Medical Knowledge Institute and International Confederation of Midwives launch global midwifery AIDS training program.

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 29 November 2004--On December 1, World AIDS Day, the Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI) and the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) launch a global AIDS initiative starting April 2005. The overall goal of the program is to prepare midwifery trainers of trainers to develop and implement strategies for the training of midwives and other health workers. The five year program, officially called "Promotion of HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support", will train an estimate number of 100,000 people in 38 countries worldwide. It has been developed by ICM and MKI with technical support of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Included in the program are the promotion of treatment, care and support of HIV positive women and their children and prevention of mother to child transmission. The Integrated Management of Adolescent and Adult Infections (IMAI) developed by WHO form part of the training materials that will be used.

At the end of the course the participants, on return to their countries, should be able to;

* Develop continuing education strategies to address the ongoing strengthening of knowledge, skills and practise in HIV and AIDS.

* Conduct skill workshops in their countries to train midwives and other health care workers in prevention of the spread of HIV and AIDS as well as counselling, treatment, care and support of women and their infants living with HIV, using the WHO IMAI modules.

* Identify up to date information on HIV and AIDS.

* Establish follow up and sustainability procedures used for rolling out the program in their countries.

* Produce a localized, measurable action plan.

Kathy Herschderfer, Secretary General of the International Confederation of Midwives (www.internationalmidwives.org), states: "In the present global crisis caused by HIV/AIDS, we see that the most vulnerable groups suffer the most. Midwives throughout the world confront this disease daily; in their work, in their communities and in their families and understand the suffering brought on by HIV/AIDS. We welcome this collaboration with MKI because their humanitarian vision combined with the knowledge and experience their leading specialists bring to the project will help provide midwives from our member associations with the additional skills needed to combat HIV/AIDS where it has the greatest impact and where a difference can be made: in the communities of the world."

Dutch HIV and AIDS Ambassador, Mrs. Laetitia van den Assure: "The stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV and AIDS are still a serious problem and the main cause of mother-child transmission. In my role as AIDS Ambassador my key focus areas are health, education, security and stability, and the impact of HIV and AIDS on economic development. I warmly welcome this program because it deals with AIDS in the broader dimension of reproductive health".

Dr. Nafis Sadik, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for HIV/AIDS in Asia and the Pacific: "The UN World AIDS Campaign 2004 seeks to raise awareness about the many issues affecting women around HIV and AIDS. The Promotion of HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support Program addresses the issue of female vulnerability to HIV and AIDS. We fully support the program developed by MKI and ICM since it targets this problem highly effective and on a global scale".

Developments in HIV/AIDS field have caused intervention gaps and lack of access to services and treatment for large population groups in afflicted areas. Since midwives are key health workers within communities they can provide care, treatment and education which can be strengthened, supported and developed. Furthermore, midwives can contribute to the implementation of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), adopted by 189 country leaders who have committed themselves to reduction of poverty, improvement of health and promotion of peace. And to global strategies like the 3X5 initiative from the World Health Organization, which has been launched to tackle the "global health emergency" of HIV/AIDS.

World AIDS Day is commemorated around the globe on 1 December. It celebrates progress made in the battle against the epidemic and brings into focus remaining challenges. World AIDS Day 2004 focuses on women, girls, and HIV and AIDS--the theme for the World AIDS Campaign 2004. The campaign, with the strap line 'Have you heard me today?' explores how gender inequality fuels the AIDS epidemic.

MKI, founded by Dr. Harold Robles, President Emeritus of the Albert Schweitzer Institute for the Humanities, and ICM call upon AIDS and HIV foundations and organisations, and companies as well as individuals to take up the challenge and financially support action related initiatives such as this midwives Trainers-of-Trainers program developed by MKI and ICM.

"The UN World AIDS Campaign 2004," according to Dr. Robles, "addresses our corporate social and individual responsibility to take initiative now. We need to massively support the UN and put the World Aids Campaign into action. It would be very special if we can reach our goal and train 100,000 midwives in 5 years. However it would be simply unimaginable what can be achieved if we can collect funding and allocate resources to train all in half the time. Needless to say, we hope to hear from everyone who is interested in supporting MKI and ICM".

--End press release--

About the Medical Knowledge Institute

The Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI) is a healthcare education and healthcare information organization dedicated to the premise that healthcare is truly a human right, both in industrialized or developing and transitioning countries. The programs of MKI are designed to improve the quality of and to promote humanitarian values in healthcare through education and public health programs. The educational and information tools to confront related matters come from experts who are leaders in their healthcare fields. They offer information and guidance honed by experience. Our faculty is drawn from some of the finest institutions around the world.www.infomki.com

Contact information

* For initiatives:

Dr. Harold E. Robles, founder & CEO ([e-mail]) or Drs. Hans Hoogeweegen, publisher ([e-mail])

* For program related questions: Mrs. Nester T. Moyo, Program Coordinator HIV and AIDS project, ICM/MKI ([e-mail])

P.O. box 332

3233 ZG Oostvoorne

The Netherlands

Tel.: + 31 (0)181 486804