Professional Experience:
Rufino Fernandes, MD, was trained in medicine at Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais and concluded his specialization in Internal Medicine in 1989 and Infectious Diseases at Instituto de Infectologia Emílio Ribas, São Paulo, Brazil in 1991.Since his training he split his energy among infectology and social activism. As a medical doctor he worked in the CRT – AIDS (an HIV/AIDS training and reference center of Sao Paulo’s State government). Meanwhile he co-directed Sao Paulo’s health worker's trade union and later specifically worked with popular movements influencing the development of the National HIV/AIDS Program. He was a representative at the CNRM (National Residency Programs Committee) at the Ministry of Education, Brazil and before joining ICAP, he was a representative of civil society at the National AIDS Committee, Ministry of Health, Brazil. For ICAP, Rufino has worked as the Nampula Provincial Supervisor for 4 years and is currently working as ICAP MZ’s Technical Unit Manager responsible for managing a high level technical team specially working on: 1) Counseling and Testing 2)Palliative HIV Care; 3) Integrated HIV/AIDS care, support, treatment and adherence (including: ART, TB, and pediatric treatment); 4)PMTCT Programs; 5)Quality Improvement Programs for HIV.