We mentor staff in clinics on provision of quality HIV/TB care. We conduct facility file audits to assess gaps regarding clinical management of clients, followed by in-service training and mentorship where DoH guidelines are not being followed, or where any gaps exist. We also assess client flow in facilities and provide mentorship on how to restructure their client flow to ensure that services are provided in a comprehensive manner that’s client-centred and efficient.
Anova supports the Department of Health (DoH) in ART programmes nationally. Although HIV has no cure, it does have treatment that is effective when it is adhered to by taking every day. When this happens, HIV-positive people can live long and healthy lives. We train ward based outreach teams’ (WBOTs’) leaders and community health workers (CHWs) on overall health issues, with a specific focus on HIV/TB , maternal and child health issues. The aim is for CHWs to promote disease prevention, early identification and presentation at clinics for those with symptoms of disease. We also provide them with patient information leaflets on various health topics to distribute in the community, together with condoms for STIs/HIV prevention. The teams encourage pregnant women to attend clinic visits during early pregnancy for quicker identification and treatment of medical ailments; they also promote the immunisation of children.
To ensure that facilities meet the ideal clinic standards:
- We train and orientate DoH staff on ideal clinic realisation and maintenance principles, to ensure they understand the standards to be met to have their clinics certified as ideal.
- We assist facilities to conduct facility assessments using the ideal clinic tool, followed by development and implementation of quality improvement plans based on assessment findings.
- Where feasible, Anova supports with procurement of essential medical equipment to enable clinicians to provide quality care to clients (e.g. weight scales, stethoscopes, ENT sets, BP machines, emergency medical trolleys, BMI wheels etc.)
The national monitoring and evaluation system of ART, TIER.Net, is gaining momentum in its collection of data. Anova supports over 200 health facilities in three districts with over 1 million clients on ART. Anova provides ongoing technical assistance to maintain data quality and is committed to promoting a culture of quality data use. In 2014, the system’s functionality was expanded to include the capture of pre-ART client information; Anova was first in South Africa to implement this innovation. The increased functionality, paired with strong community support, can improve tracking of clients who are not yet eligible to start treatment, and may increase the likelihood of their timely start on ART. Anova will be supporting the expansion of use of this system to include capturing of data for clients on TB/HIV treatment.