Fourteen medical, government and business leaders from Africa visited with UF College of Medicine-Jacksonville pediatrics faculty members and Shands Jacksonville staff recently to discuss global HIV/AIDS awareness strategies.
The group was invited to the United States under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. U.S. government officials select IVLP participants, who then travel to the United States to meet and learn from American colleagues.
The meeting between UF faculty and the African delegation had a fourfold purpose:
- To review U.S. policies on HIV/AIDS, underscoring the U.S. commitment to assist other countries in combating infectious diseases
- To examine the global impact of infectious disease and the pandemic of HIV/AIDS on economic growth and development, political stability, social cohesion and national regional security
- To explore education and prevention programs, research and development, and treatment and care, with particular focus on innovative techniques and strategies at the community and grassroots level; and
- To provide a forum for participants to form comprehensive relationships and develop prevention and awareness strategies commensurate with Africa’s diverse cultures and tradition.
Mobeen Rathore, M.D., chief of pediatric infectious diseases in Jacksonville, coordinated a presentation for the visitors and led them on a tour of the UF Rainbow Center. The center is the only facility offering comprehensive pediatric infectious diseases services in Northeast Florida and has an innovative approach to prevent, detect, treat and research pediatric HIV/AIDS.
“This was an excellent opportunity for us to develop international relationships as our department, the Jacksonville campus and the Rainbow Center move toward more international work,” said Rathore, who recently received a $5 million grant to fund an international group focused on studying HIV/AIDS.
The visitors hailed from 11 African nations, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania and Uganda.
The International Visitor Corps of Jacksonville coordinated the event. IVCJ is a nonprofit, nonpartisan volunteer organization that promotes multicultural awareness and understanding between people of other nations and the United States by assisting IVLP and other international exchange programs for business and professional leaders.