To achieve the goals of the global HIV response, many more nurses and midwives—who are equitably distributed and have appropriate skills—are needed to deliver essential services. This effort also requires a re-positioning of the nursing profession, so that nurses are situated at the center of both health services and the health system, where they rightfully belong. High quality services depend on nurse-based models of prevention and care that are implemented within the context of multidisciplinary teams of providers.
The HIV epidemic has forced a critical re-appraisal of how health systems and teams can deliver the best standard of care. We now have the opportunity to forge a legacy of this epidemic that is positive and lasting—efficient, needs-driven, sustainable models of healthcare that effectively serve individuals, families, and communities. ICAP at Columbia University is honored to be a contributor to this effort, strengthening nursing and midwifery programs throughout Africa.