Opening its doors to couples in the cities of Ndola and Kitwe in July 2004, the two Copperbelt Ubumi Bwesu CVCT centers are smaller than their sister sites in Lusaka and Kigali. Whereas Lusaka and Kigali employ a number of interns to manage each department, the Kitwe and Ndola sites are structured to have one or two interns at each site who collectively oversee the day-to-day operations and management of the five departments: data, medical, lab, CVCT and administration. Typically, an intern oversees two or three departments.

With a smaller number of individual interns working these sites, each plays a crucial role in centralizing departmental procedures and activities. Copperbelt interns are also responsible for the coordination and facilitation of all departmental and staff meetings in effort to maintain accurate records, facilitate cohesion and communication among the staff, and provide oversight to each center’s activities.

Ubumi Bwesu has provided couples’ voluntary counseling and testing to over 2,000 clients. Services available to Ubumi Bwesu clients include medical examinations, family planning services, and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) other than HIV. Please see Research Initiatives for further information regarding studies and funding at Ubumi Bwesu.

Copperbelt-Administration Department

What does the administration department do?

The administration department’s primary responsibilities are to oversee the daily logistical and personnel activities of Ubumi Bwesu. This includes ensuring an accurate and timely financial flow, overseeing administrative files, vendor agreements, contracts and personnel files, and maintaining rigorous accounting procedures for all project spending in collaboration with our financial counterparts in the United States. The administration department also coordinates the general contractors, caterers, drivers, receptionists and childcare workers as well as the ordering and purchasing of all needed supplies and equipment.

What does an administration intern do?

Administration interns are responsible for the coordination and management of the financial and human resources procedures of Ubumi Bwesu. This includes the recruitment and hiring of new staff, addressing staff issues, conducting departmental meetings, and maintaining all necessary files and procedures compliant with the respective research studies. The admin intern is also responsible for managing all financial transactions and facilitating communication, receipts, and records with the U.S. office.

Copperbelt-CVCT/Promotions Department

What does the CVCT/promotions department do?

The CVCT/promotions department is made up of the promotions manager, promotions assistants, and community workers. The primary activity of the promotions team is recruitment, training and maintenance of influential network agents (INAs) as well as retention of couples participating in RZHRG’s studies. INAs, individuals with influential roles in their communities, undergo a three-day training regarding CVCT, HIV, the Ubumi Bwesu research sites, and subsequently meet on a bi-monthly basis at the Ubumi Bwesu site. Their role is to use their influence among family, friends, and their community, to encourage and recruit couples to visit Ubumi Bwesu for couples’ counseling and testing for HIV. Community workers at Ubumi Bwesu locate and follow-up with couples who have missed their scheduled appointments.

Other activities of the CVCT/promotions department include outreach into the Kitwe and Ndola communities. Nurse counselors accompany the promotions team into the community and speak to companies and organizations about HIV transmission and prevention. The CVCT/promotions department coordinates community activities, such as representation at World AIDS Day, Global Health Day, and at the Kitwe Agricultural Fair. The CVCT/promotions department also coordinates meetings with the Community Action Board, a representative community group, to update them on Ubumi Bwesu procedures and activities.

What does a CVCT/promotions intern do?

The CVCT/promotions interns work closely with the promotions managers and assistants from both sites to develop and improve recruitment strategies to use in the community. The CVCT intern also oversees the day-to-day operations of CVCT and INA trainings and develops and monitors the budgets for personnel, project resources and promotional items. Identifying staff members’ strengths and allocating resources appropriately are crucial components to the intern’s role.

Copperbelt-Data Department

What does the data department do?

At each site, data is entered on a daily basis into the Ubumi Bwesu databases by the data and the CVCT/promotions staff. The data staff provides weekly reports detailing the activities of couples coming to Ubumi Bwesu as well as running daily error reports. The data staff is responsible for updating and correcting all data errors.

What does a data intern do?

The primary data responsibilities of interns include ensuring accurate and timely data entry, prompt running and clean-up of error reports, oversight of quality control procedures and departmental meetings. Data interns are responsible for the management of study forms via the DataFax system as well as providing current statistics of enrollment and study numbers to the primary investigators and clinical officers. The data interns also conduct departmental meetings.

Copperbelt-Medical Department

What does the medical department do?

The medical department consists of clinical officers, nurse counselors, senior research nurses, pharmacy technicians, and quality control officers. The pharmacy technicians dispense and maintain drug registers, drug inventories, and facilitate the procurement of necessary drugs. Nurse counselors provide pre- and post-test counseling to clients who come for couples’ voluntary counseling and testing services. Nurse counselors are the primary contact for clients that are enrolled in ongoing studies at Ubumi Bwesu. Their duties range from performing physical exams to providing counseling services to enrolled couples. Nurse counselors also prescribe treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), give all injectable drugs, and provide referrals to other HIV/AIDS organizations. Clinical officers also perform physical exams required in follow-up visits and provide treatment for STIs.

The primary responsibilities of the senior research nurses are multi-faceted. Their primary role is to assist in the daily operations, determine the eligibility of screened clients, maintain accurate information documentation, and liaison with other departments to ensure the smooth operation of study visits. Senior research nurses are also responsible for quality control on all questionnaires when a quality control officer is not available, and review study participant files before and after visits.

What does a medical intern do?

Medical interns have the responsibility to oversee the daily operations of the medical team which includes the nurse counselors, pharmacists and clinical officers. Along with quality control responsibilities for all medical forms, the medical intern coordinates and facilitates the departmental meetings, ensures that counseling messages and medical procedures are consistent between the Kitwe and Ndola sites, and oversees special projects as needed.  

Copperbelt-Laboratory Department

What does the laboratory department do?

The laboratory intern, technologists and technicians make up the laboratory team.

Their primary responsibilities include performing laboratory tests and blood draws, phlebotomy, HIV, RPR, and pregnancy testing, hematocrit analysis, and sedimentation rate analysis. The laboratory is also responsible to fulfill reporting requirements to the Central Laboratory (CLS) in South Africa and completing external quality assurance panels (EQA). The laboratory also works in conjunction with the Tropical Disease Research Center (TDRC) in Ndola regarding aliquoting of specimens, CD4 counts, HIV and RPR testing, and the shipping and storage of specimens.

What does a laboratory intern do?

Lab interns oversee the daily management of the laboratory, its staff, inventory of supplies and equipment, and collaboration with the Tropical Disease Research Center (TDRC) in Ndola. Lab interns also work in collaboration with the Lusaka and Kigali RZHRG sites regarding lab procedures and supply ordering. Communication with and monthly reporting to EQA and CLS are also crucial.