Treatment, Care and Support

The treatment, care and support department originates from a project which was started in 2004 as a direct response to meeting the urgent needs of providing antiretroviral treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS. The project started working in 2 clinics in the Tshwane Metro and was initially called the FPD Clinic Project and had as its primary purpose to build capacity and supplement human resources at accredited ARV sites within the public health care sector. The project consisted of 3 departments which were the FPD PEPFAR Project, Right to Care Project and the Twinning Project; the main objective was to increase the number of patients on treatment.

During 2005 the project name was changed to the Positive Life Project which focused on facilitating the accreditation, expansion and integration of facilities providing comprehensive antiretroviral treatment (ART) and HIV palliative care in the South African public sector. The Positive Life Project worked in collaboration with the provincial and district departments of health and supports the South African Government’s Operational Plan for Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Care, Management and Treatment.

The Positive Life Project changed its name to the FPD Treatment, Care and Support Department in 2011 and it is currently entirely funded through USAID. The department is transitioning from a direct service delivery model to a more evidence based technical assistance model that builds on what we know and implements best practice to ensure improved quality of care.

The Treatment, Care and Support Department focuses on supporting an integrated approach to HIV and TB and works closely with Provincial Departments of health and facility management to:

• Increase access to HIV and AIDS services
• Strengthen integration between TB and HIV services
• Develop and strengthen a continuum of care between HIV/TB counselling and testing sites, care and support provision of anti-retroviral treatment;
• Develop human capacity to deliver high quality counselling, care, treatment and effective management

Using the new technical assistance model, FPD has been designated as a District Support Partner (DSP) in 5 districts; Tshwane (incorporating Metsweding), Vhembe and Capricorn in Limpopo, Nkangala in Mpumalanga and Cacadu and Nelson Mandela Metro (Zone A) in the Eastern Cape. FPD has been designated as the facility based partner in Greater Sekhukhune, Bojanala and Nelson Mandela Metro sub districts.

FPD Treatment, Care and Support Department is responsible for providing technical assistance to the District Management Team (DMT), for planning and scale-up of HIV-related services. The DSP works with the SAG district management teams to help coordinate PEPFAR-supported activities and to assure timely reporting of activities that respond directly to district health plans.

As a DSP, the Treatment, Care and Support Department works closely with the District Management Team District Nerve Centre to;

• Enhance the ability of the District to ensure that PEPFAR partners working in a given district respond to district operational plans;
• Enable the district to coordinate reports and analyze data;
• Support district target setting for facilities, sub districts and districts according to each district’s health plan;
• Communicate regularly with the PEPFAR liaison officer; and
• Help the district coordinate training among partners

FPD Treatment, Care and Support Department mentors district and facility based staff to ensurethe routine use of standardized QI practices. In support of SAG district management, the DSP assists the district management team to conduct assessments in order to identify key bottlenecks and develops work plans in response to gaps identified. In partnership with district management, DSP facilitates monthly district data review meetings to evaluate and use HIV/AIDS/TB indicators.

The Treatment, Care and Support Department helps the DMT coordinate with community-based partners in order to assure linkages between social mobilization and health promotion efforts and facility-based services. The DSP helps the district team work with community-based support partners and facility-based partners to coordinate social mobilization activities.

The Treatment, Care and Support Department will be establishing roving teams that consist of a clinical/treatment mentor, prevention mentor, health information systems mentor, community health worker mentor and roving data capturers in all designated districts. The roving teams endeavor to ensure the core standards of care are implemented in all facilities, teams will be deployed within the facilities and the community to augment and synergize the department of health’s staff establishment and capacity. Roving teams will be deployed according to district needs. These teams are aligned to DoH re engineering of primary health care services and strategies.

Ms Hanlie van der Merwe

Head: Treatment, Care & Support
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Office: 012 816 9065
Fax: 086 567 0298