The HIV Capacity Building project aims to provide additional resources and tools to help strengthen HIV prevention and awareness programs administered through government programs in Pakistan.
HIV Capacity Building Project started as a follow up to the “HIV Communications Project in Pakistan,” which was created as an immediate response to the developing healthcare emergency related to HIV disease in rural Pakistan. The major reason behind this outbreak is attributed to the reuse of contaminated needle/syringes in the area by a wide variety of healthcare providers. There is a systemwide need to educate people of Pakistan about the dangers of using contaminated instruments while delivering healthcare services in areas where knowledge about the communicable diseases is minimal among health care providers and is almost non- existent in the public. These projects aim to communicate HIV knowledge to both providers and patients using an open dialogue about HIV disease which perfectly aligns with APPNE/APPNA’s mission, “to promote health-related projects in the U.S. and Pakistan”.
The HIV Capacity Building Project’s activities will be led by the Association of Pakistani Physicians of New England (APPNE), which is a local chapter of APPNA. These projects include a collaboration of colleagues from the following associations/institutions:
Our plans for this project are to receive donations through fundraising events and from different institutions, colleagues, and friends. With the money raised through this fundraising initiative, we plan to support the National AIDS Control Program (NACP) in Islamabad, Pakistan in their community prevention and awareness activities. Our annual plans to support HIV prevention and awareness activities are divided as follows:
| Timeline | Fundraising Goal | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2021, Quarter 1 | $10,000 | 1) HIV Test Kits, 2) Syringe Disposal Containers |
| 2021, Quarter 2 | $10,000 | 1) HIV Test Kits, 2) Syringe Disposal Containers |
| 2021, Quarter 3 | $10,000 | HIV Nursing Education/Training Newsletters and additional instrumental support |
Please consider donating! Your donations will go a long way to help the affected populations, many of whom are living in poor, rural areas in Pakistan. APPNE is a registered public charityunder IRS and any donations to APPNE are tax deductible.
If you are interested in obtaining more information about the overall project, please contact Dr. Fizza S. Gillani (Providence/Boston Center for AIDS Research at the Miriam Hospital and Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA) (fgillani@lifespan.org or Fizza_Gillani@brown.edu) or any APPNE Board Members (see list on About Us section).
