Indigenous health professional associations, some of which are well established, have not been given due attention in the fight against HIV/AIDS in general and the implementation of ART in particular. These associations collectively have significant contributions to ART program implementation at different levels of the health system throughout the country. This will strengthen local ownership of programmatic activities and contribute to local capacity building which is vital for ensuring sustainability of the program. The TBD partner needs to support HIV-related in-service training for groups of health professionals in collaboration with health professional associations and PEPFAR partners; support and provide continuing medical education (CME) in all aspects of ART; and organize and provide periodic refresher updates in various regions of the country. The TBD partner will also publish updates on new developments, national and regional guidelines on HIV/AIDS aspects including ART uptake and ensure that technical materials are properly disseminated and utilized by end users; and make experts available for various PEPFAR Ethiopia initiatives such as twinning activities, warm-line services and mentoring activities.

The TBD partner will also initiate the regulatory bodies and professional associations to work more on establishing a system for standardization, accreditation, licensing and promotion of continuing medical education.