Model for Integrated Health, Child and Community Care in Rural South Africa

The Ndlovu Care Group (NCG), a South African NGO, provides health care and community care for people living in a rural area of South Africa, in particular the Moutse area in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces.

There are 120,000 to 150,000 beneficiaries. In a period of 15 years, Hugo Tempelman and co-workers developed an integrated model of care serving the broad health and community needs of poor people in an area where almost no medical and health care services are provided.

This book describes a model for the advancement of rural areas in South Africa through community health and community care as developed by NCG.

Over the years it became evident that this model could have an impact on the further advancement of rural areas in any developing country.

NCG operates through two divisions, the Autonomous Treatment Centre (ATC) and the Community Health Awareness Mobilisation & Prevention (CHAMP) programme.

The ATC is an extended community health centre that provides integrated primary health, TB and HIV/AIDS care and treatment, including maternal and reproductive health care and advanced HIV/AIDS in-patient care.

The co-operation with governmental departments is described. The CHAMP programme consists of an AIDS awareness programme for schools, farms and local communities; programmes for vulnerable children because of e.g.

HIV & AIDS infection, under- and malnourishment, disturbed family life, death of parents; a dental programme; art, culture and sports activities; all kinds of community activities, like a waste programme, a nappy factory and an IT training programme; and, an environmental awareness and education programme.

NCG has established its care model in two rural locations in South Africa, and is in the process of developing two more sites.

To show the validity of its work, it also carries out monitoring & evaluation procedures and evidence-based research.

Several chapters of this book testify to this scientific approach.