Rwandan Minister talks at HIV/AIDS training in Rwanda
Another 100 doctors and nurses trained
From June 24-27 Health[e]Foundation organized a closing workshop in Kigali, Rwanda, for 100 healthcare workers who participated in our HIV e-learning course. We were proud to have the Rwandan Minister of State for Public Health and Primary Healthcare, Dr. Anita Asiimwe closing the workshop. The training has been of great benefit to the healthcare workers involved, for many of them had never received specialized HIV training. The course has given them knowledge on HIV and self-confidence in treating and caring for patients.
This was the first training organized in Rwanda in collaboration with the National University of Rwanda (NUR) and the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) and accredited by the Rwanda Medical Council. The workshop was opened by Health[e]Foundations’ director Fransje van der Waals, Prof. Patrick Kyamanywa from NUR and Anchilla Banegura from Janssen Pharmaceutica, our sponsor of the training. Many presentations were given by excellent guest speakers on essential topics related to HIV/AIDS in Rwanda. Presentations included among others pediatric HIV, Tuberculosis and HIV, clinical management of HIV and antiretroviral therapy (ART) and HIV resistance. Soft skills were also trained in interactive sessions led by Dr. Fransje van der Waals, topics were on doctor-patient communication, counseling and adherence.
From focusgroup discussions with the participants it became clear that the participants were enthusiastic about the e-learning course they had been following for the past three months. They learned new information on side-effects of ART, HIV resistance and vaccines and updated existing knowledge. With this knowledge they can even train others, as one participant explained: “Personally it helped me to develop a presentation to train other staff. Some topics in the course were new and more scientific, they helped me to understand the reasons behind what we are doing in our daily work.”
Focusgroup discussions where doctors and nurses share their opinion on e-learning
Minister Anita Asiimwe closed the workshop with a motivating speech. She said remarkable progress had been made in HIV care and treatment in the country, noting that years ago nurses were not allowed to prescribe ART for HIV-positive persons but that many of them have now been equipped with skills and knowledge and can prescribe the medication. This translates into scaling up HIV patient-care in the country, she said. One of the challenges in HIV care and treatment is that few children receive HIV treatment compared to adults. Dr. Asiimwe also called for the inclusion of HIV care and treatment modules in the University course units.
Through this course, healthcare workers have become equipped with knowledge to take care of HIV-positive people. They have also learned about tender loving care, which is what HIV infected persons need. Out of the 99 participants that started the course in March, 92 successfully completed the course, making the success rate as high as 94 percent. Although almost a 100 healthcare workers were trained, there are many others who would love to undertake the course, therefore, Health[e]Foundation definitely aims to return and train more people in Rwanda!
Almost 100 doctors and nurses received their HIV/AIDS training certificate and obtained national accreditation.
Minister Anita Asiimwe handing over a certificate to a trained nurse. In the back from left to right: Dr. Fransje van der Waals, director of Health[e]Foundation; Dr. Ribakare Muhayimpundu, guest speaker and director of HIV research RBC and Prof. Patrick Kyamanywa, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine NUR.