Matero Innovation Lab
The community of Matero (a low-income area of Lusaka, the capital of Zambia) has become an Innovation Lab consisting of our pilot programs: Arm’s Reach Care, Matero Day Clinic, MTAC, and CHART.
The pilots are based on carefully designed models that are interlinked to support each other for maximum benefit to a community. These models are also structured to run independently if resources are at a premium.
Our pilots are fully operational and have two aspects: a research and development component and an implementation component.
The pilot programs enable us to:
- Directly help people improve their health and the quality of their lives
- Validate that our models are successful in achieving their goals
- Improve our models based on what we learn in the field
- Partner with local organizations to share the work and to have an influx of new ideas and feedback from other commuity groups.
- Develop insight into new challenges and solutions of the epidemic
Arm’s Reach Care (ARC)
Arm’s Reach Care is based on traditional home-based care programs, however it has five key differentiators:
- This is a pediatric program focused on HIV postive children
- A family member is trained to care for the participant; the training relocates ownership and responsibility for care of persons living with HIV/AIDS back into the home.
- Instead of simply providing palliative care, we help families manage opportunistic infections and the disease so that they can continue to live high-quality, productive lives.
- Training at all levels of the program includes HIV/AIDS education
- Three levels of care exist in the program so the participant receives the right amount of care at the right time for better use of available resources
Matero Care Center (MCC)
Matero Care Center is a day clinic that provides outpatient services and medical observation for children in the ARC program. These services include mitigating severe episodes of opportunistic infections, supporting ARV adherence, and training caregivers . After their discharge from the Care Center, patients continue to be monitored within the ARC program.
Microfinance Tools in AIDS Care (MTAC)
The MTAC program is being developed at three levels: families affected by HIV/AIDS, community health workers in home-based care programs, and home-based care organizations themselves. It is a community model of microfinance suitable for an AIDS environment.
Community Health Active Response Toolkit (CHART)
CHART is a patient/clinical management system designed for home-based care programs. It is designed to integrate with local government clinics and upcoming anti-retroviral pilot programs. It will directly support the Arm’s Reach Care and the Care Center patient tracking process and facilitate reporting and planning by the program managers and independent health organizations.
Program Structure
Each pilot program has a Power of Love volunteer/paid staff member as the program director. The Program Director designs and “builds” the pilot program in Matero. He or she identifies local support staff who will be trained in the management and operation of the program.
As time progresses, the Program Director will play a less significant role in the day-to-day management of the program. The Program Director is available for consultation and support.
This handover process ensures local sustainability.
The program director has several responsibilities:
- Document the project’s strengths and weaknesses, challenges and solutions
- Monitor and measure the project’s performance
- Develop improvements to the model to address weaknesses, opportunities identified, and incorporate changes in HIV/AIDS policy, technology, and lessons from research/academia
- Report to the Power of Love Board