All Projects

Stop Stock Outs

Southern Africa HIV Clinicians Society (SAHCS)

6.4 million

people are infected with HIV in South Africa - 12% of the population

3 million

people currently receive antiretroviral therapy

Start date
December 2015
End date
December 2016
Period: 12 months

Issue

The story of the HIV and AIDS response in South Africa over the past 5 years is one of great progress after almost a decade of complex and tragic denialism that united civil society in a way not seen since the opposition to apartheid. Today, South Africa can boast of close to 3 million people on ART, by far the largest number in the world and the National Department of Health plans to scale this to 6.4 million.

However,

This large number of people assessing ART and other essential medicines means that the health sector is under tremendous strain.

In a 2014 survey, it was revealed that 25% of health clinics and hospitals faced a stock out of medicine during the three-month survey period. Seven districts in different provinces were most affected with over 50% of health facilities facing critical stock outs.

In a health system hampered by these financial and human resource deficits, a growing burden of disease, and lack of visibility at the end-user level, the voices of citizens are critical in providing feedback from the community on health service delivery.

 

Project

Using widespread citizen monitoring through an easy-to-use mobile phone application, the project acts as a civil society-led monitoring system, supporting the government’s own monitoring of essential medicines.

The project seeks support people who are dependent on government healthcare facilities by reporting, tracking and monitoring the resolution of health service delivery shortcomings (especially the availability of essential medicines).

In the long term, it also aims to support the government in its efforts to improve the health system by adding independent citizen monitoring into government systems.

Partner

The SSP is a project of 6 consortium partners with the Southern Africa HIV Clinicians Society (SSP) as the coordinator of the project. The other 5 consortium partners are as follows: Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), Section 27, The Rural Doctors Association of Southern Africa, Rural Health Advocacy Project and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). These partners have expertise in law & governance, health advocacy, community mobilisation, HIV/AIDS activism etc.