Our Strategic Partners

NextGenU offers a learning portal invented to help democratize education and aims to educate and improve the capacity of the health workforce. NextGenU offers courses from undergraduate-level pre-health sciences, nursing, and community health worker training through medical and public health graduate training, medical residency programs, and continuing medical education at no or low cost.

The Association for Health Professions Education and Leadership (AHPEL) works to advance health professions education in sub-Saharan Africa. FPD joined forces with AHPEL in the curriculum development and Council of Higher Education (CHE) accreditation of the Post Graduate Diploma in Health Professions Education and Leadership. This qualification aims to develop suitably qualified leaders in Health Professions Education (HPE) to meet the increasing complexity of HPE in a fast and continuously changing educational landscape. It is in response to the increasing demand for individuals with specialised knowledge and leadership skills in order to best educate 21st century health professionals and ensure the quality of healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, FPD has partnered with AHPEL to develop the short course in scientific peer review, helping participants navigate the process in reviewing scientific papers and providing adequate feedback to the editorial board of a jorunal.

ounded in 1915, Yale’s School of Public Health is one of the oldest accredited schools of public health. Today, faculty and students at the Yale School of Public Health continue to strive toward Winslow’s goal of: “Preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting physical and mental health and wellbeing through organised community effort and developing the social machinery to assure everyone enjoys a standard living adequate for the maintenance or improvement of health”. FPD and Yale offer a jointly certified international management short course aimed at healthcare managers.

AAMSSA is a scientific non-promotional society to regulate the scientific and legitimate practice of Aesthetic and Anti-aging Medicine. They provide medico-legal support in conjunction with medico-legal societies and provide mutual support among members and improve relationships among the members and professional bodies. The AAMSSA strives to advance the growth, respectability and knowledge development in these fields of medicine in South Africa.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, (CSIR), is South Africa’s premier and central scientific research and development organisation. It was established by act of parliament in 1945 and is situated on its own campus in city of Pretoria. The CSIR and FPD have collaborated in supporting the public and private sector by offering infection control and prevention courses.

Eloquent Learning Health is a training company focusing on evidence based practical training in the Wound Management Environment. FPD has partnered with Eloquent Wound Management to develop a basic wound care course as well as a course to address the management of wound care in the maligne and palliative patient.

The Coaching Centre (TCC) has a 20-year history as a pioneer and leader in Coaching and Leadership Development both locally and globally. Under the leadership of Dr Paddy Pampallis, TCC forms part of the recently launched Integral U Africa Institute, an initiative to integrate leading theory and practice from Africa, the east and west, into a relevant and whole offering for integral human development. The Ubuntu Coaching Foundation (UCF), further serves our passion for integration through making coaching and leadership skills development accessible to communities and community organisations

This is one of FPD’s oldest partnerships that has led to the very successful series of bi-annual National AIDS Conferences that has become one of the largest, national AIDS conferences in the world attracting over 4 000 attendees. FPD provides the Conference Secretariat for these conferences.

The Foundation for Professional Development Fund is a non- profit entity whose focus area is allied to activities relating to HIV and AIDS, but it is not limited to this area. The FPD Fund’s main activities are to promote community interests by the provision of healthcare, education, the prevention of HIV infection and to develop communities through capacity-building projects. FPD has partnered with the Fund to implement the National HIV Think Tank project, the UNICEF DHSSi project.

Indlela is a collaboration between the University of Witwatersrand’s Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office (HE2RO) and the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE). Indlela is a first-of-its-kind unit focused specifically on improving the effectiveness of the public sector in delivering health care and achieving better health outcomes in South Africa. In 2022, Indlela funded and provided technical and research support to FPD to test the use of Behavioral Science in creating demand for the GP Care Cell project.

FPD is the secretariat for the National HIVTT funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Under chairmanship of the NDOH, various stakeholders from government, academia, NGOs, private sector, donors and community and implementers come together to review epidemiological, routine monitoring and economic evidence related to the HIV epidemic. In line with the identification of gaps and next steps, HIV TT extends support for piloting of research projects and programs.

PEN is a non-profit, non-denominational, faith based organisation. PEN works in close relation with local churches in and around Tshwane and in the inner city, as well as other organisations working with people in need. PEN operates the Sediba Hope Clinic which serves the community of the inner city. FPD decided to formalise the partnership between FPD and PEN by contracting PEN to run and implement an HIV Wellness Programme.

PPO Serve (Professional Provider Organisation Services) is a private company that creates new local healthcare systems that work for both patients and doctors, with the aim of making quality healthcare more affordable and accessible to all South Africans. Private healthcare is becoming increasingly unaffordable for the majority of South Africans. This is due to a fragmented service model and the absence of remuneration models that fund value. PPO Serve develops multidisciplinary teams, called Integrated Clinical ConsortiaTM (ICCTM), which provide comprehensive healthcare in systems for the people they serve and are paid based on the value they deliver.

SADA represents the vast majority of active dentists in the private and public sectors in South Africa. The Association is regarded as the voice of dentistry in Southern Africa and is the most relied on body regarding all aspects of dental practice in the region. SADA has partnered with FPD to gain accreditation to offer a distance Higher Certificate in Dental Assisting. This will offer a much-needed opportunity to those in rural areas to gain a qualification to improve the availability of dental assistants across the country.

The South African Medical Association (SAMA) is a nonstatutory, professional association for public and private sector medical practitioners. Registered as an independent, non-profit Section 21 company SAMA acts as a trade union for its public sector members and as a champion for doctors and patients. The strategic relationship between FPD and SAMA extends beyond pure ownership of FPD. The organisations collaborate on a number of projects including genderbased violence projects and a number of educational projects aimed at SAMA members.

info4Africa is a programme within HIVAN which specialises in maintaining and expanding a database of over 6000 HIV-related services providers throughout the country. Through info4africa, information can be obtained on HIV-related service support in any area of the country. Info4africa and FPD are developing an HIV-related service database and producing annual provincial printed directories of all HIV service providers captured.

FPD supports a toll-free telephonic advice service based at the Medical Information Centre (MIC) at the University of Cape Town. The MIC is the largest and only clinically-based medicine information centre in South Africa and is staffed by specially-trained drug information pharmacists.

The University of Pretoria was established as an independent university in 1930. With approximately 40,000 enrolled students, the university is a leader in higher education and is recognised internationally for academic excellence and a focus on quality. Collaboration between FPD and the Health Sciences Faculty at UP takes place around the Infectious Diseases Unit, ART clinics at two of the University's teaching hospitals (Steve Biko Academic Hospital and Kalafong Hospital), and the Department of Family Medicine.

The Program in Global Health collaborates with institutions around the world for innovative interdisciplinary research to address the most pressing health issues facing today's world, including infectious diseases such as HIV, as well as the growing epidemics of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. In 2014, FPD joined with researchers at UCLA to develop an STI screening programme of HIV-positive mothers with the aim of decreasing HIV transmission from mother to child.

Aids Accountability International (AAI) is an independent non-profit organization working to accelerate progress in the response to the AIDS epidemic and to inspire bolder leadership and accountability. It aims to catalyse more rapid and effective action by assessing and raising awareness of the degree to which public, private, and civil society actors are fulfilling the commitments they have made to respond to the epidemic. AAI is responsible for launching the first AIDS Accountability Country Scorecard.

The Health Management Programme is an entry-level management programme that successfully develops the skills of new managers, supervisors, and team leaders within the HIV and AIDS environment. Students who enrol in this programme are exposed to the complexity of management and are challenged to think differently through self-assessment and reflection. Through examining a range of management concepts, students develop techniques that improve their ability to manage in an ever-changing environment. The most relevant management subjects have been woven together to form a solid educational foundation for the operational-level manager.

ASSHH is an international membership organisation that promotes and supports critically informed and theoretically engaged social science and humanities research on HIV/AIDS. ASSHH is committed to generating, supporting, and distributing social science and humanities scholarship, promoting dialogue and networking within social science disciplines and between them and the larger scientific community, and training emerging social science and humanities scholars in academic and non-academic settings. FPD partnered with ASSHH in 2010 to establish an International HIV/AIDS Social Sciences Conference.

In the quest to achieve the organisation’s vision of “a caring Christian community ministering reconciliation and hope in a world with HIV and Aids”, the Christian AIDS Bureau of Southern Africa (CABSA) plays a key role in many aspects of the Christian HIV terrain in Southern Africa and even internationally. FPD is partnered with CABSA as part of a working group to assist in developing organisational standards for the NGO sector working in HIV.

Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health’s International Centre for AIDS Care and Treatment Programme (ICAP) supports the development of high-quality HIV/AIDS care and treatment services in several resource-limited countries. ICAP provides assistance in a variety of ways, including technical assistance, management systems support, financial support, M&E and training and mentoring. In South Africa, the overall objective is to increase patient’s access to ART by supporting the DOH’s HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Care and Treatment Programme.

A vital part of one of the world's greatest universities and medical centres, Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health pursues an agenda of education, research and service to address the critical and complex public health issues affecting The United States and the world. Since 1922, the Mailman School has been at the forefront of public health research, education and community collaboration. Addressing everything from chronic disease to HIV/AIDS to healthcare policy, the School tackles today's pressing public health issues and translating research results into action.

Columbia University – Strategic Partner in Mental Health Integration
The collaboration between the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry and the Foundation for Professional Development (FPD) has been pivotal in advancing mental health service integration within South Africa’s public health system. As a sub-awardee under the CDC-funded Improving Mental Health & HIV/TB Service Integration (IMHSI) cooperative agreement (NU2GGH002393), Columbia University contributes specialized expertise in implementation science and mental health systems strengthening..
Through this partnership, Columbia University supports the design and evaluation of scalable mental health interventions embedded within HIV/TB care platforms. The IMHSI initiative, launched in January 2022, aims to improve outcomes for people living with HIV and TB by integrating mental health screening, counselling, and referral services into routine care. Columbia’s role includes:

• Evaluating service delivery models for Registered Counsellors (RCs), a mid-level mental health workforce trained to provide psychosocial support in clinical and community settings.
• Assessing impact of mental health integration on HIV/TB outcomes, especially among adolescents and young people (AYP), using rigorous implementation science frameworks.
• Strengthening capacity of healthcare workers to manage stress, workload, and conflict, thereby improving productivity and reducing absenteeism in HIV/TB service delivery.
• The collaboration also supports the IPC Counsellor Program, which aims to close the mental health treatment gap by deploying accessible counsellors across diverse settings—clinics, workplaces, churches, and civil society organizations. This initiative not only enhances access to care but also creates employment opportunities for youth and helps normalize mental health conversations to reduce stigma.

Columbia University’s strategic engagement with FPD exemplifies the power of academic-public health partnerships in driving innovation, equity, and sustainability in mental health and HIV/TB integration

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international medical humanitarian organisation created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971. Today, MSF provides aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, and exclusion from healthcare or natural disasters. MSF provides independent, impartial assistance to those most in need. MSF reserves the right to speak out to bring attention to neglected crises, to challenge inadequacies or abuse of the aid system and to advocate for improved medical treatments and protocols.

GMF (formerly ICEHA), is a not-for-profit organization that engages healthcare professionals to rapidly transfer their expertise on HIV care and infectious diseases to colleagues in developing countries, using an innovative method of clinical mentoring. FPD and GMF have established their cooperation in 2008. Eight international mentors per annum, recruited by GMF, have been embedded for six-week secondments into FPD supported rural clinics.

The International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (www.iapac.org) is recognised under the law of the United States of America as a not-for-profit organisation. Working in partnership with the healthcare professions, business, government, academic and religious communities, IAPAC accomplishes its mission through a comprehensive programme of education, policy and advocacy, direct technical assistance and care provision initiatives spearheaded by physician members. FPD and IAPAC recently entered into a collaborative agreement to explore collaboration on training and physician exchange.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is an inter-governmental agency committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. It acts to assist in meeting the operational challenges of migration, advance understanding of migration issues, encourage social and economic development through migration, and uphold the dignity and well-being of migrants. The IOM is working with Africa Health Placements to facilitate the recruitment and placement of foreign health care professionals in the South African public health care sector.

The International Training and Education Centre on HIV (I-TECH) (www.go2itech.org) is a global network that supports the development of a skilled health work force and well-organised national health delivery systems in order to provide effective prevention, care, and treatment of infectious disease in the developing world. FPD and I-Tech have collaborated over the past few years on numerous areas such as the organisation of their annual conference, efforts to improve clinical mentoring, the provision of ART, and the development of nurse case managers.

IntraHealth (www.intrahealth.org) a USA based international health development company is the lead agency on the Southern Africa Human Capacity Development Coalition Project. FPD is one of the coalition partners tasked with being the lead organization for all training activities. The coalition which was formed in 2006 has funding for a 5 year period to engage in regional capacity development activities.

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) is a leading global provider of information, innovative technology solutions and contract research services focused on helping healthcare clients find better solutions for patients. Formed through the merger of IMS Health and Quintiles, IQVIA applies human data science - leveraging the analytic rigor and clarity of data science to the ever-expanding scope of human science - to enable companies to reimagine and develop new approaches to clinical development and commercialisation, speed innovation and accelerate improvements in healthcare outcomes.

The Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS – Italian National Institute of Health) is the leading technical and scientific public body of the Italian National Health Service. Its activities include research, surveillance and control, training and consultation in the interest of public health protection. In the frame of the Bilateral Co-Operation Programme to support the Ministry of Health of South Africa in the implementation of a National Programme of Global Response to HIV and AIDS between the Italian Government (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and the South African Department of Health.

JHPIEGO (www.jhpiego.org) is an international health organisation affiliated with the John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, that builds global and local partnerships to enhance the quality of healthcare services for women and families through training and support for healthcare providers - including doctors, nurses, midwives and health educators - working in limited-resource settings throughout Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe.

John Snow International (www.jsi.org) is dedicated to improving the health of individuals and communities in the United States and around the world. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, JSI and its affiliated organisations, provide high-quality technical and managerial assistance to public health programs worldwide. FPD and JSI have been collaborating on customising a patient information system for public sector ARV clinics.

In partnership with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Aurum Institute, FPD began the TB Fast Track Study. The study, which uses easy, simple and inexpensive test to look for the TB germ, will be conducted at a mixture of 20 Primary Health Clinics and Community Health Clinics in both urban and rural settings and is expected to run for two and a half years. The research team began enrolling study participants in January 2013 and enrolled the last participant in December 2014.

Nethope Academy (www.nethopeacademy.org) contributes towards decreasing unemployment and IT skills shortages in developing countries by nurturing savvy, competent IT professionals to increase their post-qualification job prospects and employability. FPD has partnered with NetHope Academy to launch the Nethope IT Internship Programme in South Africa. The programme aims to address the scarcity of IT workplace skills across South Africa by training and developing young IT graduates and placing them in an IT Internship Programme.

This programme has received a cost extension and will now run for four years, with the possibility of three other countries – Botswana, Malawi, and Namibia – being included as service points. Owing to the scarcity of skills, training will be extended. As a beginning point, two participants from Lesotho and Swaziland will be selected to attend the AHMP course in Nelspruit and Bloemfontein, respectively. Training on stigma and discrimination were added to the courses that were offered in Swaziland.

The UNICEF South African country office is implementing its third country programme in which it actively advocates for children, providing strategic institutional support to the country’s development priorities. Its overall goal is to support the full realisation of the rights of children. The FPD and UNICEF collaboration is rolling out a programme in support of the integrated PMTCT programme strategy of the National Department of Health through a number of interventions in Limpopo province.

FPD and the Nursing School of UCSF initiated a new collaborative project funded through the American International Health Alliance that focuses on developing and supporting a cadre of professional nurses who can provide mentoring and leadership to sustain the HIV nurse case-management model and to evaluate the impact of the case-management model on ART clinics.

Uppsala University is more than 500 years old and maintains a purposeful and long-term view to always offer the best conditions for educational and research activities. The university is one of the highest ranked seats of learning in Northern Europe.

The WMA, Norwegian Medical Association, and FPD collaborated to develop and host an online multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) training course. This unique web-based course has been designed for physicians and other health workers to help them diagnose, prevent, and treat MDR-TB.

The Beauty Brand is a consultancy serving clients who have an appreciation for authentic beauty, personal development, creativity, a passion for learning and being their best selves. FPD has partnered with The Beauty Brand to make a short course in personal branding available.

FluidRock is the leading independent governance firm. In partnership with FluidRock, FPD provides an online short course in Business Ethics for all professionals.

PSS’ TRISCOMS® framework is a leader in Education Technology (PSS) and is used in multinational programs by organisations like the United Nations and private sector alike. FPD has partnered with PSSG to create a unique Information Technology School.

AOSIS is an information technology company founded in 1999 to address the need for online services to support continuing professional development (CPD) for the health professions. FPD collaborates with AOSIS to provide CPD accredited courses via the internet to Health Professionals.

AgriAIDS and the FPD VCT Department embarked on a joint venture to test farm owners and workers. AgriAIDS provides information dissemination and awareness while FPD provides counselling and testing. The programme expanded in 2009 due to overwhelming interest.

The AIDS Consortium uplifts communities by building AIDS competence within its national network, with a focus on human rights. FPD is partnered with the AIDS Consortium to assist in developing organisational standards for the NGO sector working in HIV.

Ampath provides pathology-related services to healthcare professionals and their patients. The cooperation between FPD and Ampath was established in 2004. Ampath supports the Infectious Diseases Unit as its pathology partner, complementing and strengthening the unit by bringing in a financial component, a national network of laboratories, and microbiological experts.

FPD closely cooperates with the Eastern Cape Department of Health in supporting ARV roll-out and TB/HIV care through the that’sit and Positive Life Projects. The that’sit project strengthens the provincial HIV/TB response in nine TB Hospitals and surrounding feeder clinics by ensuring compliance with accreditation criteria for ART, supporting counseling and testing for TB patients, TB screening for HIV-positive patients, a focus on infection control practices, clinical care, and patient education.

FPD closely operates with the Western Cape Department of Health in developing provincial capacity through providing scholarships for both management and clinical training to provincial staff, supporting TB/HIV care. The that’sit Project is the district technical assistance support partner in Eden District.

Innovative Medicine South Africa (IMSA) is a South African pharmaceutical industry association, which focuses on building an environment for sustainable access to innovative research-based healthcare. IMSA strives to enable timely access for patients to new medicines by seeking shorter registration approval timelines. IMSA and FPD initiated the "First things First HCT Project" and tested 23,000 students in 2011.

OUT LGBT Well-being is 15 years old and one of the leading Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender groups in South Africa. OUT has been instrumental in securing same-sex marriage, starting the first dedicated community centre in Gauteng, conducting the first quantitative study on experiences of LGBT people, and starting the first LGBT clinic in Gauteng. The partnership between FPD and OUT specifically looks at strengthening Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) activities.

The mission of LifeLine Southern Africa is to engage communities in active dialogue and participation, to seek understanding of the unique dynamics to support sustainable social change and emotional wellness ownership with communities. FPD is partnered with LifeLine Southern Africa as part of a working group to assist in developing organisational standards for the NGO sector working in HIV.

MapIT, together with shareholder Tele Atlas, is at the forefront of digital mapping in Southern Africa, powering the next generation of spatially-enabled technologies. Partnering with the Compass Project, MapIT provides software and technical support to assist in the geocoding and map production of HIV/AIDS service providers nationally.

The Networking HIV/AIDS Community of South Africa (NACOSA) is a non-profit organisation with its head office in Cape Town. NACOSA seeks to reduce the impact of HIV, AIDS, TB and other socio-economic conditions through building capacity, networking, and strengthening the multisectoral response to these conditions in southern Africa. FPD is partnered with NACOSA as part of a working group to assist in developing organisational standards for the NGO sector working in HIV.

AstraZeneca launched Project Phakamisa with the goal of creating cancer awareness amongst the public. This is done via partnerships with cancer organisations as well as training of public sector healthcare professionals in a bid to improve volunteering, screening, testing, and diagnoses of cancer. AstraZeneca supports the Breast Cancer for Health Professionals Course as part of their Phakamisa Project.

Cares for Life is a Christian, faith-based, national NGO that is passionate about creating opportunities for change and giving hope to orphans, other vulnerable small children, women in pregnancy-related crises, and families in need. FPD is partnered with SA Cares for Life as one of their NGO implementing partners in the Tshwane area.

The South African Academy of Family Practice (SAAFP) delivers quality education that empowers doctors to provide appropriate health care to individuals, families, and communities so that people may make an effective and creative contribution to the nation. SAAFP is the largest academic and only national organization dedicated to the ongoing education and professional development of general/family practitioners.

FPD, through its Infectious Disease Unit, forms part of the South African Malaria Initiative. This collaborative initiative, established by the South African Department of Science and Technology, brings together South African academic and research institutions involved in malaria research through a virtual model for collaborative research on malaria. Research is conducted in the fields of new diagnostics, new drug development, and vector control.

Dedicated to aligning strategic, economic, and business interests that support the quality of patient care and business activities of independent, patient-centered medical specialist practice - SpesNet has grown to become the leading, independent, multi-discipline, medical specialist healthcare provider network organization in South Africa. Together with Spesnet, FPD provides specialists with an opportunity to undergo training in starting successful private specialist practices.

The Tshwane Leadership Foundation (TLF) is working with churches and communities for urban transformation. Growing from the work of Pretoria Community Ministries, the TLF was created in 2003 to strengthen the unfolding inner-city movement of churches, communities, and programs with the capacity to carry out resource development, advocacy, and policy work, communication and marketing, and spiritual nurture. It also wants to play an intermediary and/or supportive role to initiatives in other parts of the City of Tshwane.

Umlambo is the creation of the former Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka. The Foundation has existed since October 2008 and is a registered non-profit organization. Umlambo Foundation leverages the goodwill of people and institutions to invest in leadership, management, and development of school principals to improve the quality of education in public schools. This gives learners a chance to WIN against poverty.