JHPIEGO TrainerNews™ |
Initiative Launched to Strengthen
HIV/AIDS Service Delivery in South Africa
(Aug 2003)
JHPIEGO's Training in Reproductive Health (TRH) Project began its Competency-Based Training for HIV/AIDS Services initiative with its first training-of-trainers course in South Africa in June 2003. The course is the first step of a comprehensive program to strengthen the HIV/AIDS training capacity of the South African Department of Health and selected nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The ultimate goal is to improve service delivery through competency-based training.
In October 2002, at the request of USAID/South Africa, JHPIEGO/TRH conducted an assessment in collaboration with the South African Directorate of HIV/AIDS Prevention to determine the gaps in knowledge, skills, and attitudes among HIV/AIDS service providers. This assessment revealed that training and service delivery practices among counselors at all levels--from clinicians to lay counselors--required strengthening in counseling and testing for HIV, prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV/AIDS, and home-based care. In response, TRH is using a systematic approach to strengthen HIV/AIDS training capacity of the public sector through the Directorate, and the private sector through Hope Worldwide, an international, faith-based organization, and other selected NGOs.
The work with the Directorate will focus on strengthening training and supervision systems, both at the national and provincial levels. To support Hope Worldwide's mission to train 22,000 lay counselors in counseling and testing for HIV by the end of 2005, TRH will develop a cadre of trainers capable of providing competency-based training and counseling and testing for HIV for lay counselors working at the community level.
To launch the initiative, Dr. Emmanuel Otolorin, Senior HIV/AIDS Advisor at JHPIEGO, conducted a training course for 23 public and private sector participants from 9-14 June 2003. The participants--trainers currently conducting training programs on HIV/AIDS topics such as PMTCT, counseling and testing for HIV, home-based care, and STI management--included staff from the South African Department of Health, members of Hope Worldwide, and representatives of the University of the Witswatersrand Consortium. The training skills course was adapted for the South African context and includes HIV/AIDS content such as counseling and testing for HIV, and strengthening of home-based care training.
For more information about JHPIEGO's HIV/AIDS programs in South Africa, contact Jade Sasser at repro@jhpiego.net