Staff attitude – it’s the one thing that has to be addressed immediately to improve the experience of hundreds who rely on clinic services in the Mpumalanga. This was clear at the Ritshidze community accountability meeting and report back on the state of health in the province held in Ermelo at the end of May.

[MULTI MEDIA] Recap of our community accountability meeting on #MpumalangaHealth
Yesterday Ritshidze launched a detailed report into the state of the public healthcare system in Mpumalanga. The report was presented at a community accountability meeting in Ermelo. Scroll through our multi-media round up from the meeting and find links to the report, the summary presentation, and a full video of the entire meeting.

Ritshidze launches new report at community meeting looking into state of health in Mpumalanga
Today the Ritshidze project is launching a detailed report into the state of the public healthcare system in Mpumalanga. The report — based on the results of data collected through Ritshidze’s community-led monitoring — will be presented to the Mpumalanga Department of Health and other duty bearers at a community accountability meeting in Ermelo today.

Engaging duty bearers at district level
Where challenges cannot be addressed at a clinic level, or there is resistance from clinics to fix them, we escalate the issues to duty bearers at district, provincial or even national level. The first stage is district level.

Diagnosing TB saves lives — but only if the tests are available
Early TB detection remains key to successful TB treatment as well as the prevention of onward transmission. Yet a key driver of excess morbidity and mortality amongst people living with HIV is that symptoms of TB are often overlooked by healthcare workers and vital TB tests are not always available at the clinic level.

We get TB at our clinics!
Six simple interventions are at the heart of how clinics can be part of turning the tide on TB infection. By following a checklist of good practice, clinics can be safer for patients and staff. However most clinics are failing to implement enough of these measures, putting people at risk of getting TB whilst waiting at the clinic.

Treat us better if you want us to keep coming back!
People who miss appointments or stop taking their treatment often report being treated badly by healthcare workers when they return to health facilities. This fear of being reprimanded discourages people from going back to the clinic to seek support and receive their treatment.

Getting people out of the clinic can support HIV treatment adherence
The growing crisis in many of South Africa’s clinics has reached a point where patient care is being compromised and with it deepening worry that people living with HIV are being pushed out of treatment. Allowing PLHIV to collect their medication refills outside of the clinic can improve this experience and reduce the risk of people disengaging from care.

Longer HIV treatment supplies can support better long term adherence
One of the biggest challenges now facing South Africa’s HIV response is how to support many more PLHIV to engage or re-engage and then stay on treatment. One way to make it easier for PLHIV to adhere to treatment is to provide a longer supply of medicines.

Our data shows where Gauteng clinics are failing, government must help fix it
Too many clinics are in crisis and it is driving the continuing HIV epidemic. People are dying because of it, argue members of the Ritshidze Project as they launch a report into the state of public sector facilities in Gauteng.
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.