An important component of this project is the cultivation of a community-based patient care system in non-institutional settings in Guyana. This is being achieved through the development of educational programmes for care-givers, both volunteer and professional. Our focus is on the care of individuals already afflicted with HIV/AIDS, TB and sexually transmitted diseases; this includes training for the delivery of palliative care for the terminally ill.

With assistance from VON, CSIH is endeavouring to train nurses and other individuals in both urban and village settings. Given the national shortage of nurses in Guyana, this is a critical contribution to the amelioration of Guyanese public health, as it will produce a cadre of complementary health care workers trained to care for a severely underserviced segment of the population.

Moreover, as part of the National Tuberculosis Programme, CSIH will fund the training and salaries of additional DOTS (Directly Observed Therapy) workers. Present DOTS coverage is only 12% nationwide, according to PAHO, while that of neighbouring Venezuela is 89%.

CSIH is also contributing to the training of clinicians in the areas of TB, HIV/AIDS and STIs, for the purposes of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of diagnosis and treatment in a clinical setting. This involves interfacing with clinicians on-site and assisting local education institutions to develop appropriate paedagogical curricula.

As with all aspects of the project, the training programmes are continuously monitored and evaluated. The goal is to make this intervention sustainable by creating a dedicated core of professionals capable of perpetuating the training regimen in absence of frequent external involvement.