South Africa

Overview

Though the country is still very much actively responding to this epidemic, along with other health emergencies, gains have been made. The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) was apart of those gains, particularly around wider access to prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission services and antiretroviral therapy. Click to read more about South Africa’s HIV and AIDS epidemic profile.

Our Work

EGPAF first launched its prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission and care and treatment services in South Africa in 2000. From 2004 through 2012, EGPAF with local partners and funding from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, ran a large and exhaustive HIV and AIDS program in South Africa known as Project HEART. Through this mechanism, EGPAF created clear and equitable access to HIV prevention and treatment. Incredible gains were made during this time, including widespread access to prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission and HIV care and treatment services: by 2012, we were reaching 75% of HIV-positive women with services to prevent vertical transmission to their children; and we were treating 10,000 clients per quarter. Working hand-in-hand with several local organizations and the Ministry of Health, we transitioned management of the HIV and AIDS programming to national entities, seconding staff and offering technical assistance to sustain gains made. Currently, EGPAF manages one award, funded by Johnson and Johnson, in South Africa. The New Horizons project focuses on supply chain management and specifically around quicker access to second- and third-line antiretroviral formulations for children and adolescents failing their first-line therapies.

Projects