“Educative; Inspiring; Networking”
The course added value to my work in the way that I manage exposed infants that are brought for routine or emergency care. It helped me build a relationship with our linkage team and quickly link infants and mothers to care in my practice. My professional practice has changed since the course. I am more invested in infants that I come across that are exposed or infected and also for infected children and adolescents. This investment has allowed me to discuss certain cases with the counsellors and even the national paediatric coordinator concerning situations where care was not appropriately administered in the districts or health centres. I have learnt to ensure that there should be some accountability and room to learn for health workers more in the districts and health centres.
The most important impact the courses can provide for me is the imparting of knowledge and new data. This is important in an ever evolving field to constantly keep abreast on what is happening.
Sharing the knowledge and training colleagues has not been done in a formal manner, however at any opportunity given, I have managed to train some counsellors and junior colleagues during the clinics or ward rounds.
A message to my peers is that HIV/AIDS can be managed and we need to work towards zero transmission. A lot is being done already on educating people on HIV/AIDS. However, we need to strengthen testing of as many individuals and as often as possible to allow many to access treatment as soon as possible and therefore prevent transmission.
Its important to continue talking about HIV infection because there is so much research being done that will ultimately improve care of the patients but also reduce the transmissions and infections. This will allow us to achieve epidemic control. There is still such a strong social stigma surrounding HIV/AIDs because of the few that are not consistently on treatment and end up with debilitating illnesses. This is what society sees or perceives, and not the ones that are doing well.
The added value that Penta ID Network gives to HIV and Paediatric Infectious Disease Health care is a platform for research and being able to share that research, not only regionally but internationally. I have attended other medical training courses mostly at a local setting. The biggest difference is the international nature of PentaTr@ining and its emphasis on local and regional research as a guide for management.