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South Africa has the largest HIV burden of any country in the world, with an estimated 5.5 million people living with the virus. Women and children remain at the centre of the pandemic in terms of transmission, vulnerability and potential for impact.

To continue to build on the existing successes of South Africa's ART program, the capacity for HIV disease management must be enhanced. It is essential that HIV disease management transition from an individual case management to a family-centered and chronic-care approach targeting and prioritizing pregnant women and children. Enrolling pregnant women and children into HIV care and treatment early and regularly can prevent new HIV infections and reduce morbidity and mortality, effectively sustaining the quality of life of mothers, their children, and their families.

The scale up of effective Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT) and Paediatric antiretroviral (ART) care and treatment programs are crucial in the fight against HIV but are challenged by several factors including perceived complexity of treating pregnant women and children, inadequate paediatric and PMTCT knowledge and clinical skills, lack of psychosocial and adherence support, and gaps in referral systems and linkages between services.

The South to South Program for Comprehensive Family HIV Care and Treatment (S2S) aims to address these gaps in support of quality HIV care and treatment services. This is accomplished through the provision of comprehensive technical, programmatic, capacity building and systems support for healthcare workers at public health care facilities throughout South Africa by integrating and strengthening PMTCT, paediatric HIV and adherence and psychosocial (APS) programs.