Building contexts that support effective community responses to HIV/AIDS: a South African Case Study discusses a health-enabling social environment, and some of the strategies currently being used to build social contexts to support effective HIV/AIDS management in southern Africa. The authors aim to illustrate and share contextual changes that will enable more effective community-led HIV/AIDS management in an isolated area where people have little or no access to formal health or welfare support, and where HIV/AIDS is heavily stigmatized. 

This study sought to identify best practices in deployment of community health and care workers (CHWs and CCWs). Studies conducted in each of South Africa’s 9 provinces assessed the extent to which CHW deployment has addressed important health priorities; documented success stories and lessons; and developed an understanding of the range of ways that CHW programs have evolved in the country.

This paper reports on a qualitative study of the experiences of three CHW supervisors who were responsible for supporting infant feeding peer counselors in three diverse settings in South Africa. This study highlights the need to pay attention to the experiences of supervisors in order to better understand the components and complexities of supervision in the field. Such understanding can enhance future policy making, planning and implementation of peer CHW programs.

This study investigates the motivations of community service (CS) officers to continue to work at the same district hospital for an additional year following their mandatory service. It aims to determine the number of CS officers who remained, the major factors that influenced them to remain, and factors that would encourage more CS officers to stay at the same district hospital.