PSP-One-formed Public-Private Commission on HIV/AIDS is Registered as a Legally-Recognized Body in Guatemala

Marking an important milestone in its institutionalization and sustainability within local stakeholders, the Public-Private Commission on HIV/AIDS – or COSSEPP-VIH for its acronym in Spanish – was legally established as a non-profit association in Guatemala on December 9, 2008. COSSEPP-VIH was formed by the Abt Associates-led PSP-One project to increase public-private dialogue on HIV/AIDS issues in Guatemala, thereby increasing the private sector's active participation in the national response to HIV/AIDS. The Commission includes 10 member organizations, including the National AIDS Program and other relevant professional associations and NGOs. Its registration as a non-profit association means that among other things, COSSEPP-VIH will now be able to seek its own sources of funding, such as grants or donations.

Since its creation one year ago, COSSEPP-VIH members have wholeheartedly embraced their roles, meeting at least monthly to tackle policy issues related to private providers and HIV/AIDS counseling and testing services. COSSEPP-VIH is now the recognized body for issues related to HIV/AIDS in the private sector in Guatemala, even at the federal government level, as demonstrated by some of its most notable achievements to date:

• Participating in the revision of the Guatemala HIV/AIDS Law: The government-level HIV/AIDS commission (CONASIDA) requested that COSSEPP-VIH contribute to CONASIDA's revision of Guatemala's current HIV/AIDS law. COSSEPP-VIH provided specific input on the revision of the law to ensure that it takes into consideration private providers' unique settings, and is therefore applicable to private doctors, clinics, and labs. This contribution was COSSEPP-VIH's first task after being invited to be an official member of CONASIDA.
• Becoming a member of the Guatemala Global Fund Country Coordinating Committee: In November 2008, the Country Coordinating Committee (CCM) requested that COSSEPP-VIH become a CCM member, demonstrating that the private sector is now viewed as an essential player in the HIV/AIDS response in Guatemala and will have a voice in key HIV/AIDS forums like the CCM.

• Putting HIV/AIDS in the national spotlight: Through COSSEPP-VIH’s intervention, and with the support of TV Azteca Guatemala, the December edition of the health program “Los Especialistas” (The specialists) was dedicated to HIV/AIDS. The program focused on advances of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Guatemala, prevention, the importance of knowing one’s sero-status, and the role of private health services in HIV/AIDS prevention. Local clinical experts (Dr. Carlos Mejía, Leticia García and Ingrid Escobar) contacted and invited by PSP-One and COSSEPP-VIH discussed the clinical-epidemiological aspects of the epidemic, while COSSEPP-VIH board members Dr. Mario Cordón and Eugenia Urizar discussed the advances and organization of the private health sector to ensure that professionals can play a complementary and proactive role in prevention, detection and case referral. This TV program has national coverage and was broadcasted twice in December (December 23rd and 27th), as well as a summary in the channel’s annual review program. This opportunity allowed for the dissemination of key messages to the general population on prevention, testing and use of health services.

• Institutionalizing HIV/AIDS continuing education for private physicians: Through COSSEPP-VIH’s intervention, ASOMEGUA (the second largest private family physicians association in Guatemala City) has become the first medical association in Guatemala to formally incorporate an HIV/AIDS module into its Continuous Medical Education (CME) Program. The Association took this initiative due to: (a) concern about knowledge gaps among providers; (b) growing numbers of cases of HIV/AIDS in their private practices; and (c) growing motivation stimulated by the quality of trainings implemented by PSP-One in different areas of the country in recent months. Typically, the medical associations´ CME programs consist of meetings sponsored and influenced by the principal pharmaceutical companies, which provide the key speaker at each event. This year, in coordination with PSP-One and COSSEPP-VIH, ASOMEGUA will include an HIV/AIDS session at each of its 11 CME-accredited monthly meetings. The first one of these meetings was held on January 29, where local HIV/AIDS expert Dra. Virginia Gularte presented to 47 private physicians. COSSEPP-VIH is lobbying with the Medical Board and various associations to further diffuse this leveraging model.