AIDS Hotline for Ethiopian Health-Care Workers
Kathryn Utan
Ethiopia is home to an estimated 980,000 people living with HIV or AIDS, including some 75,000 pregnant women. With support from large-scale international donors, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of individuals receiving life-saving care over the past five years. Currently, some 3,500 health-care workers at nearly 420 separate facilities spanning the country are providing combination antiretroviral treatment to more than 180,447 patients. The vast majority of these are receiving first-line therapy.
While the recent strides in improving access to treatment are a significant victory in Ethiopia's war against HIV/AIDS, the low ratio of experienced HIV-care providers per infected patient poses an equally significant obstacle - particularly in remote areas of the country. Physicians, nurses, pharmacists and a broad range of allied health-care workers all play an integral role in providing quality care, but many do not have the specialized knowledge and skills necessary to manage complex HIV treatment regimens.
To fill this void, the National AIDS Resource Center in Addis Ababa has established the Fitun Warmline, a toll-free telephone service designed to provide health-care professionals across Ethiopia with quick, accurate and up-to-date answers to their questions about HIV/AIDS care and treatment. Fully functional since May 2008, the Warmline helps care-givers stay current on the latest information about HIV/AIDS despite the country's limited resources, evolving communication infrastructure, and lack of time for busy health professionals to maximize continuing education opportunities.
