End Of PEPFAR/USAID Funding For Health4Men
The Anova Health Institute is sad to announce that funding from USAID for sections of our Health4Men programme will be coming to an end, effective the 30th of September 2018. This funding allowed us to establish Centres of Excellence with dedicated clinical services for the men who have sex with men (MSM) community in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Health4Men is funded by multiple donors, so the loss of USAID funding will primarily affect clinical services in Johannesburg and Cape Town, however, national Health4Men activities, supported by our other funders, will continue. Our most immediate concern is for the many MSM clients that are utilising these services.
“The Health4Men programme started with USAID funding in 2008, at a time when there were limited services and little attention to the needs of MSM in South Africa. As a testament to the close collaboration between the programme and the MSM community, it has achieved remarkable results and global influence, which will be the ongoing legacy of the programme.”
– Prof James McIntyre, CEO of Anova Health Institute.
Anova’s national Health4Men programme has put MSM healthcare on the public health agenda. High-level clinical expertise developed within the programme has been central to the development of national and international evidence-based policies and guidelines.
Since its inception, Health4Men has had many landmark achievements. Over the last 10 years, around 26 000 MSM have accessed and benefited from Health4Men Centres of Excellence. With support from multiple donors, Health4Men also sensitized and trained over 16 000 health workers in over 400 clinics nationwide and contributed to setting up similar services in many other countries.
As Health4Men services are embedded within public health clinics in the public sector, we are working closely with the Departments of Health and other stakeholders in these cities. We are also exploring other funding opportunities and service options. Our priority is to ensure continued services for our MSM clients and community.
As a governing organisation overseeing numerous projects and programmes, Anova Health Institute will continue to pioneer sexual health awareness within the MSM community with our successful We The Brave and Yellow Dot Doctor campaigns.