Comprehensive Care and Support

Comprehensive Care and Support

The Comprehensive Care and Support (CCS) programme is funded by USAID and provides medical and psychosocial support to people living with HIV/AIDS prior to their needing antiretroviral treatment. The medical aspect of CCS is a primary health care nurse-delivered service that is assessing a large cohort of adults given a standard package of pre-ARV primary care including immune monitoring and referral for ARV when appropriate.

The model uses the guidelines developed by the Department of Health that includes regular monitoring, diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections and conditions, TB screening and referral for treatment if required, PAP tests, contraception and opportunistic infection prophylaxis.

Through HIVSA clients are offered psychosocial support comprising support groups, body mapping, counselling and education.

The programme operates in urban and rural areas. More than 4000 clients are enrolled in the programme in peri-urban clinic sites at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto in Gauteng.

In Bohlabela district, in rural Limpopo, Rixile, a dedicated HIV clinic at Tintswalo Hospital and Ha Swikota a clinic based support project provide care and support to people with HIV/AIDS. This is a partnership with the Department of Health, HIVSA.

In Tsaneen, Limpopo, the CCS programmes is run in the rural primary health care clinics by nurses. The project is a partnership with the Department of Health, University of Limpopo, and HIVSA.