International Medical Corps and PATH have developed a pilot project to make rapid diagnostic testing for malaria and sexually transmitted infections available to health clinics in Liberia as its 2008 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment to Action. Introduced at the fourth annual CGI Annual Meeting this fall, the commitment focuses on simple, low-resource testing services so that the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of infectious and sexually transmitted diseases can be done more accurately and effectively. This initiative comes at a time when Liberia is working to rebuild its health care infrastructure after two decades of civil war.
PATH is an international, non-profit organization that works with private firms to develop and promote access to simple tests in low-resource settings that lack laboratory facilities. International Medical Corps and PATH will work together to expand access to these technologies in relief and post- crises environments. PATH will provide training on the technologies that will be introduced in 22 International Medical Corps health clinics across three different counties. Through the training, local health care workers will be able to administer the tests and improve the well-being of their communities, an objective that is tightly aligned with International Medical Corps’ dedication to education and self-reliance.
In Liberia, where the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates life expectancy at just short of 42 years, the rapid diagnostic technologies will enhance the local health care system’s ability to combat two common infectious diseases that are often causes of mortality. According to the WHO, 19 percent of deaths under five years of age are caused by malaria. With approximately 1.1 million malaria cases every year, it is critical for health care workers to be able to identify the disease quickly so they can treat it and start to prevent new cases from occurring.
Sexually transmitted diseases, such as syphilis can also be deadly. For pregnant women infected with syphilis, the risk of prenatal death is estimated at a very high 40 percent by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This leads to approximately 500,000 prenatal deaths every year. The WHO predicts that there are 340 million new cases of curable sexually transmitted diseases and 5 million new cases of HIV every year. Rapid diagnostic testing technology is a critical element in treating existing and preventing new infections in the developing world.
International Medical Corps began work in Liberia in 2003, right after the signing of the Accra peace accord which removed President Charles Taylor from office. As Liberia now moves from a period of crisis to one of stability and growth, International Medical Corps is adapting is programming from emergency care to strengthening the country’s health systems. International Medical Corps currently manages 35 health facilities Lofa, Bomi, and Cape Mount, where the majority of displaced have resettled. The Commitment will bring the testing technologies to all three counties, training approximately 280 health care workers to effectively identify and treat malaria and syphilis.
The Clinton Global Initiative, founded in 2005 by Former President Bill Clinton, brings together the world’s best minds and innovators to create sustainable solutions to issues worldwide issues. A CGI member, International Medical Corps, contributed to the nearly $46 billion in commitments made by the community over the past four years, impacting more than 200 million lives in 150 countries. International Medical Corps’ 2008 Commitment, ‘Closing the Human Resource Gap,’ trained 600 women in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and Uganda to provide women’s health care services.