Health Systems Trust is pleased to announce the release of the third edition of the Phakama Digest, which profiles the work of the SA SURE Project. This edition of the Digest is issued in the context of new realities shaped by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa.
In supporting the national mobilisation to tackle COVID-19, it is essential to ensure continuity of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for people living with HIV (PLHIV), and accelerated decongestion of health facilities. The project has therefore pivoted its operations to intensify facilitation of access to patient-centred, community-based options for chronic care, and to alleviate the pressure of client volumes in health facilities through decanting.
We examine this topic from the following angles:
- Minimising community transmission of COVID-19 while protecting patients with HIV and co-morbidities, and supporting their treatment adherence (page 2)
- South Africa’s Differentiated Care mechanisms (page 2)
- The SA SURE Project’s roll-out of differentiated care through community ART delivery – featuring implementation successes in uThukela District (page 3)
- Voices from the ground – implementers share their experiences (page 5)
- A view from CDC South Africa – Jonathan Grund (Branch Chief: Quality Improvement and HST’s Project Officer) outlines specific prioritised strategies to maintain HIV and TB services during the COVID-19 pandemic (page 8).
The July 2020 edition of the Phakama Digest can be accessed from:
Phakama Digest July 2020 FINAL.pdf