South Africa and U.S. PEPFAR Transition

South Africans and Americans in partnership saving lives

It’s all systems go with the PEPFAR transition which is built on joint planning and decision-making, after the signing on August 8, 2012, of the Partnership Framework Implementation Plan in Support of South Africa’s National HIV, STI & TB Response (PFIP).

The signing ceremony between South Africa’s Minister of Health Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi and the United States Mission to South Africa’s Ambassador Donald Gips was witnessed by visiting U. S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Cape Town. 

The PFIP forms the roadmap for the implementation of the principles of the Partnership Framework in Support of South Africa’s National HIV & AIDS and TB Response (2012/13 – 2016/17) (PF) signed in December 2010 between the Government of South and the Government of the United States, committing both governments to the following principles: 

•South African leadership; alignment; sustainability; innovation and responsiveness to HIV and TB; mutual accountability; multi-sectoral engagement and participation; gender sensitivity; financial commitments and transparency; and fostering a collaborative and not contractual partnership.

The PFIP is guided by the South Africa National Strategic Plan for HIV, STIs and TB 2012 – 2016 (NSP), which was launched on December 1, 2011. 

The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) supports this multi-sector approach, and this PFIP outlines how PEPFAR will implement programs in support of the NSP.

• Fact sheet (PDF 325K).
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Themba Lethu HIV/TB Clinic celebrates 20 years

Themba Lethu Clinic, one of the country’s oldest HIV treatment clinics, a centre of excellence for HIV and TB, celebrated its twentieth anniversary in November 2012.

The clinic was established in 1992, in response to the massive threat posed by HIV in the days when ARVs were not available in South African public healthcare facilities.

For the last eight years the clinic has been operating as a partnership between Helen Joseph Hospital and the NGO Right to Care. 

Academic, clinic, and research support is provided by the Clinical HIV Research Unit (CHRU), which is affiliated to the University of the Witwatersrand and has offices alongside the clinic. 

Funding is provided by the Department of Health and by the U.S. President Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through USAID.

Themba Lethu’s staff complement of 60 cares for 13,000 patients on antiretroviral therapy. From 2004 to 2012, 38 000 patients have been initiated on antiretroviral therapy. 

Per year, the clinic performs over 10 000 HIV tests, initiate over 150 patients on antiretroviral therapy per week and diagnose over 2000 TB patients per year. Daily, 600 or more patients are seen at the clinic.

In addition to ARV treatment, the clinic offers a number of integrated services. These include medical male circumcision, HIV counselling and testing, TB diagnosis and treatment, and cervical cancer screening and treatment.

Since 2004, USAID, with funding from PEPFAR has been a major funder of the clinic.

Right to Care’s Prof Ian Sanne says, “Funding and support from USAID has played a key role in mounting a response to the epidemic. Coincidentally this year saw the ending of five-year grant from USAID and I am pleased to be able to announce that USAID has awarded Right to Care a grant for a further five years, with continued support for the clinic until 2017, at which point Themba Lethu will be 25 years old.”

Themba Lethu Milestones

1992   Themba Lethu Clinic established at the then JG Strydom Hospital

2003   Agreement reached for Right to Care to support Themba Lethu Clinic

2004   Themba Lethu Clinic moves into new clinic building, funded by PEPFAR, through Right to Care

2008       TherapyEdge (patient management system) goes live (online in realtime)
2009       Launch of PMTCT and Paediatric HIV programmes
2009       Launch of Cervical Cancer programme
2009       Launch of the TextAlert SMS service to reduce patient loss-to-follow-up
2008       TB Focal Point established and a sputum induction facility established
2010       Launch of the pioneering computer system integration between Themba Lethu Clinic and the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS)
2010       Launch of biometric identification for logging staff attendance