The Kirby Institute's Mr Christian Trevgoda, Senior Project Coordinator, visited Bandung and Jakarta, Indonesia on 24th – 26th July 2017 for a field trip to meet members of the HATI Study team.
The HIV Awal (Early) Testing & Treatment Indonesia (HATI) Project is an initiative that will evaluate a range of possible interventions to encourage early diagnosis and immediate treatment with antiretroviral therapy among key populations affected by HIV in Indonesia. Another important aim of the study is to build research capacity in Indonesia through training and the active participation of local researchers.
The project is funded by DFAT Australia for $2 million over four years. It is a collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO), the Kirby Institute, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, The National AIDS Program and three leading Indonesian Universities.
Mr Trevgoda visited two of the four HATI sites in Indonesia. "The HATI teams are passionate and dedicated about the project, which is very encouraging. It was a humbling experience to meet and work with highly qualified professionals and researchers cheerfully handling a very complex project conducted across multiple sites, with a range of partners and multi-key populations, particularly as it enters its implementation phase," said Mr Trevgoda. "I was also impressed to discuss both the importance and the limitations of our intervention with front line health workers and doctors who are confronted with the heavy and rising burden of counselling, testing and treating up to 50 patients a day over various prevention and treatments programs (HIV, hepatitis C, methadone, etc.)."
All meetings and visits where facilitated by the WHO team onsite.
Below are some photos of the recent trip.
1. Bandung - VCT Clinic Teratai
After a short presentation and workshop with the Bandung HATI team, part of Padjadjaran University in the Hasan Sadikin Hospital, we had a visit in the Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) Teratai Clinic which is also part of the hospital. Workshop and all visits where helped and facilitated by WHO team (HIV, STIs and hepatitis division, team leader and project officers).
2. Bandung - Bungsu Private Hospital
Bungsu Private Hospital is one of our HATI facilities preparing to launch three of our five enhanced intervention packages. The interventions launched here will be the simplification of antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation, so that it is offered at the same place on the same day as testing; SMS reminders to increase adherence; and motivational interviewing to increase treatment uptake and adherence among people who inject drugs (PWID).
3. VCT clinic in Bungsu Private Hospital
This is the VCT clinic in the Bungsu Private Hospital where patients are counselled, tested and treated after having been taken through the general patient flow.
4. Bandung - Puskesmas Ibrahim Aji
This District Level Community Health Clinic or "Puskesmas" is one of our HATI facilities that will implement the simplification of ART initiation.
5. Jakarta - Atma Jaya University - HATI team
The AIDS Research Center (ARC), at the Atma Jaya University, is part of our HATI team. They are preparing the launch of two of our five enhanced intervention packages: SMS reminders to increase adherence and motivational interviewing to increase treatment uptake and adherence in PWID populations.
6. Jakarta - HATI team workshop
At the ARC, we discussed the operationalisation feasibility/sustainability of our enhanced intervention package, looking for necessary resources and devising an implementation plan.
7. Jakarta - Puskesmas Gambir
This Puskesmas is one of our HATI facilities; currently in phase one of patient VCT recruitment for our observational cohort.
8. Jakarta Puskesmas Gambir
The Jakarta Puskesmas team.
9. Jakarta - NGO KIOS
The Finnish NGO Foundation for Human Rights, KIOS, will soon be registered as a community rehabilitation clinic (12 beds). They have welcomed us in their newly rented, spacious, friendly and well organised premises and we enjoyed having an in-depth meeting with them.
10. Jakarta - WHO team after hours briefing
WHO is the primary funder of the HATI study project in Indonesia. They are facilitating coordination between four sites in Indonesia, which is essential to the success of our project. The field coordination will become crucial in the implementation phase, which is about to start in over 16 facilities Indonesia-wide, pending UNSW Ethics approval.