The South African Civil Society Forum has 18 diverse civil society sectors, and these represent society. All sectors represented at SANAC have a role to play in the response to HIV, TB, STIs and each has a plan aimed at dealing with these conditions in line with the South Africa’s National Strategic Plan for HIV. TB and STIs.

Among these 18 sectors is the Traditional Health Practitioners Sector (THP). The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that up to 80% of people in Africa make use of traditional medicine. In South Africa traditional health practitioners plays a vital role in expanding accessibility to healthcare and providing alternative methods of health and wellbeing. Traditional health healthcare makes a valuable contribution towards improving the health of all people in South Africa and within the context of HIV, TB and STI’s, have been identified as a key local resource for both treatment and prevention.

The THP Sector is guided by the National Strategic Plan on HIV, TB and STI’s 2017-2022 and aims to achieve the following NSP goals through advocacy, community mobilisation, research lobbying, stakeholder engagement through initiatives with communities nationally.

The 6 goals set in the NSP are as follows:

  • GOAL 1: Accelerate prevention to reduce new HIV and TB infections and STIs.
  • GOAL 2: Reduce morbidity and mortality by providing HIV, TB and STI treatment, care and adherence support for all.
  • GOAL 3: Reach all key and vulnerable populations with customised and targeted interventions.
  • GOAL 4: Address the social and structural drivers of HIV, TB and STIs, and link these efforts to the National Development Plan (NDP).
  • GOAL 5: Ground the response to HIV, TB and STIs in human rights principles and approaches.
  • GOAL 6: Promote leadership and shared accountability for a sustainable response to HIV, TB and STIs.
  • GOAL 7: Mobilise resources to support the achievement of NSP goals and ensure a sustainable response.
  • GOAL 8: Strengthen strategic information to drive progress towards achievement of the NSP goals.