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Fall 2003
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| News |
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The Health Task Force is pleased to welcome its new Chair, Ms. Christine Ferguson, who was named Commissioner of Public Health for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts earlier this year. Ms. Ferguson has already demonstrated a keen interest in the work of the Massachusetts - South Africa Health Task Force, having hosted a delegation from the Eastern Cape in May.
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Her Excellency Barbara Joyce Mosima Masekela, was recently named South Africa's new Ambassador to the United States. She succeeds Ambassador Sheila Sisulu, whose tenure ended earlier this year and is now Deputy Director of the World Food Program in Rome, Italy. We look forward to working with Ambassador Masekela as she takes over the very important role of guiding South Africa - United States relations.
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| Partnership Project Updates |
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| Academic Partnerships with the University of Transkei |
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Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions (MGH Institute)
Following Drs. Cheryl Cahill and Inge Corless's March 2003 trip to the University of Transkei (Unitra), the two faculty members from MGH Institute have been working with the nursing faculty at Unitra on the development of various joint activities. Most immediate, MGH Institute will conduct a workshop in October to provide nurses in rural clinics with information basic to diagnosis, treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS. The workshop will also include information related to prescription, management for persons using antiretroviral drugs. Future plans include bringing a group of MGH Institute students with faculty for field experiences in clinics around Umtata.
MGH Institute has also discussed the possibility of collaborating with Unitra Nursing School faculty to develop a clinical masters degree for Unitra students and MGH Institute continues to adapt its clinical investigation curriculum for use by Unitra. The proposed Unitra Center of Excellence has been identified as a possible focal point of partnership activity between Unitra and MGH Institute.
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University of Massachusetts (UMass) Medical School Minority Research Program
The UMass Minority Research Program conducted its sixth summer program this year, but due to administrative financial difficulties only one US student was able to successfully complete the program. Nevertheless, the program was a very positive experience for the student, who consequently is planning to return to Umtata in his 4th year for various clinical rotations. Dr Carel Mulder, who initiated the program has retired from UMass, and will no longer be facilitating student exchanges. He will however, remain involved in some capacity in Unitra's HIV/AIDS Center with Dr. Daniel Kayongo, who is expecting to investigate best practices for the delivery of antiretroviral drugs to the very rural population of the Transkei region of the Eastern Cape.
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| Departmental Partnerships |
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HIV/AIDS Bureau
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) AIDS Bureau continues to support the Eastern Cape Department of Health (ECDOH) HIV/AIDS Directorate. Priorities remain (1) integrating people living with AIDS (PWAs) into decision-making and (2) establishing a procurement system that will allow for the contracting of HIV/AIDS-related services through local NGOs. As part of this effort, 3 members of the National Association of People Living with AIDS (NAPWA) and a medical officer from the Eastern Cape spent 10 days in Massachusetts in May, learning about consumer-government relations and services. As an outcome of this visit, NAPWA and the HIV/AIDS Directorate in the Eastern Cape are planning the Province's first PWA conference in April 2004, modeled on the annual Massachusetts Statewide Consumer Advisory Board sponsored by the MDPH AIDS Bureau. Two representatives from Massachusetts are planning to travel to the Eastern Cape in order to assist this process.
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University of Transkei Community Health Workers Training Project
The community health worker program, funded by the World AIDS Foundation is proceeding well with participation of two nursing schools and two nursing colleges covering four sub-districts in the Eastern Cape. A total of 20 community workers are participating in the training program, with 8 tutors and 20 supervisors providing ongoing support. This project has developed an innovative program for on-the-job training of community health workers that speeds up their ability to serve their community's needs related to HIV/AIDS. The training is in its fourth month and the pilot is due to end in September. So far there are clear lessons to be learned regarding the training needs, skills required, job descriptions and overall, the work situation of community workers in the Eastern Cape. The Eastern Cape Department of Health is exploring ways to roll out the program in other
Provincial health districts next year. This program is expected to continue under the auspices of the proposed Center of Excellence in HIV Care, Prevention and Treatment, which is being established at Unitra with the help of the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.
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Northeastern University School of Pharmacy - Eastern Cape Department of Pharmacy
The Department of Pharmaceutical Services at the Eastern Cape Department of Health continues to work with Northeastern University's School of Pharmacy and the Center for Community Health, Education, Research & Service on refining areas of collaboration. So far, areas identified include management training and pharmaceutical logistics support. As an immediate next step, a team from ECDOH Pharmacy Department is planning a fact-finding mission to Boston. Moreover, a student from NU is hoping to undertake her co-op requirements in the Eastern Cape next spring.
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| NGO Partnerships |
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Codman Square Health Center- Masimanyane Women's Support Centre
Codman Square Health Center (CSHC) in Dorchester and Masimanyane Women's Support Centre in East London received a major grant from the U.S. Department of State, Office of Cultural Exchanges that has allowed for the development of joint projects between the two organizations. One such project is the development of a Technology Center at the A.W. Barnes School in South Africa that will serve as a mode of transmission of education to students in both countries as well as their respective communities on the connection between HIV/AIDS and Domestic Violence. The planned Technology Center will be linked to a similar center at CSHC. The grant will also allow for an exchange of classes between Codman Academy in Dorchester and the A.W. Barnes School. A team from Masimanyane visited CSHC in September to initiate the various projects being made possible by the grant funding. CSHC plans a reciprocal visit to Masimanyane in October.
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Cambridge Health Alliance - Port Elizabeth Hospital Complex
The Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) - Port Elizabeth Health Center (PEHC) partnership is forging forward. Since the videoconference held in February 2003, workgroups have been formed and workgroup members on both sides have been corresponding, getting to know each other and refining collaboration priorities. The workgroups fall under the following four (4) areas:
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Management
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Clinical training
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Human resource development
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Information technology.
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Workgroups on both sides are in the process of drafting a Memorandum of Understanding, which will serve as foundation for the Twinning document that will formally link the two institutions. A delegation from the PEHC is planning a trip to Boston this fall during which a formal Twinning Agreement will be signed between the two institutions.
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South Africa Partners serves as technical support to the Massachusetts - South Africa Health Task Force. South Africa Partners (SA Partners) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the establishment of mutually beneficial institutional partnerships between the United States and South Africa, in the areas of health, education, and economic development. Working with state and local government, academic institutions, and community organizations, SA Partners is creating a model for international development that is based on long-term commitment and sustainability. Partnerships supported by SA Partners bring together practitioners from the United States and South Africa who are committed to addressing social, political, and economic needs in a manner that strengthens communities, builds institutional capacity, and gives voice to those who have been previously excluded from public discourse.
Send feedback to South Africa Partners at: info@sapartners.org
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