News

Gathering evidence at the clinic: a photo story

22 October 2020

The first step in the Ritshidze model is to gather evidence at the clinic and in the community. Find out more about where, when and how we collect data and who is involved in the data collection efforts…

Ritshidze gathers evidence at over 400 clinics across 27 districts in 8 provinces in South Africa. Facilities chosen cover nearly half of all people living with HIV on treatment in the country, with a focus on sites with large treatment cohorts and where data shows poor linkage and retention rates.
The Ritshidze tools will gather data at two levels—at the clinic as well as in the community. This is necessary to capture the experience and insights both of those accessing public healthcare services in these facilities and of those who are not currently interacting with the facility, both of whom have critical information about what is and is not working.
The 80 teams collecting data will be made up of Ritshidze community monitors with support from PLHIV sector organisation members. Each Ritshidze Community Monitor has been assigned a set of between 4 to 8 clinics in a particular district that they will work in, depending on distance.

Ritshidze works on a quarterly cycle — completing each aspect of the Ritshidze cycle every three months.

The methods used to collect data will be through observations, interviews and group discussions which will be guided by different tools designed for specific types of individuals. These surveys contain the key questions that are relevant for each type of person interviewed. Data is captured in two ways: either using an online survey through an app called “CommCare”, or using a paper survey and filling it in by hand.

About RITSHIDZE

“Ritshidze” — meaning “Saving Our Lives” in TshiVenda — has been developed by people living with HIV and activists to hold the South African government and aid agencies accountable to improve overall HIV and TB service delivery.

Partner organisations include the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), the National Association of People Living with HIV (NAPWA), Positive Action Campaign, Positive Women’s Network (PWN) and the South African Network of Religious Leaders Living with and affected by HIV/AIDS (SANERELA+)—in alliance with Health Global Access Project (Health GAP), the Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR), and Georgetown University’s O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law.

CLICK HERE to read more and see where we work.