South Africa
South Africa, with a population of 44 million, has one of the world’s highest adult HIV prevalence rates at 21.5 percent. An estimated 5.5 million South Africans are HIV-infected.
In 2002, ICAP’s MTCT-Plus Initiative began providing technical assistance to HIV programs in South Africa. Currently, ICAP supports programs in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Eastern Cape, and Free State Provinces. ICAP-supported activities in South Africa include:
- HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment, including provision of antiretroviral therapy;
- Integrated tuberculosis/HIV care and treatment;
- Rapid HIV testing for adults and children;
- Diagnostic testing/analysis, including Dried Blood Spot DNA PCR testing for infants;
- Training programs for all cadres of healthcare providers of HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment;
- Community outreach;
- HIV support groups, including medication and treatment adherence;
- Peer education programs;
- Social services/social support;
- Nutrition support;
- Referral services;
- Home-based/community-based visits;
- Development and implementation of patient-information systems;
- Pharmacy services;
- Laboratory support;
- Targeted evaluations.
