ASCP’s Collaboration With Project ECHO Expands Healthcare Access in Mozambique

ASCP has joined with Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) to expand its efforts to improve the quality of cancer and HIV/AIDS care in resource-limited countries.

Project ECHO programs use a hub-and-spoke model to connect primary care providers in remote areas access with the tools, resources, peer support and specialist consults they need to improve care management for their patients. Specialists at the “hub” site meet regularly with healthcare professionals in local communities via video conferencing, and the “spoke” sites learn from each other by presenting cases and sharing experiences.

ASCP is the first Project ECHO partner in Mozambique to use the telemedicine model in support of its programs under the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“In Mozambique, we have a team of mentors who are supporting HIV viral load testing labs,” says Ken Landgraf, MSc, Director of ASCP’s Center for Global Health. “These labs are critical to PEPFAR’s response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic because viral load testing is the gold standard for HIV treatment monitoring.” 

Developed at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, the model equips healthcare workers with the knowledge and support they need to manage patients with complex conditions in the patients’ communities. It also helps ensure that all providers are up to date on the latest treatment and patient support options available. This dramatically increases access to high quality, specialty treatment, particularly in rural and underserved areas. 

The program focuses on team-based learning to encourage collaborative problem solving to address health challenges. “Another key piece is forming a community of practice among the participants so that they can reach out to each other to share resources and seek advice from each other,” Mr. Landgraf said.

Since the start of Project ECHO in 2003, the Project ECHO model has been implemented by over 270 partners in 34 countries.  

Read the July 2019 Update for the ASCP Center for Global Health here.