Papua New Guinea (PNG) has the largest HIV epidemic in the Pacific Region. Since 2007 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have partnered with the government of PNG to expand and enhance the national HIV/AIDS program. The CDC approach to technical assistance in PNG emphasizes collaboration with national stakeholders, in-country partners (such as WHO), and other U.S. agencies (such as the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Department of Defense) to build local capacity through mentoring and coaching for PNG’s provincial and national-level government. CDC, where necessary, provides its expertise with skills and experience from abroad to help implement the national HIV/AIDS strategy and to strengthen the national health system.
CDC office (physical presence) 1 U.S. Direct Hire 5 Locally Employed
At a Glance
Population: 8.2 million Per capita income: $2,800 Life expectancy at birth women/men: 65/61 years Infant mortality rate: 46/1000 live births Source: Population Reference Bureau Fact Sheet, 2016
Enhancing Surveillance and Health Information Systems expanded
CDC builds in-country capacity to design, implement, and evaluate HIV/AIDS surveillance systems, and to improve national health information systems to collect, store, analyze, and use high-quality data essential to HIV prevention, care, and treatment. With a focus on data-driven decision-making, CDC supports PNG’s National Department of Health (NDOH) in expanding the functionality and utility of the HIV Patient Database, the national HIV electronic health record system to improve patient care and to integrate HIV quality improvement (HIVQUAL) measures to improve the quality of care provided. CDC, in collaboration with WHO, is working to improve the timeliness and accuracy of data collection and reporting by the National HIV Surveillance Program through technical expertise in health informatics to guide the development of the information systems utilized.
Strengthening Laboratory Systems collapsed
CDC is partnering with NDOH and WHO to support a strategy for HIV viral load testing across PNG. It is also providing technical assistance in laboratory quality management and assurance to ensure that the viral load testing is accurate and available. CDC continues to support monitoring and evaluation of HIV viral load using data collection and reporting tools, encouraging the transition from a 2-test to a 3-test HIV rapid testing algorithm, and maintaining international accreditation standards.
Building Sustainable Programs: HIV Care and Quality Improvement collapsed
Although the number of HIV testing and treatment sites has increased across PNG, one ongoing challenge in HIV/AIDS service provision is ensuring quality of services delivered. The HIVQUAL is an approach to better manage and improve HIV/AIDS care and treatment. CDC provides technical assistance to implement HIVQUAL at the clinical level, to build capacity of health care workers to improve the quality of HIV/AIDS care services for persons living with HIV, and to support the development of an overarching HIVQUAL framework.
Key Activities and Accomplishments collapsed
Field Epidemiology Training (FET)
The FET-PNG program was launched in 2013 in response to the need to develop human resource capacity for field epidemiology (surveillance and response to public health issues) in PNG. The annual program is a unique six-month model focused on intensive mentoring and intervention projects. It has trained 45 field epidemiologists working in the NDOH, provinces, and districts, providing leadership in HIV and other disease surveillance, program monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and disease control activities. FET fellows’ interventions have saved an estimated 200 lives. Nearly 50% of the research projects and interventions of the fellows are associated with HIV, tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted infections disease surveillance and control in their provinces and nationally. By 2018, the FET-PNG program is planned to be fully funded and facilitated by NDOH.
HIV Quality Improvement (HIVQUAL)
HIVQUAL was first introduced in 2008, and four Centers of Excellence were established in PNG. To date a total of 18 antiretroviral therapy clinics are implementing HIVQUAL. In PNG’s national central district, HIVQUAL activities have scaled up with a focus on reducing loss to follow up for treatment using HIVQUAL indicators. The HIVQUAL training program is now funded and led by NDOH, and the HIVQUAL framework is viewed as a tool for quality improvement in caring for HIV/AIDS patients.
