First HIV/AIDS Convention for Private Physicians in Guatemala

Guatemala City, November 5th, 2008

USAID’s Abt Associates-led PSP-One project held the HIV/AIDS Convention for Private Physicians in Guatemala City, the first event of its kind in the country. The 200 attendees at this 5-hour academic convention included mainly private physicians, many of which had attended previous PSP-One training events and were drawn to this Convention by their interest to deepen their knowledge of HIV issues. At least 28 of the attendees came from other cities in Guatemala such as Escuintla, Quetzaltenango, Petén and Izabal, making the trip on their own funds to come to the event.

The academic agenda was led by local HIV expert Dr. Carlos Mejía and members of his interdisciplinary team and included clinical case studies which participants enthusiastically discussed. The topic of HIV counseling skills was also prominent in the agenda, especially through the participation of two grassroots HIV counselors from Petén and Quetzaltenango. The counselors described to the audience the vision, experiences and perceptions that the general population and vulnerable groups in their communities have of private health providers in issues related to HIV. The event also included a “cinema forum” which screened relevant scenes from movies as an original way to bring up and discuss the issue of stigma and discrimination. Attendees received key reference materials on HIV/AIDS and were awarded 8 continuous medical education hours by the National Board of Physicians.

The National Public-Private Sector Commission on HIV/AIDS, formed and supported with technical assistance from PSP-One (COSSEPP-VIH for its initials in Spanish), had important participation and ownership in key segments of the Convention, such as in the opening ceremony, general logistics and in the conduction of the cinema forum. Key and encouraging messages were presented at the opening ceremony by COSSEPP-VIH´s coordinator, the president of the National Board of Physicians, the DCN from the USA Embassy and the Chief Regulatory and Health Surveillance Officer representing the Minister of Health. The high attendance and keen participation in the Convention further demonstrates that PSP-One is addressing a critical latent demand by private providers in Guatemala for information and involvement on HIV/AIDS.