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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Laura Laskofski, MPH¹, Tedla Giorgis, PhD², Robert W. Strack, PhD, MBA¹, and Donna Anderson, PhD, MPH³. (1) Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina Greensboro, P.O. Box 26170, 437 HHP Building, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, 703-989-8996, laskofski@yahoo.com, (2) Visions for Development, Inc., P.O. Box 73145, Washington, DC 20056-3146, (3) HIV/AIDS Twinning Center, American International Health Alliance, 1225 Eye Street, NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005

As Ethiopia works to address HIV/AIDS, they are challenged with an insufficient and unevenly distributed health sector workforce. Concurrently, the United States is home to a large Ethiopian Diaspora population, many of whom have acquired education and training in the health field.

The American International Health Alliance's HIV/AIDS Twinning Center is partnering with Visions for Development Inc. to utilize the professional Diaspora's skills and experience along with their knowledge of Ethiopia's language and culture to provide an innovative way to increase Ethiopia's capacity to address HIV/AIDS. The Network of Ethiopian Professionals in the Diaspora (NEPID) will be a mechanism to comprehensively engage the Diaspora in volunteer activities in Ethiopia.

Prior to program implementation, formative research was conducted through guided interviews to better understand how to mobilize and engage professionals in the Diaspora to assist in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia. The objectives of the research were to: 1) understand the professional Diaspora's perceptions regarding volunteering in Ethiopia 2) identify the specific knowledge, skills and resources of the professional Diaspora and 3) identify organizational and political factors that could facilitate and/or hinder a volunteer program. The formative research led to the development of a force field analysis that identifies the key intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational and political factors that facilitate and restrain the engagement of the Diaspora population. This model will be used to guide and further involve the professional Diaspora in Ethiopia's fight against HIV/AIDS.

Learning Objectives: