1. A Best Practice Model Using Video Conferencing to Enhance HIV/AIDS Capacity Development in Resource-Limited Countries in Africa
Sandy Pillay1
Kalavani Moodley1
Hatim Sid Ahmed2
Nicholas Kiambi3
Gerlinde Reiprich4
1. Enhancing Care Initiative, UKZN; Centre for Professional Development (CPD) Khartoum, North-
Sudan; African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF), Kenya; Health Focus GmbH, Germany

2. CONTENTS Background to East Southern African HIV Knowledge Hub
Design and implementation of the eLearning platform
Academic programmes linked to video conference platform
Inter-country programme experience
Conclusions

3. Background to East Southern African HIV Knowledge Hub

4. EAST SOUTHERN AFRICAN HIV KNOWLEDGE HUB
WHO-supported initiative involving Kenya, North Sudan and South Africa
Funded by GIZ and supported by HealthFocus
Aim to promote capacity development in member countries to improve the HIV response
Member organisations:
AMREF, Kenya
CPD, North Sudan
ECI, South Africa

5. BACKGROUND HIV poses a challenge for capacity development:
Many health workers have not had formal clinical training
Body of HIV knowledge constantly changing
Expert pool is limited
“Building the plane while it’s flying”
Many African countries have developed training programmes in various aspects of HIV management
There is a reluctance to embrace technology:
Lack of expertise in IT
Perceived/real lack of IT infrastructure
Fear of change

6. Design and implementation of eLearning platform

7. BACKGROUND ECI has been using video conferencing for 8 years:
Teaching programmes
Tele-diagnosis
Challenges in Africa
IT expertise and infrastructure poor
Varying bandwidth for connectivity
High cost of ISDN-based video conference
Multi-point electronic learning platform set up in SA, Kenya and North Sudan involving IP-based, high definition, real-time interaction by ESA

8. WHAT IS AN eLEARNING PLATFORM
Integrated set of tools and resources that allow participants to access the content of materials online, on time, on demand
Allows for interaction and sharing of content and resources
Widely disseminate information
Enable interaction between learners and academia
Includes Video Conference, interactive websites, support, document repositories

9. HOW DOES VC WORKS?

10. Inter-country programme experience

11. ECI EXPERIENCE
HIV diploma and short programmes video conferenced to deep rural areas

13. ECI EXPERIENCE
HIV diploma and short programmes video conferenced to deep rural areas
High level of acceptability by delegates
No significant difference in performance between parent and distant site
Significantly larger number of students at distant sites chose to continue with academic opportunities

14. KENYA – SUDAN PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME
10 day project management course held in Kenya by AMREF, video conferenced to North Sudan
High definition quality
Good interaction between sites
Good acceptability
Cost analysis demonstrated that the training represented a saving of $30 000
Program followed by series of meetings with role players including ministers of health and telecom

16. Conclusions

17. CONCLUSIONS
IT has been used cost-effectively by ESA to link countries in Africa in order to disseminate information and develop capacity in health care
Video conference has been shown to be successful for inter-country training and meetings
The ESA has developed a toolkit for African countries for simple set up of an electronic platform which is adaptable to varying bandwidth quality which should be extended beyond ESA