South to South (S2S), a local Specialist Provincial Support Partner based at the University of Stellenbosch, aims to strengthen the capacity of health care workers (HCWs) formally engaged in the national HIV and TB response. S2S addresses existing HCW knowledge, skills and system gaps in PMTCT and Pediatric HIV/TB care and treatment programs, linking with the National Strategic Plan to decrease maternal & child mortality, combat HIV/AIDS & TB, and strengthen health system effectiveness. S2S provides technical assistance to Department of Health at national, provincial, and district levels and PEPFAR implementing partners to capacitate individual healthcare workers, trainers/mentors, and specialist district teams. This is accomplished through specific skills and knowledge transfer activities (training and clinical mentoring) which emphasize patient data management. With a small, mobile team of technical experts, S2S is able to support multidisciplinary health teams at district and facility level to scale up quality, integrated, and sustainable maternal and child HIV care and treatment services. S2S further supports information and best practices sharing, and elimination of duplicative training curricula & tools, through the ongoing development and maintenance of a web based PEPFAR Repository. S2S supports District teams, consisting of doctors, nurses, counselors, social workers, data capturers and managers in NorthWest. S2S further trains healthcare workers from all 9 provinces in PMTCT, Pediatric HIV and adherence, and psychosocial support. S2S reports on total number of capacity building events and number of HCWs trained or mentored. DHIS patient outcome data (PMTCT and Pediatric HIV), although not reported on, is used to track progress in S2S supported districts.

S2S will provide technical assistance to the SAG at national level through participation in the PMTCT national steering committee meetings, and in developing a series of booklets on psychosocial support as tasked by the NDOH PMTCT and Maternal and Child Health Directorates.S2S will be supporting USAID Partners and DOH through the following training of trainer events in FY2012: 1 ten day workshop for 20 participants on Adherence and Psychosocial support for HIV infected pregnant women and 12 one day Pediatric & PMTCT Toolkits Orientation workshops for 240 participants from Regional Training Centres in all provinces. At provincial level, S2S will provide input in workplans, capacity building activities and resource distribution based on needs identified. S2S will support District Health Management Teams and District Specialist Teams in 3 high need Districts in the North West Province (Moretele and others TBD) to implement quality improvement models for integrated Maternal (PMTCT), Child & Adolescent services.To provide strategic information for service delivery, S2S will conduct program evaluations; looking at quality of maternal & child HIV care, healthcare worker competency, data quality (at source and DHIS level), patient outcomes and use of data for patient management. 37 in-service trainings for 295 HCWs and 1152 follow up clinical mentoring sessions on integrated maternal & child health services will be conducted by S2S mentors.

S2S will provide technical assistance to the SAG at national level through participation in the HIV Clinicians Society Pediatric sub-committee and national meetings.S2S will support USAID Partners and DOH through provision of: Pediatric HIV management Trainings; Basic Paediatric HIV Management training of trainers for physicians; Pediatric NIMART training of trainers for nurses; Pediatric & Adolescent Disclosure training; Pediatric Toolkit Orientation workshops for trainers from Regional Training Centres; and the Role of the Rehabilitation Team in the Identification and Management of Pediatric HIV training.At provincial level, S2S will provide input in workplans, capacity building activities and resource distribution based on needs identified. S2S will support District Health Management Teams and District Specialist Teams in 3 high need Districts in the North West Province to implement quality improvement models for Child & Adolescent services.To provide strategic information for service delivery, S2S will conduct program evaluations; looking at quality of child HIV care, healthcare worker competency, data quality (at source and DHIS level), patient outcomes and use of data for patient management. 37 in-service trainings for 295 HCWs and 1152 follow up clinical mentoring sessions on integrated maternal & child health services will be conducted by S2S mentors. Specific best practices to strengthen child & adolescent health services include:Capacity building and technical assistance to improve early identification of HIV infection in all children and early initiation of children on ART at PHC level through training, mentoring (doctors & nurses/IMCI) & distribution of the S2S Pediatric HIV management toolkit.Implement structured competency-based assessment tools to guide pediatric HIV care mentorship for doctors and nurses based on the South African Clinical Mentorship Guidelines.Improve follow up care and retention of HIV exposed infants with final HIV diagnosis at 18 months.Improve adherence and psychosocial support for children living with HIV through the establishment of District Psychosocial ForumsEstablish adolescent support groups