Extending the Reach: Contracting Out HIV Services to the Private Health Sector in Gauteng, South Africa

This study focuses on the experience of Right to Care Health Services (RTCHS), a South African private company managing HIV services on behalf of several clients, including PEPFAR, the South African government, employers, and medical aid schemes. The experience of RTCHS demonstrates how a private health care institution can partner with donor and government stakeholders to deliver HIV care and treatment at a large scale. It also illustrates that financing the implementation of service contracts raises a variety of challenges. The research team assessed three HIV contracting models implemented by RTCHS through stakeholder interviews (inclusive of patients), quantitative data from medical records, and a literature review. This report includes recommendations for a myriad of stakeholders with interest in expanding HIV care and treatment with a contracting out model.