COMMUNITY BASED COUNSELLING & TESTING DEPARTMENT

Who We Are

About the CBCT Department

The Community Based Counselling and Testing (CBCT) Department implements community-based HIV prevention, counselling and testing programmes aimed at reducing HIV incidence in high-incidence communities in South Africa.

01

Community-Based Services

Extending access to HIV counselling and testing through community-based services and targeted testing initiatives.

02

Strategic Partnerships

Working with government departments, international development partners, local organisations and community-based structures.

03

Linkage to Care

Supporting individuals to access appropriate HIV and TB prevention, care and treatment services through effective referral pathways.

Our Work

Explore Our Programmes

Explore the programmes and service approaches through which the department has supported community-based HIV prevention, counselling and testing.

Historical Programme

KfW HIV Prevention

Community-Based HIV Counselling and Testing

A partnership between FPD and the National Department of Health, funded through the German development bank KfW.

Through KfW funding, the National Department of Health supported FPD to implement community-based HIV counselling and testing services in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga.

Project Goal

To implement high-yield community-based HIV counselling and testing services, identify people living with HIV and link them effectively to HIV and TB care and treatment programmes.

The programme also aimed to identify HIV-negative individuals at risk of HIV infection and link them to evidence-based HIV prevention services.

The original FPD page records that this project ended on 30 September 2019.

KfW Geographic Coverage

The programme operated in selected districts across Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape.

  • Mpumalanga: Nkangala District
  • Eastern Cape: OR Tambo District
  • Eastern Cape: Nelson Mandela District
  • Eastern Cape: Chris Hani District
  • Eastern Cape: Sara Baartman District

KfW Implementation Partners

FPD worked with established South African organisations with local track records, community-based HIV testing experience and district-level implementation capacity.

  • Keth'Impilo (KI): Implementing partner
  • Humana People to People South Africa (HPPSA): Implementing partner
  • FPD: Programme implementation and coordination
  • SEAD: Technical assistance in quality assurance
  • CCI: Technical assistance in behaviour change communication (BCC)

Strengthening Local Organisations

A further 21 local grassroots organisations, including NGOs, community-based organisations (CBOs) and faith-based organisations (FBOs), were selected for small grant contracts.

These organisations received organisational development support through a twinning approach and helped extend community-based HIV testing into hard-to-reach areas.

Targeted HIV Testing

Adolescent Girls and Young Women

Targeted HIV testing services for adolescent girls and young women in Tshwane and Bojanala, supported through funding from SCI.

Programme Focus

The programme focuses on extending access to HIV testing services for adolescent girls and young women in the identified areas.

The original webpage does not provide further programme statistics, detailed implementation activities or a reporting period for this initiative.
USAID-Funded Grant

Communities Forward

Community-based HIV testing implemented through sub-grantees across six provinces and thirteen priority districts, with funding from USAID.

Through the grant, the CBCT Department manages two sub-grantees responsible for implementing community-based testing services.

  • Humana People to People South Africa (HPPSA): Implementing sub-grantee
  • Society for Family Health (SFH): Implementing sub-grantee
The original webpage does not provide further district names, performance figures or the current status of this grant.
Service Approach

Community-Based HIV Testing Services Package

A comprehensive package combining prevention, counselling, screening, testing and referral services.

The approach connects HIV testing with broader health screening and referral services to support individuals in accessing appropriate care and prevention programmes.

  • Pre-test counselling
  • TB, STI and NCD symptom screening
  • Male and female condom distribution
  • HIV testing
  • Post-test counselling
  • Referral and linkage to services
Our Service Model

From Prevention to Linkage to Care

The CBCT service approach brings together counselling, screening, testing and follow-up to help clients access the appropriate prevention and care services.

01

Pre-Test Counselling

Counselling before HIV testing to prepare clients and support informed decision-making.

02

Health Screening

Screening for TB, sexually transmitted infections and non-communicable disease symptoms, with referral where required.

03

Condom Distribution

Distribution of male and female condoms as part of HIV prevention services.

04

HIV Testing

HIV testing conducted according to the applicable testing algorithm.

05

Post-Test Counselling

Counselling following testing, including risk reduction information and guidance.

06

Referral and Linkage

Referral planning and support to connect clients to appropriate HIV and TB prevention, care and treatment services.

Continuity of Care

Linkage to Care and Follow-Up

Testing is an important entry point. Effective referral and follow-up help individuals connect with the services they need.

Multi-Tiered Linkage Approach

CBCT partners developed and implemented a multi-tiered approach to facilitate and document successful linkage to services and verify service uptake.

Consent-Based Follow-Up

Post-test counselling emphasised timely linkage to HIV and TB prevention, care and treatment services. Clients were also asked for consent for follow-up and tracing.

Knowledge Sharing

Research and Conference Contributions

The CBCT programme's implementation experience and research have contributed to knowledge sharing through conference presentations and public health research.

July 2018

South African Tuberculosis Conference

Rates of and factors associated with Tuberculosis (TB) knowledge and testing among young men and women in two provinces in South Africa.

Simukai Shamu
Oral Presentation · June 2019

South African AIDS Conference – Durban

Improving the capabilities of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to increase HIV Testing Services (HTS) in Nkangala District, South Africa.

Selaelo Mabela
Oral Presentation · June 2019

Rapid Test Continuous Quality Improvement

Implementation of rapid test continuous quality improvement in community-based counselling and testing in poorly resourced communities of the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga provinces, South Africa.

Thulani Makhathini
Oral Presentation · June 2019

Predictors of HIV Testing Among Youth

Predictors of HIV testing among youth in two districts in South Africa: Results from a community-based household survey.

Sikhulile Khupakonke
Poster Presentation · June 2019

Accuracy of HIV Rapid Testing

Results of quality assessments conducted in a community-based HIV testing programme in high-priority areas in South Africa.

Sikhulile Khupakonke
Poster Presentation · June 2019

Young People's Knowledge and Attitudes

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of young people towards HIV prevention and testing: Results from a cluster-based cross-sectional study in two high HIV burden districts in South Africa.

Simukai Shamu
Poster Presentation · June 2019

Community-Based NCD Screening

Innovative methods to successfully upscale community-based screening and testing of non-communicable diseases in South Africa.

Corine Slabbert
Poster Presentation · June 2019

PrEP Knowledge and Uptake Interest

Gender differences and factors associated with pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) knowledge, attitudes and uptake interest among adolescents in two high HIV burden districts in South Africa.

Sikhulile Khupakonke
Poster Presentation · June 2019

Patient Tracing and Linkage to Care

Patient tracing for linkage to HIV care and treatment in a community-based HIV counselling and testing programme in five districts, South Africa.

Geoffrey Guloba
Poster Presentation · June 2019

Quality in Community-Based HIV Testing

Tailored interventions for a community-based HIV testing setting to ensure high-quality services in six HIV-burdened sub-districts in South Africa.

Corine Slabbert
Poster Presentation · June 2019

Linkage to Care Successes

Successes in linkage to care of HIV-positive clients: Lessons from a community-based HIV collaborative programme.

Simukai Shamu
Poster Presentation · June 2019

Empowering Community Organisations

Empowering CBOs to conduct home-based HIV testing services in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga districts in South Africa.

Monwabisi Mgulwa
Oral Presentation · September 2019

HIV Hotspot Spatial Maps

The development, use and outcomes of HIV hotspot spatial maps in a large community-based HIV counselling and testing (CBCT) programme in five districts, South Africa.

Wentzel Kruger
Oral Presentation · September 2019

Communication Preferences Among Young People

Communication preferences for HIV information among young people in two provinces in South Africa: A multi-stage cluster-based cross-sectional survey.

Sikhulile Khupakonke
Poster Presentation · September 2019

HIV Testing Among Young Men

Factors associated with HIV testing among young men aged 18–24 years in Nkangala and OR Tambo districts, South Africa.

Simukai Shamu
Poster Presentation · September 2019

The Counsellor Toolkit

The development of the Counsellor Toolkit: a tool for guidance during HTS counselling sessions in a community-based counselling and testing programme.

Sikhulile Khupakonke & Corine Slabbert
Working Together

Strengthening Community Health

Through partnerships with government, funders, implementing organisations and local communities, FPD's community-based approach supports access to HIV prevention, counselling, testing and linkage to appropriate health services.

Contact FPD