Project HOPE Centre – South Africa
Tackling the growing challenge of addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in impoverished communities.
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Since 1958, Project HOPE has worked in more than 120 countries to make quality and sustainable health care available for people around the globe. Our signature program in South Africa, The HOPE Centre, tackles the growing challenge of addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in impoverished communities.
The Project HOPE South Africa is a branch of the Project HOPE, the People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc. The office has been operational since early 2012 and is registered as a Section 21 in South Africa (International Non-Profit with a South African operation) which launched the HOPE Centre, in Zandspruit, Region C of the City of Johannesburg, South Africa in September 2012. Since 2012, The HOPE Centre has served as a community-based model for effective and cost-efficient NCD prevention and care. Our model combines health promotion and screenings, delivery of quality primary health care, and support programs that promote patient self-care and prevention.
Today, The HOPE Centre operates as a center of excellence and informs our work as we expand our reach to address the burden of NCDs more broadly across South Africa. As such, we are currently supporting chronic disease management for NCDs at Fodisong Community Health Centre in the community of Itsoseng and training community health workers on NCDs to improve capacity for health promotion and screenings across our region.
The HOPE Centre is a one of kind health care centre, the first primary health care public establishment, strengthening health systems within Region C through managing patients living with Diabetes (DM) and Hypertension (HT) in the Zandspruit and surrounding areas. It strives in raising awareness of lifestyle behaviours causing DM and HT and its effects, in at risk population with unique circumstances through targeted screening and education. Community workers from the HOPE Centre screen high risk individuals in their homes and at focused awareness events and link them into care.
Results and milestones
To date Project HOPE has screened just over 14 000 community residents for DM and HT in Zandspruit and the surrounding areas. The primary focus is on managing people living with DM and HT with the aim to delay or prevent complications through empowering and equipping people in vulnerable communities. The goal is to improve the quality of life for those affected by DM and HT. The HOPE Centre provides comprehensive treatment and care to the individuals with DM and HT.
Two flagship areas at the HOPE Centre are
Through an appointment system, waiting time is drastically reduced keeping an individual in the clinic under 2 hours,
Point of care testing enable skilled healthcare workers to make critical decisions that may have an impact on the clinical outcomes of the individuals with DM and HT.
Support programs forms an integral part of the model for service delivery through programs, such as the HOPE Centre garden called “KOPANO Gardens”. It provides needed healthy vegetables and herbs for patients, as well as nutritional education and an economical opportunity to save the income from the sales of vegetables during clinic days. Exercise classes are provided to patients at no charge– providing a much-needed service for the community. Patients are also encouraged to register for the Village Savings and Loans programme a program on community saving and investing. The 5 STEPS to Self-Care Model is a patient support program that provides the patient with the necessary knowledge, skills and education to guide them through the process of better understanding their disease and how it effectively manages it. The Traditional Healers project is an additional project at the HOPE Centre trying to bring Western medicine practices and Traditional medicine practices together in the fight to stop Diabetes and Hypertension and its complications in its track. Traditional Healers are trained in identifying the symptoms of these conditions, the effects and dangers of mixing the medicine, recognising early signs of complications and early referrals and linkage to care. In addition to the ground-breaking work done at the HOPE Centre, Project HOPE also works closely with the National Department of Health to inform policy related to screening for NCD’s and education of Community Health Workers on NCDs.
Geographic Reach
- Africa
Disease Area
- Non-communicable diseases
Target Population
- Marginalized/indigenous people
- People with low incomes
Partner organizations
Additional resources
Geographic Reach
Africa
- South Africa
Disease Area
Non-communicable diseases
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- Type 2