About Us

CHIVA Africa is designed on the medical-apprentice approach: "see one, do one, teach one."

This is a dynamic and sustainable model which not only mobilises the current workforce but ensures success and development for the future.

We have been working mainly in KwaZulu Natal (KZN) since 2004. This is a collaborative arrangement between the University and Department of Health in KZN and the Children's HIV Association of the UK and Ireland.

Since this programme began, there have been significant improvements in confidence levels and practical skills developed by health care professionals in KZN.

The teaching and mentoring process has been instructive for very experienced UK based staff as they have reflected on their own practice. They have taken innovative ideas being implemented in KZN back to the UK.

Due to the huge numbers of patients in KZN, most of our colleagues have now treated larger numbers of HIV-related issues than we have in the UK.

Four years on, we are excited to be combining the breadth of experience in our KZN colleagues with the longitudinal expertise of our UK volunteers. Our new teams are even stronger than the original teams and have started work in the Eastern Cape this year.