Press Release: On the Clinton Foundation's Work in India
What is the Physician Training Initiative?
The Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI) and the Government of India’s National
AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) has assembled a coalition to train 150,000 private sector
doctors in India in HIV/AIDS care and treatment over the next year. This coalition includes the
Indian Medical Association (IMA), the UK Department for International Development (DFID),
the Sexual Health Resource Centre (SHRC), and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Why are private sector doctors being targeted?
In India, it is estimated that 80% of health services are being provided by private sector hospitals
and private physicians. Accordingly, it is imperative that private sector physicians are provided
with updated HIV/AIDS information, as well as specific details of the national treatment
guidelines and protocols. The Physician Training Initiative will provide this knowledge to
private sector doctors.
How will the Physician Training Initiative be implemented?
The 150,000 private sector doctors will be recruited through current IMA membership. The
Clinton Foundation and its partners will train 500 of these members as master trainers. These
master trainers will leverage the extensive networks of the IMA, DFID and SHRC to train
150,000 private sector doctors at the district level.
What curriculum will be used for the Physician Training Initiative?
A standardized curriculum has been developed by the Clinton Foundation in consultation with
our care consortium partners at Brown University Medical School. This curriculum will cover
the following topics:
- Local epidemiology and availability of referral services
- Basic knowledge of HIV
- Patient evaluation
- Case management, including antiretroviral drugs
- Mother To Child Transmission
- Post exposure prophylaxis
- Prevention strategies
Physicians will receive an interactive CD of these training presentations, along with a userfriendly
manual on treatment / referral and a reference flow chart on post exposure prophylaxis.
Is the Physician Training Initiative recognized by any Indian Medical Association or the
Medical Council of India?
The Training Program has recently been approved and sanctioned by the Medical Council of
India (“MCI”) and the Indian Medical Association (“IMA”). MCI has considered this a
Continuing Medical Education program (CME) and a certificate will be awarded to all
participants. This is the first time that a CME program on HIV/AIDS has been approved by the
MCI.
Who is funding the Physician Training Initiative?
The Clinton Foundation has raised funds from private donors and will receive support from
DFID and SHRC. The Clinton Foundation will raise more funds as needed.
Besides the Physician Training Initiative, in what other areas are the Clinton Foundation
and NACO collaborating in the fight against AIDS?
In addition to the Physician Training Initiative, the Clinton Foundation has assisted NACO in the
following areas since signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of India in
September 2004:
- Strengthening National Training Programs – The Clinton Foundation is helping to develop more intensive training for physicians, nurses and counselors at NACO antiretroviral therapy (ART) centers across the country. The Clinton Foundation, together with WHO, is evaluating and updating existing training modules, as well as recommending a system for continuous updates.
- Laboratory Strengthening – The Clinton Foundation is donating over a dozen CD4 machines to NACO to assist in the scale-up of its care & treatment programs. In addition, the Clinton Foundation is refurbishing laboratories to ensure that laboratories are adequately equipped to support care & treatment efforts. The Foundation is also working closely with NACO on several national CD4 related initiatives including developing national testing guidelines, establishing a quality assurance program and rolling out a national training program.
- Accreditation – The Clinton Foundation is assisting in the development of a national set of guidelines that will lead to an official system of accreditation for ART centers. In order to achieve this goal, the Clinton Foundation hosted a conference in January 2005 that included leading experts from Brown University, as well as doctors, lab specialists, and State AIDS Control Society (SACS) project directors from across India to help develop the guidelines and to outline a plan to achieve a system for accreditation.
- Drug Resistance Monitoring –The Clinton Foundation is providing technical support for developing a national plan for drug resistance monitoring.
- Monitoring & Evaluation – The Clinton Foundation is assisting with the establishment of a comprehensive system for monitoring and evaluation of the HIV/AIDS care and treatment program in India, including customized patient information systems for ART centers.
- ARV Procurement – The Clinton Foundation has offered our expertise and assistance in helping establish the drug quality, inventory management, and supply chain management systems for the program. In addition, NACO has access to the low prices for ARV medicines negotiated by the the Clinton Foundation.
- Capacity Building – The Clinton Foundation is supporting staff for NACO to assist in the scale-up of the ART program.
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