Finalist
The EMBRACE programme
Summary of work
With recent advances in antiretroviral therapy, people living with HIV (PLWHIV) who are diagnosed and treated early can expect to live as long as their HIV-negative peers.1 With increased longevity, new challenges have emerged in the management of PLWHIV who are now more likely to experience co-morbidities related to ageing.
Managing these co-morbidities requires HIV physicians to adopt a multidisciplinary approach to provide holistic patient care. Continuing medical education helps ensure HIV physicians stay abreast of the latest medical advances; however, existing HIV educational programmes often overlook how to manage co-morbidities.
The EMBRACE programme was developed to facilitate the communication of the latest clinical information about managing PLWHIV and their co-morbidities.
An expert panel consisting of 14 specialists, across both HIV and co-morbidity care, representing 10 countries, helped to develop the EMBRACE programme. State-of-the-art training was provided through a 2-day stand-alone meeting reaching 170 delegates. Local HIV experts were identified to become EMBRACE AMBASSADORS and, through the organisation of local EMBRACE meetings and other activities, to disseminate the educational objectives of holistic HIV management to over 2,500 physicians across three continents.
The programme continues to develop and grow, with further meetings and activities being planned around the world in 2016.
Judges’ comments
We talk a lot about programmes that have a life beyond and here is one of them. We liked the holistic view bringing people together for this impressive, insight driven and impactful piece of work that proved so relevant to local audiences and will continue to have real impact over time.
