USAID and BroadReach Healthcare Supported Operation Sukuma Sakhe Wins Health Innovators Review Award and Recognized as Best Practice by UNAIDS!

USAID and longstanding USAID partner, BroadReach Healthcare are at the forefront of helping the KZN government fight disease, in particular HIV/AIDS/TB, ensure food security, reduce poverty, empower women and youth, and to instil behavioural change amongst the citizens of the province through a ground-breaking program called Operation Sukuma Sakhe (OSS).

On 28 January 2014, OSS won an award from the Health Innovators Review in the category of “Collaboratively Reimagining Healthcare”. The award was made at the Inclusive Healthcare Innovation Summit which was attended by a wide range of stakeholders, including partners, donors, government and civil society. This award is tangible example of BroadReach Healthcare and USAID’s partnership with the South African Government to provide innovative and sustainable solutions to healthcare in South Africa. As a result of the award, OSS will be featured in a publication “2013/2014 Health Innovator’s Review” to acknowledge the leading health innovators in South Africa who have successfully implemented a solution that has achieved a positive impact in healthcare.

OSS received further accolades from UNAIDS on 17 January 2014 at the launch of the UNAIDS 2012 HIV Estimates Country Report Event where OSS was deemed as a best practice program in health care delivery.  The event was attended by over 600 dignitaries including the South African Minister of Health, KZN Premier, and US Consul General to Durban Taylor Ruggles. In their speeches, SA Minister of Health Motsoaledi and Mr Sidibe Executive Director of UNAIDS, as well as SA Deputy President Motlanthe praised OSS for its achievements in providing quality services to all beneficiaries of the program since its implementation and lauded the program as a model for national adoption.

US Consul General Taylor Ruggles provided his own commitment at World Aids Day Celebrations on 1 December 2013 where, on behalf of US Government, he committed to continue supporting OSS and providing PEPFAR funding for Community Care Givers (CCGs) trainings in the province. CCGs are at the core of OSS as their role it is to connect households with service delivery entities to ensure citizens are provided with healthcare and social services in their communities. Thanks to PEPFAR assistance, over 10,000 CCGs across the province will be certified to educate, screen, and refer individuals in need to appropriate service providers and holistically address HIV/AIDS in some of the most rural and underserved communities of KZN.