[procaare] ICEHA Clinical Mentors Deployed to Nepal

["Larisa Bomlitz" <lbomlitz@iceha.org>]

Nepal gives ICEHA clinical mentors the responsibility to create HIV
treatment expertise among the local healthcare workers  
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New York, NY - January 8, 2007 - The International Center for Equal
Healthcare Access (ICEHA) announces deployment of its first clinical
mentor to Nepal in order to rapidly scale-up clinical expertise in HIV
care amongst the Nepalese healthcare workers. ICEHA's first clinical
mentor to Nepal is a highly experienced HIV physician from NYC who
deployed in December to spend 6 weeks in two district hospitals in
Northwestern Nepal coaching local colleagues on how to provide the best
HIV care possible given their available resources.  ARVs are now being
introduced in zonal hospitals in the Kailali and Kanchanpur districts of
Northwestern Nepal but the clinical expertise on how to provide these
medications to the patients is non existent.  

"Developing countries that do make ARVs available in their national
pharmacies and hospitals are increasingly confronted with the reality
that their healthcare workers lack the practical clinical expertise and
operational systems to prescribe the medications.  These medications are
still a novelty overseas and in many regions the healthcare workforce
has only received a 2 week didactic course on HIV care.  They lack the
practical skills, confidence and necessary experience with operational
systems that are so unique to HIV care," explains Dr. Marie Charles,
Chair and CEO of ICEHA.  "ICEHA clinical mentors solve this need by
transferring their practical skills directly to their counterparts using
an innovative method of coaching.  As a result, ultimately and extremely
rapidly, our local colleagues can manage their patient load on their
own.  When their assignment is complete, ICEHA clinical mentors leave
behind access to HIV care for thousands of patients per clinic when no
access existed beforehand."

Nepal, since 1997, has seen an alarming increase of HIV infections among
high risk populations.  Currently the HIV epidemic is recognized to be
at a turning point where swift action is necessary to contain the
potential for wide spread HIV infections.  It is estimated that only 1%
of the HIV-infected patients who need antiretroviral therapy
("anti-AIDS" drugs) actually receive it.  ICEHA's partners in Nepal are
Family Health International (FHI) and the Nepalese Ministry of Health.

Positions are open for short-term volunteer clinical mentoring in Nepal
as well as ICEHA's additional country programs in: Vietnam, Cambodia,
Ethiopia, Rwanda, Zambia, South Africa and Lesotho for doctors, nurses,
nurse practitioners, and physician's assistants.  Volunteer assignments
are 6-12 weeks, all expenses are paid. Stipends are available for longer
placements. Visit www.iceha.org
<http://www.iceha.org/volunteers/medical2.shtml>  or email Ms. Karina
Glaser at glaser@iceha.org for more information.

About The International Center for Equal Healthcare Access
The International Center for Equal Healthcare Access (ICEHA) is a
501(c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated since in New Jersey and a
registered charity in the UK. ICEHA's clinical mentoring programs are
designed to rapidly scale up the HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention
skills of local medical workforce within the existing resource
limitations in their clinics. Typically within a few months hundreds if
not thousands of patients have access to care when none existed before.
Nepal represents ICEHA's 7th country program. ICEHA clinical mentors
will enter three additional country programs in 2007 sending clinical
mentors to 10 countries around the world. 

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Contact:  Marie Charles, M.D., M.I.A., Chair and CEO
International Center for Equal Healthcare Access, www.iceha.org 

International Center for Equal Healthcare Access    www.iceha.org
The global leader in clinical skills rapid transfer to emerging nations

Larisa J Bomlitz, MPH | Communications Manager |  lbomlitz@iceha.org