The South to South Story

In May 2006, in response to the urgent need to build paediatric HIV care and treatment capacity among African healthcare professionals, the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, and the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs (ICAP) at Columbia University partnered to launch the South to South Partnership for Comprehensive Paediatric HIV Care and Treatment Program (S2S).  The aim of S2S was to support indigenous capacity building whereby country specific multidisciplinary healthcare teams throughout Africa learn from another African institution and staff experienced in successfully implementing paediatric HIV care and treatment services. 

In March 2008, the international component of S2S's activities ended and S2S re-launched as the South to South Partnership for Comprehensive Family HIV Care and Treatment Program (S2S), broadening its activities to respond to specific clinical and systems strengthening needs within South Africa exclusively.  S2S began working synergistically and in close collaboration with other USAID-South Africa implementing partners and the Department of Health to advance the South Africa National Department of Health's HIV/AIDS and STI Strategic Plan (2007-2011) to reduce the number of HIV infections and the impact of HIV on individuals and families.  S2S's aim is to provide comprehensive technical, programmatic, capacity building, and systems support to select implementing partners to initiate, expand, link and/or deepen comprehensive family-centered services to rapidly increase the uptake of HIV prevention, care, and treatment services for women, children, and families.