About CaSIPO

 

Mission

CaSIPO supports the South African Government to strengthen referral systems and retention in care through the integration of Comprehensive Care and Support within healthcare and community systems.

About CaSIPO

The Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa (HPCA) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a grant to provide capacity building assistance to the South African Government, PEPFAR partners and community based organisations to support and strengthen the integration of care and support services within the broader health system, and to strengthen community systems and organisations to ensure the provision of a continuum of comprehensive care and support services (palliative care).

The project, called CaSIPO (Care and Support to Improve Patient Outcomes) will integrate comprehensive care and support programming into the boarder context of primary healthcare service delivery. This is a significant partnership.

AIDS-free generation is a shared responsibility with partner countries in a convening role.

Together, PEPFAR’s technical assistance and the South Africa government’s increasing investments in direct HIV service provision are bringing ART and other essential health services closer to where people living with HIV reside, and creating a more accessible and sustainable health care system.

Country ownership is the cornerstone of USAID’s work as a development agency, not just in HIV programs, but in all sectors. PEPFAR’s model of shared responsibility is complementary to the foundation of how USAID does business. CaSIPO is representative of:

“The more holistic approach to caring for patients to improve patient outcomes so that South Africans can experience quality of life and dignity when diagnosed with a life-threatening or life-limiting illness” – Dr Liz Gwyther, CEO of HPCA.

CaSIPO reflects HPCA’s vision of “quality palliative care for all” by proposing to work with the South African Government, other partners and CBOs to develop care packages for comprehensive care and support (palliative care). These care packages will then be extended into all  service areas so that each patient diagnosed with a life- threatening or life-limiting illness will receive care and support in addition to care directed at the illness appropriate to the level of service.

CaSIPO supports the South African Government (SAG) in the achievement of the UNAID 90/90/90 targets for 2020:

  • 90% of people living with HIV/AIDS know their status

  • 90% of those that know their status are adherent on ART

  • 90% of those on ART are virally suppressed

The anticipated impact of the project will be to improve retention in care, quality of care and quality of life.

CaSIPO Objectives

  • To provide technical assistance to the SAG to integrate Comprehensive Care and Support into Policies, Standard Operating Procedures and Guidelines.
  • To build capacity of SAG, Partners and Community Based Organizations to implement the policies which integrate care and support.
  • To Strengthen retention and referral systems to support retention in care and reduce loss to follow up.