CHAPS provides voluntary medical male circumcision in South Africa and Eswatini, and technical assistance to the Ministry of Health VMMC programme in Namibia. CHAPS also implements Early Infant Male Circumcision (EIMC) programmes in Namibia and Eswatini.
CHAPS provided technical support and guidance to the South African National Department of Health in the inception and roll-out of the VMMC across South Africa. CHAPS guides and supports other NGOs, local, provincial and national government entities and private partners on how to set up and manage cost-effective voluntary medical male circumcision services.
CHAPS, supported by the NDoH, is the leading partner on the feasibility, costing and potential integration of Early Infant Male Circumcision into routine public health services. CHAPS provides training for Medical Officers and Registered Nurses on the surgical techniques suitable to Early Infant Male Circumcision.
Furthermore, due to our expertise, we have advised regional Ministries of Health on the inception and scale-up of Early Infant Male Circumcision within countries.
We provide combination prevention services, including HIV counselling, testing and treatment, risk reduction counselling, TB and STI screening and access to condoms and lubrication.
Our services ensure increased linkage to HIV care and treatment for our beneficiaries. We have fostered a strong relationship with the National and Local Departments of Health to provide easy access to antiretroviral treatment through government facilities.
CHAPS provides health screening to rural and underserved communities, using community camps and mobile services. Our community-based differentiated service delivery platforms enable us to reach rural and under-served communities that do not often have access to routine health screening.
Our health screening comprises:
As part of our model, CHAPS seek to provide long term prevention of disease and prompt linkages to treatment.
CHAPS is an accredited training provider under the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA) of South Africa, SAMA and WITS CPD. CHAPS provides training and in-service assessments for HIV related programs and MMC (including EIMC) in Africa. Training is offered to a variety of medical personnel interested in providing VMMC services.
We have trained over 12 000 healthcare professionals on safe VMMC services in South Africa. Theoretical and practical components of medical male circumcision are covered. Trainees are equipped with the necessary technical skills, ongoing support, and guidance to successfully, safely and efficiently implement their own circumcision processes.
CHAPS supports general practitioners, government health facilities and healthcare partners in strengthening public health program quality through assessment, technical training and quality improvement models. Our model follows a sustainability approach whereby our clients are upskilled on specific topics including quality management and improvement metrics. Our services include rapid baseline assessment, gap analysis, relevant employee training, quality improvement model and specific metrics, and follow-up assessment.
CHAPS has a dedicated Data and MER Department staffed with trained data monitors and MER Specialists. We use interactive software to monitor and report data in real time. We build data systems, advise on data integration processes and promote data use for effective programme planning.
We provide Monitoring and Evaluation support, complete with reporting and learning feedback-loop.
Our M&E services include:
CHAPS continues to provide research expertise to Southern Africa. CHAPS is most recognised for its biomedical research and community-based research in the scale-up of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) for HIV prevention in South Africa and the region. Our current research is informed by contemporary contexts in public health, aimed at providing answers and solutions to existing public health challenges. We offer community-based research and feasibility studies in several areas. We have contributed to several peer-reviewed publications, participated in conferences and we actively participate in workshops and learning and dissemination activities.