USAID | Health Policy Initiative: South Africa
In South Africa, Futures Group implements the Health Policy Initiative Task Order project to strengthen in-country capacity to improve the enabling environment for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care. Futures’ work addresses crosscutting technical areas that hinder service quality and access by expanding proven interventions and surmounting social and policy barriers. We work with key stakeholders such as departments of health, traditional leaders, higher education institutions, health professionals, and civil society organizations to formulate, implement, and evaluate relevant HIV policies and programs.
The project is generating sustainable results by strengthening human and institutional capacity within government and civil society, facilitating public-private collaboration, and building a solid evidence base for decisionmaking. Priority areas include:
- Building capacity of traditional leaders to become advocates for high-level commitment to HIV/AIDS prevention programs
- Formulating and improving key HIV/AIDS policies and strategies, focusing on implementation
- Strategic information, including costing and modeling for optimal resource allocation, and the generation and analysis of data for evidence-based decisionmaking
Key focus areas include sexual prevention, gender, health system strengthening, and HIV/AIDS leadership in the workplace.
Key Accomplishments Include
Assithe SANAC/World Bank/UNAIDS “Know Your Epidemic, Know Your Response” initiative by reviewing policies, laws, strategies and guidelines on HIV prevention in South Africa;
Partnering with the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa to integrate HIV/AIDS into curricula for new clinical specialists and hosted professional development workshops for practicing specialists;
Sensitizing nurse educators on the impact of stigma and discrimination on health seeking behaviors with the Democratic Nursing Organization of South Africa and Nursing Colleges;
Working with networks and care and support organizations to equip people living with HIV/AIDS with skills and resources for advocacy, service referrals, etc. with the National Department of Health,
Developing “To the Other Side of the Mountain”: a Toolkit for People Living with HIV and AIDS in South Africa” and other tools;
Developing a strategy for reproductive health rights and integrated services, including for sex workers, transgender persons, and PLHIV with the National Department of Health;
Supporting National Department of Health to strengthen national blood and laboratory services by benchmarking the costs of blood transfusions and lab tests and proposing strategies for cost savings and optimal use of resources;
Working with the HIV, AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections Directorate to analyze and revise business plans, setting realistic targets based on national priorities and provincial/local need and capacity; supported provinces to improve program and financial reporting, using costing tools and methodologies;
Assisting NDOH to estimate national costs of scaling up male circumcision using the World Health Organization Models for Optimizing Volume and Efficiency Model with Futures Institute;
Developing a module on HIV/AIDS workplace policies, gender, and stigma and discrimination in the workplace with the Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management at Stellenbosch University; and
Working to integrate HIV/AIDS into MBA programs with the University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban University of Technology, and the Potchefstroom Business School at North West. University