ICEHA in the News

ICEHA reaches 4000 days of clinical mentoring to HIV/AIDS health workers in Africa and Asia

New York, NY – November 11, 2006 – Health professionals volunteering with ICEHA have recently completed 4,144 days of hands-on practical coaching to more than 613 healthcare providers in Africa and Asia, equipping the local health workforce with the expertise needed to provide HIV/AIDS care and treatment to tens of thousands of patients.

“While many developing countries are providing didactic, theoretical training on HIV treatment and prevention to their local healthcare workers, didactic instruction doesn’t ensure the delivery of AIDS care and treatment,” explains Dr. Marie Charles, Chair and CEO of ICEHA. “The lack of practical clinical expertise and basic operational systems within clinics are major impediments to the scale up of AIDS treatment in developing countries. ICEHA clinical mentors fill this gap by transferring their practical skills directly to their counterparts so they too can ultimately manage the patient load on their own.”

ICEHA sends health professionals who have a passion to share their extensive experience in HIV/AIDS with colleagues to developing countries that have all logistical pieces in place to provide quality HIV care but simply lack the practical expertise to deliver that care. ICEHA clinical mentors work in the field for 6 to 12 weeks on a pro bono basis.

ICEHA clinical mentoring has successfully and rapidly expanded the practical skills of the local healthcare workforce in 6 countries: Cambodia, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Kiribati, Rwanda, and Vietnam. As a result, tens of thousands of patients currently have access to HIV care when none existed before. Typically each clinic sees a rise in patients from 0 to 1200 within 6 months. New clinical mentoring initiatives will be taking place in early 2007 in Tanzania, Nepal and Zambia with additional countries to be added throughout 2007 and 2008. To date, 25% of all ICEHA clinical mentors have committed to a second assignment within 18 months of their first field positions.

ICEHA clinical mentors have a dramatic impact on the AIDS pandemic and see the immediate scale-up of HIV/AIDS care during their assignment.

ICEHA has openings for short-term volunteer clinical mentoring positions for physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and social workers. Volunteer assignments are 6-12 weeks, all expenses are paid. Stipends are available for longer placements. Visit iceha.org or email Ms. Karina Glaser at for more information.

About The International Center for Equal Healthcare Access
The International Center for Equal Healthcare Access (ICEHA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated since 2001 in New Jersey and a registered charity in the UK. ICEHA engages healthcare professionals to rapidly transfer their expertise on HIV care and infectious diseases to colleagues in developing countries, using an innovative method of clinical mentoring. ICEHA clinical mentors equip local caregivers with the skills needed to provide the best care possible to their own patients. As a result, thousands of patients receive HIV care when none existed before; care delivered by their own healthcare providers, within existing resource limitations.