The ToT training course on provider-initiated testing and counseling (PITC), which was organized in 5 days from 25/4 to 29/4, is an activity under the project “Strengthening VCT services in military health system of Vietnam” funded by PEPFAR. This project is jointly conducted by Military Medical Department (MMD) ,Institute of Population, Health and Development (PHAD) from December 2010 to September 2011 for military health facilities under MMD. The purpose of this training is to train and select the key trainers for 04 the training courses on PITC for military health staff of 8 health facilities which will be organized within the projects on HIV testing and counseling in military health system funded by PEPFAR.
PHAD, DoD PEPFAR and MMD have conducted the needs assessment, suggest the PITC model, curriculum development and model testing. The suggested 2 PITC models were tested and assessed in 2 policlinics of the hospitals 103, 175 in order to select the most suitable one and introduce in the curriculum. Based on the training package HIV Counseling Handbook for the Asia-Pacific of WHO, FHI, UNICEF, the curriculum is revised to accord with the regulations of Vietnam Ministry of Health and the context of policlinics where the number of patients is large and the contact time with patient is limited in the observation of the needs assessment in the hospital 103 and 175.
After the course, the awareness of the trainees about the importance and the necessary of the counseling before and after HIV testing improved. The course also increases considerably the teaching skills, the class organization techniques and the knowledge on HIV testing and counseling of the trainees. Some trainees have been selected among 17 trainees to become the key trainers for 04 training courses for health staff of 8 military health facilities in near future.