In an effort to support the rapid expansion of ARV
treatment services in South Africa, the HIV/AIDS
Twinning Center began actively recruiting infectious
disease specialists and other experts through its Volunteer Healthcare Corps (VHC) in late 2007.
With the goal of increasing the institutional and human resource capacity of HIV care and treatment centers, the South Africa Preceptors Initiative places highly skilled professionals at PEPFAR-supported sites, where they served as onsite technical experts.
Preceptors volunteered at sites for a period ranging
from three months to two years with the dual goals of increasing institutional capacity to deliver and expand quality HIV/AIDS treatment and care services and
increasing staff competencies in HIV-related treatment and care. Preceptors mentored staff; supported the
provision of services as needed by providing technical assistance; and helped with program expansion, quality control, and other tasks beneficial to the host institution.
As of May 2011, the Twinning Center had placed 15 volunteers at 16 different sites throughout South Africa. These highly skilled professionals included infectious disease experts, an epidemiologist, and a monitoring and evaluation specialist. The average duration of volunteer assignments was 7.5 months. Collectively, AIHA's VHC volunteers have contributed a more than 113 months of service toward improving health system capacity in South Africa.
While the South Africa Preceptors Initiative has officially concluded, AIHA is still actively recruiting skilled volunteers for assignments at partnership institutions throughout the country as requested.
AIHA's Volunteer Healthcare Corps (VHC) is part of USAID’s Volunteer’s for Prosperity program and directly supports President Obama’s volunteer initiative under the 2009 Serve America Act.
Updated November 15, 2011
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