Email this article 
Hide
Show all
Original Research
Learners’ perspectives on training for HIV management in sub-Saharan Africa: Insights from the AFREhealth HIV project
Submitted: 08 October 2024 | Published: 24 October 2025
About the author(s)
Manoko Lediga, Division of Rural Health (Ukwanda), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South AfricaIan Couper, Division of Rural Health (Ukwanda), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
Shayanne Martin, Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, United States of America
Michael Reid, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, United States of America
Edward Dassah, School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kamusi, Ghana
Miliard Derbew, School of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Marietjie de Villiers, Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
Maeve Forster, Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, United States of America
Onesmus Gachuno, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
Clara Haruzivishe, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
Abigail Kazembe, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Lilongwe, Malawi
Keneilwe Motlhatlhedi, Faculty of Medicine, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana
Nisha Nadesan-Reddy, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
Catherine Ngoma, School of Nursing Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
Georgina Odaibo, Department of Virology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Fatima Suleman, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
Deborah von Zinkernagel, Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, United States of America
David Sears, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, United States of America
Abstract
Background: The African Forum for Health Education and Research human immunodeficiency virus management training (AFREhealth HIV) project was launched in 2019. The project offers a reimagined model for interprofessional training and mentorship to improve clinical care and equip healthcare workers with the technical knowledge and clinical tools to respond to HIV and other health issues.
Aim: The study aims to evaluate learners’ experiences of interprofessional health workforce capacity building across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to enhance HIV management.
Setting: Participants included pre-service medical and nursing students and early career professionals (learners). Learners were associated with 14 AFREhealth partners in 11 SSA countries.
Methods: Learners attending AFREhealth HIV training workshops were invited to provide feedback using a standardised online form, which included 28 Likert-type questions and 3 open-ended questions. Analysis of the 3 open-ended questions was done by coding responses into a set of common themes and sub-themes.
Results: Findings showed that of the 3711 learners who participated, only 2570 completed the post-training evaluation. Findings also showed that the learners appreciated the approach adopted in the workshops and believed they gained significant knowledge and skills for themselves. The importance of collaborative, team-based and interprofessional approaches throughout the training was highlighted.
Conclusion: The training approach adopted by the AFREhealth HIV project has proven to be highly effective. The project has thus continued to target final-year health professional students and working health professionals at affiliated training sites, with module workshops being offered both online and onsite.
Contribution: Collaborative and interprofessional approaches to training health professionals for HIV management can improve knowledge, skills and, very importantly, attitudes, with the potential thus to improve the quality of team-based care provided especially in low-resource settings.
Keywords
Sustainable Development Goal
Metrics
Total abstract views: 393Total article views: 465