Healthy Systems for Healthy Lives

Since 2002 Realize Resources has worked in close partnership with multiple governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to help develop a vibrant network of people living with HIV and address the training needs of community members and health workers throughout all 9 South African provinces.

Integrated Access to Care and Treatment (formerly the Basic Care Package) Training of Trainers

Building on seven years of capacity building and curriculum work in South Africa, Realize Resources’ primary area of focus is now on training trainers on how to facilitate this national standard curriculum. Once trained the trainers will help build the capacity of support group facilitators to implement Integrated Access to Care and Treatment (I ACT) support groups in every province. In addition to the training of trainers, Realize Resources provides on-going technical assistance and coaching to South Africa Partners staff in charge of I ACT’s national roll-out. 50 trainers have completed the I ACT Training of trainer programmes held in Johannesburg during the past year.

Integrated Access to Care and Treatment (I ACT) Support Group Facilitator Trainings

Realize Resources lead-developed, designed and piloted an 11-day Integrated Access to Care and Treatment (I ACT) Support Group curriculum for HIV peer lay support group facilitators. This curriculum has been endorsed as a government recognized standard for support groups. Collaborators included South Africa Partners; MANEPHA (Masihlanganeni Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS), an advocacy and empowerment structure of PLHIV in the Eastern Cape Province; the Eastern Cape Department of Health; the Eastern Cape Regional Training Centre; Tanya Jacobs of Mbumba Development Services; and selected community-based NGOs. Funding for the I ACT pilot was provided by Africare with PEPFAR funds from CDC South Africa.

The South Africa I ACT programme focuses on reaching newly diagnosed people living with HIV (PLHIV) who are not yet eligible for antiretroviral (ARV) treatment. In South Africa, the lost to follow-up rate from the time of HIV diagnosis to commencement of ARV therapy is 70%. Through the development of a cadre of well-trained peer lay support group facilitators and a network of community-based I ACT support groups, the I ACT programme provides newly diagnosed PLHIV with psychosocial support to enable them to come to terms with their diagnosis; gain the knowledge, confidence, and support to manage their health care; live longer and healthier; and join with their peers to advocate for service delivery improvements. Equally important, I ACT helps to strengthen relationships between health facilities and community-based organizations and builds the capacity of community-based non-governmental organizations to provide support services to further empower PLHIV.

Leadership and Advocacy Skills For South Africans Living with HIV/AIDS

Realize Resource staff originally developed and implemented this curriculum for 41 HIV- Positive men and women who were members of the Masihlanganeni Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (MANEPHA), a vibrant network of People Living with HIV/AIDS based in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. This curriculum became nationally accredited in 2009 and continues to be implemented by the Eastern Cape Regional Training Center located at Walter Sisulu University (WSU) in South Africa.

U.S. South Africa Twinning Guide

Funded by PEPFAR, the Guide serves as a practical resource for state health departments to prepare for their Twinning Partner visits to South Africa.

Developing a PLWHA Network in Partnership with Government: A Toolkit

Building on the experiences of the Masihlanganeni Network, we developed a toolkit to support the development of new peer networks for people living with HIV. It includes sections on planning, consensus-building, creating an identity, working at the local, district and provincial levels and overcoming barriers to success.

Health Advocate Training

These trainings have helped health advocates working in Free State and the Eastern Cape Province become grounded in basic HIV information, effectively communicate this information and support other people living with HIV in their communities.

Support Group Baseline Survey

The development of the Integrated Access to Care and Treatment curriculum was largely based on a baseline survey and needs assessment conducted in 2008 by JRI staff in the Free State, Northern Cape, and Eastern Cape provinces. This survey heavily informed the development of this curriculum by capturing the work of support group leaders, including their successes, challenges and training needs. The study looked at how HIV support groups in those regions were being run; what kinds of groups were being held (emotional support groups, information based groups, advocacy groups); barriers to running effective groups; retention issues and training and support needs. Findings from the survey indicated a need for further training for HIV support group leaders in communication skills, counseling skills, and support group facilitation skills.

Sources: World Health Organization and United Nations