Chronology
The ESTHER project took over from the FSTI which is firmly rooted in the tradition of hospital cooperation which, in numerous domains, has existed for a long time. The Administrative Arrangement signed on July 2, 2003 enabled the beginning of a project backed by GIP ESTHER to support the national programme to fight Aids managed by the DELM. The first partnership project with GIP ESTHER began in Morocco in 2003 through a twinning between Ibn Rochd University Hospital and Georges Pompidou European Hospital, then between Ibn Sina University Hospital and Lyon Civil Hospitals.
Collaboration between GIP ESTHER and the ALCS completes activities that are essentially medical and implemented within the framework of hospital twinnings, in particular therapeutic education and the psychosocial support of PLWHA. Beyond typical twinning projects, two transversal projects were recently launched: a transversal paediatric project and a transversal psychosocial project.
The projects supported by ESTHER are developed within the framework of the national programme to fight Aids.
These projects have provided support for approximately 2,000 PLWHA in Morocco (including over 1,500 receiving ARV therapy) and ensure the monitoring of 1,250 patients within the framework of therapeutic education consultations in Casablanca, Rabat and Agadir.
MAJOR ACTIVITIES IN 2008
§ Medicines, Reagents, Laboratories, Equipment
- Contribution to the supplying of medicines for the diagnosis and treatment of OI.
- Purchase of reagents for CMV PCR, HSV PCR and resistant genotypes.
- Laboratory equipment in biomedical supplies and reagents.
- Reinforcement of the capacities of biologists and laboratory technicians for the diagnosis of OI.
- Purchase of computer hardware and Internet subscriptions.
§ Reinforcement of the capacities of local HIV/Aids care providers in Morocco
Casablanca/HEGP
- 10 awareness and education sessions for care providers at the CHU (214 people).
- Internship in the Department of Clinical Immunology at HEGP (2 doctors and 1 nurse).
- 2 mentorship missions at HEGP.
Rabat/HCL
- Country workshop: therapeutic education and pain management for 40 participants (March 3-7, 2008).
- 15-day clinical internships at HCL for two doctors.
- 15-day biological internships at HCL for two doctors.
- Participation of a doctor at the National Infectiology Symposium in Marseille.
- International publication on PMTCT.
- 1 mentorship mission.
Agadir/NICE
- 1 clinical internship in Nice for 1 doctor (1 month).
- 2 mentorship missions at the CHU Nice.
- 1 internship in Nice for 2 nurses (1 month).
- A 2-day biology training workshop (20 people).
- A 2-day training workshop in ethics and confidentiality (55 participants).
§ PMCTC/Paediatrics
- Reinforcement of capacities for paediatric HIV/Aids treatment: "Transversal Paediatric Project" associating the hospitals of Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir and Marrakech launched in April 2008.
- National Awareness and Information Workshop for 50 participants November 24-26, 2008).
- Training of nurses and midwives in the maternity ward (CHU Casablanca).
- PMTCT detection activities in Rabat in the HCL Project (780 tests in 2008) and international publication.
§ Therapeutic education and psychosocial support of patients (partnership with ALCS)
- Purchase of computer equipment.
- Reinforcement of the ALCS community chest.
- Recruiting: 3 social workers in Tangier, Casablanca and Rabat; 3 psychologists in Rabat, Agadir and Casablanca; 5 therapeutic mediators in Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Marrakech and Agadir.
- Support for biological and radiological examinations at 5 sites.
- Therapeutic education sessions at 5 sites.
- Preparation of therapeutic education workshops for 2009.
§ Participation in conferences: Mexico and Dakar: 3 people.
2008 IN NUMBERS
2,000 PWTCT supported by ESTHER in Morocco including 1,506 receiving ARV therapy.
Nearly 500 people trained.
10 hospital internships in the North.