HIV/AIDs patients to get online access to private health services
Published:Friday | July 24, 2020 | 12:07 AMNadine Wilson-Harris/Staff Reporter
Jamaicans living with HIV/AIDS will now be able to access clinicians, laboratories and pharmacies within the private sector, with the launch of Health Connect Jamaica (HCJ), which aims to provide an alternative to the public-health system for HIV care.
The project was launched Wednesday at the Faculty of Medical Sciences at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, and is partly funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Country representative for USAID, Jason Fraser, said the project has been in gestation for nine months and hopes that it will contribute to an AIDS-free society by 2030. There are currently more than 32,000 people living with HIV in Jamaica, but only about 84 per cent of them know their status.
ACTIVIST UNIVERSITY
Deputy principal of UWI, Mona, Professor Ian Boxill, said the university’s support of the project articulates its commitment to being an activists university that pursues partnership to further promote the growth and development of the region.
“The principal goal of Health Connect at the Mona campus is to expand access to affordable, high-quality HIV services in the private sector. This critical role will lead to an increase in service obtained among people living with HIV; a reduction in the burden on the public-health sector and contribute to the HIV epidemic control in Jamaica,” he said.
He noted that HCJ was granted over $45 million for its first year, and has secured funding for its second year commencing in October 2020. A partnership has also been forged with the Caribbean Institute of Mental Health and Substance Abuse.
“This partnership allows access to psychotherapeutic services in the virtual space, which is an important component of providing comprehensive care,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Dean for the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Dr Tomlin Paul, asserted that the project fits within the strategic mission of the faculty and will allow them to engage “in innovative research and interventions in healthcare”.
HCJ will provide an online reservation app that allows clients to gain access to a network of specialists in the private sector. An HIV/STI risk assessment will be done and an appointment is then scheduled.
“Many clients shy away from accessing HIV services due to fear of their status being exposed or having to wait for long periods in crowded public facilities. The HCJ eliminates all of that and offers a modern appointment-based system for accessing treatment and support services,” said Dr Geoffrey Barrow, principal investigator of the project and director of the HCJ.