IAPAC Launches HIV/AIDS Training Program to Improve Medical Care in Developing Countries

The International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care on Monday announced the launch of its Global AIDS Learning & Evaluation Network, "an intensive medical education program featuring training, certification, recognition of clinical competencies and ongoing support for physicians treating people living with HIV/AIDS in the developing world." IAPAC, a not-for-profit organization, represents 10,800 physicians and other health care professionals in 83 member countries. IAPAC President Jose Zuniga emphasized that people living with HIV/AIDS in developing countries need adequate medical care, not just medications. "[S]imply parachuting sophisticated anti-HIV drugs into developing countries without addressing deficiencies in medical infrastructure is a prescription for disaster," Zuniga said, adding, "It is imperative for IAPAC, as the only global organization exclusively representing HIV care providers, to engage with its membership in the education and support of physicians treating people with HIV/AIDS. Studies and experience suggest that the clearest benefits to people living with HIV/AIDS come not just from access to drug therapies, but in receiving care from knowledgeable and experienced providers" (IAPAC release, 4/9).