Overview

Health care professionals confront many complex questions about HIV treatment and care. In Ethiopia, limited resources, inadequate communication infrastructure, and lack of continuing education opportunities often prevent health care professionals from staying up-to-date on the latest information about HIV/AIDS. To address these challenges ARC established the Fitun Warmline - a toll-free telephone information service devoted to answering questions from health care professionals about HIV/AIDS care and treatment. Health care professionals across Ethiopia can use the Fitun Warmline to get quick, accurate, and up-to-date answers to their questions with a single call.

The Warmline consists of a multidisciplinary team of HIV/AIDS experts, including physicians, nurses, lab technicians, pharmacists, public health specialists, counselors and psychiatrists. The Warmline team brings together practical knowledge and experience with the latest research and technical information on care, treatment and diagnostics. The Warmline staff can either answer questions immediately, or will return the call after conducting additional research - usually within 2 hours.  When necessary, the Warmline will also supply documentation to support the answer provided. Challenging cases are forwarded to senior HIV experts in Addis Ababa University (AAU) and other organizations such as the University of California San Francisco, UCSF – National HIV/AIDS Clinicians Consultation Center, NCCS.

Program Audience

All healthcare providers working in the field of HIV/AIDS in hospitals, health centers, health posts, VCT centers, medical schools, laboratories and pharmacies.

Objectives
Fitun’s main objective is to provide rapid, evidence-based responses to a wide variety of questions on HIV/AIDS and related health topics in order to contribute to the quality of comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support services in Ethiopia. Fitun helps health care professionals implement policy, apply new medical practices and achieve better results.

Activities/ Interventions/ Services

• Fitun hosts a toll free call-in center devoted to answering questions about HIV/AIDS from health care workers in Ethiopia.
• Fitun’s state-of-the-art website functions as a complementary service to the Warmline by providing direct access to important resources and support materials for health providers and by offering an alternative means for health providers to address inquiries to the Fitun team.
• Services offered also include production and dissemination of informational materials such as flyers, drug information charts, frequently asked questions (FAQs) and job aids.
• The Warmline team is also involved in provision of information and support on antiretroviral (ART) logistics and supply issues.
• Health experts also identify and disseminate research, training and supply gaps in ART service delivery to inform policy and action through the center.
• Fitun Warmline provides:

1. Consultation on all aspects of HIV testing and clinical care
2. Recommendations on managing occupational exposure to HIV and hepatitis B & C – PEP
3. MTCT advice on testing and care of HIV-infected pregnant women and their infants
4. Internet access to hospitals and health centers

FITUN Warmline
Office hours:  9:00 am – 5:00pm Monday to Friday

Out of office hours callers can leave a voicemail with their queries and phone number or they can submit their queries online at etharc.org/fitun

Materials and Resources

Clinical resource

Guidelines

IP PEP resources

Online resources

Pharmacy related resources

Training and TOT

Counseling resources

HIV and mental health resources

Laboratory resources

Patient information

Policy and treatment updates

Future Plans

Fitun plans to expand Warmline service by including reproductive health and family planning.

Partners
The Fitun Warmline is a program of the National AIDS Resource Center (NARC) and John Hopkins’ Center for Communication Programs, in partnership with the National HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office (HAPCO).  Technical assistance is provided by the American International Health Alliance (AIHA) Twinning Center.

The Fitun Warmline also has developed ongoing professional relationships with other telephone call-in services for health care professionals, including the AIDS Information and Treatment Center (ATIC) Uganda, and the National HIV/AIDS Clinicians’ Consultation Center (UCSF) California.

Contacts
Toll Free: 932
Postal Address: P.O Box 26171 Code 1000
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: etharc.org/fitun
Telephone: 251 11 554 5578
Fax: 251 11 550 3749