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Dr. Michael Schull, President Tangible Deliverables Dignitas is based on a very simple idea called community based care. Sustainable community-based approaches bring essential medical care to the community level, helping to address the single greatest obstacle preventing millions of people from gaining access to effective treatment and prevention; the severe shortage of healthcare workers in areas overwhelmed by AIDS. Dignitas trains hundreds of nurses, clinical officers, and community based volunteers to work in an integrated, systematic fashion to contain and control the HIV epidemic. Dignitas has collaborated with the Zomba Central Hospital, the District Health Office, the Christian Health Association in Malawi, and other organizations implementing healthcare services in Zomba District. The program implementation methodology is designed to maximize the number of patients gaining access to services along a continuum-of-care in the short term, while at the same time building the capacity of clinicians, healthcare workers and lay persons to treat, care for and support people with HIV/AIDS, and their family members. Training received by the clinicians will be followed up with ongoing and on-the-job training and support, ensuring that people “learn by doing.”
Competitiveness & Efficiency of the Delivery System Dignitas established its pilot project in the Zomba District of Malawi in 2004. Due to its extensive work with the local governments, in January 2006 more than 4,000 children and adults have started on life-saving antiretroviral therapy (ART). An average of 200+ new patients are gaining access to antiretroviral (ARV) medications each month, 6,000+ medical consultations are being conducted each month, an average of 4,000 people are tested for HIV each month at 30 HIV Testing & Counseling (HTC) sites, 20,000+ mothers-to-be have accessed Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) services to help prevent transmission of HIV to their newborns, 15 community- based organizations in the Zomba District are supported, and an average of 800+ attendees are directly reached through HIV/AIDS prevention education activities every month. Financial Efficiency Dignitas International does not earmark a certain dollar value going towards a certain purpose. It is interested in developing the healthcare system as a whole, and ensures the various aspects of a decent healthcare system are fulfilled. Dignitas strives to keep administrative costs low and currently uses 20% of funds to cover these costs. Its goal is to get this number down to 15% in the next few years as we move out of our initial growth phase. 80 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in Malawi. For example, $100,000 can provide the province of Malawi with 4 vehicles, with fuel, for an entire year to transport workers and medication, and also run the costs for the entire program in Malawi for a month.
Accountability to Clients & Investors: Dignitas International is founded by BMO Financial Group, The Donner Canadian Foundation, MAC AIDS Fund, Rotary International, St.Michael’s Hospitals Foundation, and Stephen Lewis Foundation. Commitment and Plans to Achieve Sustainable Results: The following is a part of its critical path: HIV testing/ counseling, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, information, treatment and prevention of opportunistic infections and sexually transmitted infections, palliative and psychosocial care, treatment with lifeextending ARV therapies. Dignitas is now at the point where it can grow exponentially in terms of their ability to work within this community based care model. Dignitas International’s next goal is to take knowledge of community based care and disseminate that knowledge widely so that others can take up the approach. Volunteerism/Recruitment: The campaign is being run by volunteers who understand the effect of a deadly disease like AIDS. They are trying to help save lives in areas which are heavily affected by the disease, and have no financial resources to mitigate its impact.
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