Recent reductions in US global health funding and the abrupt suspension of some PEPFAR and United States Agency for International Development supported activities have exposed the vulnerability of highly vertical disease programmes across Africa.
But this disruption has also accelerated a major rethink: Can the extensive HIV infrastructure built over two decades now become the platform for integrated long-term chronic care?
This seminar will explore the transition towards integrated patient-centred clinics delivering care for: HIV, Hepatitis B, Diabetes, Hypertension and other chronic conditions.
Professor Easterbrook will introduce the policy drivers, evidence base, and opportunities to leverage existing HIV systems to improve efficiency, sustainability, and access to high-quality chronic care across Africa.
Dr Katureebe will present Uganda’s experience implementing integrated chronic care clinics at national scale, including lessons learned in health systems strengthening, workforce development, laboratory and pharmacy integration, supply chains, data systems and community engagement.
Uganda is emerging as one of the leading examples of integrated chronic care delivery in sub-Saharan Africa.
The session will be of interest to those working in infectious diseases, primary care, public health, health systems, implementation science and global health policy.
Teams link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/34759982036582?p=7n1ntFi85KM0Lpy7MX
About the speakers
Professor Philippa Easterbrook is an infectious diseases physician and epidemiologist with over three decades of leadership in global HIV and hepatitis B and C policy and implementation. At the World Health Organization she led major global HIV and hepatitis guidelines and policies towards the goal of elimination, including the promotion of simplified and decentralised models of care and task-sharing. She currently leads the “2for1 – Integrate to Eliminate” collaboration working with Ministries of Health in six African countries to evaluate integrated chronic care models.
Dr Cordelia Katureebe is a paediatrician and child health specialist with 18 years of experience in HIV clinical care, programme implementation and health systems strengthening. She serves as the technical project coordinator for the Ministry of Health- US CDC cooperative agreement and is leading implementation of integrated chronic care services in Uganda. She was previously the National Coordinator for HIV Care and Treatment within Uganda’s AIDS Control Program.