The Chronic Diseases Clinic of Ifakara (CDCI)-Establishing a Model Clinic for Chronic Care Delivery in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa

Maja Weisser; Martin Rohacek; Robert Ndege; Ezekiel Luoga; Andrew Katende; Getrud J Mollel; Winfrid Gingo; Fiona Vanobberghen; Daniel H Paris; Christoph Hatz; Manuel Battegay; On Behalf Of The Kiularco Study Group

doi:10.3390/diseases10040072

The Chronic Diseases Clinic of Ifakara (CDCI)-Establishing a Model Clinic for Chronic Care Delivery in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa

Diseases. 2022 Sep 30;10(4):72. doi: 10.3390/diseases10040072.

Authors

Maja Weisser^{1

2

3

4}, Martin Rohacek^{2

3

4}, Robert Ndege^{4

5}, Ezekiel Luoga^{4

5}, Andrew Katende^{4

5}, Getrud J Mollel^{4

5}, Winfrid Gingo⁵, Fiona Vanobberghen^{2

3}, Daniel H Paris^{2

3}, Christoph Hatz^{2

3}, Manuel Battegay^{1

2}, On Behalf Of The Kiularco Study Group

Affiliations

¹ Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.
² University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland.
³ Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland.
⁴ Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara P.O. Box 53, Tanzania.
⁵ St. Francis Referral Hospital, Ifakara P.O. Box 73, Tanzania.

Abstract

The rollout of antiretroviral drugs in sub-Saharan Africa to address the huge health impact of the HIV pandemic has been one of the largest projects undertaken in medical history and is an unprecedented medical success story. However, the path has been and still is characterized by many far reaching implementational challenges. Here, we report on the building and maintaining of a role model clinic in Ifakara, rural Southwestern Tanzania, within a collaborative project to support HIV services within the national program, training for staff and integrated research to better understand local needs and improve patients' outcomes.

Keywords: HIV; Tuberculosis; chronic care; non-communicable diseases; rural sub-Saharan Africa.

Grants and funding

The CDCI is funded by the National AIDS Control Program, the implementing partners (currently USAID Afya yangu), the Kanton Baselstadt, Switzerland, the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and the University Hospital Basel.