Over the past 20 years, the Foundation’s priorities and programs have shifted as political circumstances in South Africa have changed. But the main goal of our South Africa program has remained the same. Our basic mission is to develop the people, plans and programs to help establish a more equitable national health system and a succesful democracy.

The South Africa program was initiated in 1987 during the most repressive period of the apartheid era.

From the start the Foundation has maintained a hands-on approach, proactively working with South African partners to develop ideas and help implement programs. A central part of the Foundation’s strategy has been to develop politically credible and effective institutions to lead the process of health sector transformation. For that reason we have focused our efforts on a relatively small number of key partners, and by doing that, helped build capacity in the South African public health sector.

The Foundation has contributed to the government’s efforts in establishing the framework for a more equitable national health system. Over the years, the Foundation has:

• developed a national initiative that is geared towards reducing the HIV rate of infection amongst young people by 50%.
• provided the essential information on which government health policy and program plans are based;
• facilitated the decentralization of health management nationally;
• helped in the training of most top-level health officials in the country;
• established key national resources in reproductive health, child health and health systems development on which government relies heavily;
• supported development of a charter of patients’ rights which government has adopted.
  

loveLife Initiative

loveLife, South Africa’s national HIV prevention programme for youth, was launched in September 1999, by a consortium of leading South African public health organisations in partnership with a coalition of more than 100 community-based organisations, the South African government, major South African media groups and private foundations. loveLife combines a highly visible sustained national multi-media HIV education and awareness campaign with countrywide adolescent friendly service development in government clinics, and a national network of outreach and support programmes for youth.

loveLife is a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to youth behaviour change that implements, on an unprecedented scale, the international experience of the past 20 years – combining well-established public health techniques with innovative marketing approaches to promote healthy AIDS-free living among South African teenagers.

More about loveLife

Health and Development in South Africa Publications