The HIV-911 Programme is a comprehensive guide to close to 13 000 HIV-related support services in South Africa. HIV-911 strives to ensure that the HIV-911 database is accessible to all South Africans. Anyone can use HIV-911 to provide information on where to locate HIV-related services and support in any area of the country.

HIV-911 also enables organisations to:

• Network more effectively with one another.
• Identify potential partners and collaborators for projects.
• Easily locate and recommend supplementary support services for their clients.

You can access the database in a number of ways:

• You can search HIV-911 online via the website homepage
• Call the data collection/referral line on 0860 HIV 911/0860 448 911
• Order provincial directories by calling 031 260 3052. Directories are distributed for free to each member of the referral network, public health facilities and medical practitioners.
• Try our pilot mobile directory by calling *120*impilo# from a mobile phone (Umkhanyakude, KZN only)
• Access the HIV-911 database via the National AIDS Helpline on 0800 012 322
• To add your organisation to the HIV-911 database, please contact Project Director, Debbie Heustice, on [email protected]

Coming soon:

• finding your nearest HIV/AIDS Service provider on The Grid - SMS 33314 and download instructions will be sent to your mobile phone.
• a mobile directory of Registered NPOs offering Children Services country wide - call *120*kids#
• a mobile directory of all HIV-related services country wide - call *120*448#

Staffing:
HIV-911 is staffed by a team of 16 people. We have consistently ensured that its staffing is broadly representative of the South African population. The main language groupings in the country are represented in the Data Collection Centre, ensuring that HIV Service Providers calling the referral line can converse in a language in which they are comfortable. Data Collection Centre staff come from diverse backgrounds and range in age and race group.

The HIV-911 Database:
The HIV-911 database currently holds information on close to 13 000 HIV-related support services country-wide. For each organisation one or a number of HIV-related services are detailed, with operating days, times and costs provided. Service areas covered include testing, treatment, counselling, home community based care, welfare advice, nutrition, public health services and assistance for vulnerable children to education, research and faith-based support and services. Increasingly HIV-911 incorporates other areas of health and welfare information. The data base is updated continually and new organisations and services are added on a daily basis. HIV-911 Management team continually engage with and establish collaborative arrangements with organisations that have databased information so as avoid duplication of effort and ensure that HIV-911 covers the full spectrum of HIV-related support services in the country.

Data Collection / Referral Line:
The HIV-911 Data Collection Centre telephone lines are operated by carefully selected and trained full-time staff and, occasionally, student volunteers. Operating hours are 07h30 to 16h30 during which time the telephone lines are manned for both data collection and referral. In addition to the national data collection efforts outlined above, HIV-911 staff regularly respond to requests to update data from a variety of organisations.

HIV-911 Website and Online Directory:
The online directory provides another means by which individuals and organisations from across South Africa can access the HIV-911 database. A new, intuitive “Google-like” search feature is now running on our website.

It is also possible to search the Children Services Directory of NPOs that HIV-911 has helped to create. HIV-911 is a data publisher for this service and it can be accessed from the home page of the HIV-911 website.

HIV-911 now also has an active presence on Facebook and you can join our group here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=126981516748

You can keep updated on HIV-911 activities by following our twitter stream on: http://twitter.com/HIV911

National Hard Copy Directory Series:
On 29 November 2007, the HIV-911 Programme launched its first hard copy national directory series of HIV-related services. This project has been well received both nationally and internationally. Each series consists of a staggered set of nine provincial directories. The final three provincial directories from Series 2 are currently being disseminated. Data collection for Series 3 commenced on 1 October 2009. Hard copy provincial directories are disseminated each year on a province by province basis to all organisations on the HIV-911 database, government stakeholders, hospitals, clinics and clinicians. Over the course of Series 1, over 22 000 directories were distributed across South Africa. In Series 2 this number has increased to over 26 000. It is a huge challenge and achievement for HIV-911 to be able to maintain an up to date national directory of HIV-related support services. Most organisations encompass more than one area of service. HIV-911’s provincial directory series has been partially made possible by the generous support of the American people through USAID/PEPFAR. This is a partnership project with the Foundation for Professional Development (FPD) and the South African Medical Association (SAMA).

As noted above, HIV-911 is also working with the Population Council and Westat on a CD-Rom and set of nine hard copy directories for NPOs working with Orphans and Vulnerable Children. Called, the Children Services Directory, this project is also funded by USAID/PEPAR. A composite CD-Rom version encompassing all nine provincial Children Services Directories will be disseminated in early 2010. Hard copy directories will also be disseminated on a province by province basis from early 2010.

Partnerships
HIV-911 thanks it’s generous funders and sponsors for their support. Please click here for a full list of funders and sponsors.

HIVAN is continually seeking new partnerships and opportunities to expand the reach of the HIV-911 database.
You can read more about our flourishing partnerships here

Current partners include:
Foundation for Professional Development: key partners enabling the publication of the general HIV-911 directory and assisting HIV-911 / HIVAN to provide a number of capacity building forums to its staff and the HIV/AIDS-service sector in South Africa.

HIV-911 is a partner of the FPD through the Compass Project. This FPD initiative strives to assist communities to respond effectively to HIV through three key programmes:1) an HIV and AIDS Mapping and Research Centre to achieve accurate epidemiological data and gap analysis for communities; 2) Information and Resource Collaboration for locating HIV and AIDS services/organisations; and 3) Organisational Development and Capacity Building through organisational needs assessments, benchmarking and skills building for community organisations.

Population Council, Westat and the national Department of Social Development (DSD): partner HIV-911 in the production of the Children’s Services Directory for NPOs.

Cell-Life provides technical expertise in the development of mobile phone applications for HIV-911 programme and enables HIV-911 to connect with its data base more regularly through the provision of free sms bundles.

HIV-911 is working with Vodacom’s “The Grid” to ensure that all Grid users have access to HIV-911’s database.

AMREF (African Medical Research Foundation) partners with HIV-911 in the Impilo! Health in my Hand project in Umkhanyakude.

Letters of support from provincial government in a number of provinces have been obtained to endorse the HIV-911 project and its directories.

Several Provincial AIDS Councils and major NGO coalitions in the country actively engage with and support HIV-911’s data collection efforts e.g. AIDS Consortium, NACOSA and Eastern Cape NGO Coalition.

A partnership with Higher Education South Africa’s AIDS Programme (HEAIDS) is facilitating the use of HIV-911 Programme as a support service to the higher education sector.

Similarly, HIV-911 collaborates with the corporate sector through the SA Business Coalition Against HIV/AIDS (SABCOHA).

A number of faith-based collaborations ensure that efforts of this sector are reflected in the database eg World Conference on Religion and Peace; International Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV/AIDS (INERELA); the Inter-religious Council (KZN), Islamic Medical Association (IMA), Positive Muslims, Religious Sector HIV/AIDS Task Team of the South African National AIDS Council (RSHATT), Anglican AIDS & Healthcare Trust, and HIV & AIDS Mission Unit – The Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA).

The South African Medical Association (SAMA) has been instrumental in ensuring that HIV-911’s hard copy directory series is printed as cost effectively as possible and that copies are distributed efficiently to all stakeholders. HIV-911 is currently working with CellLife and immedia to facilitate HIV-911 data base queries from mobile phones.

HIV-911 is represented on the Management Committee of the National Social Welfare Forum (NSWF) and is an active participant in its national, provincial and regional forum structures.

HIV-911 is represented on the SA National AIDS Council (SANAC) structures as a member of the NGO Sector Executive Committee. HIV-911 plays an active role in the Communications Task Team of the Programme Implementation Committee, SANAC.

Immedia and East Coast Access (ECA) provide information technology support in the development and hosting of the HIV-911 database, servers and website.

Accolades and Awards:
The importance of HIV-911 was recognised when it was awarded the 2007 Unitech Excellence Awardfor Community Development. Unitech is the association of marketing, communications and public relations practitioners at SA Higher Education Institutions and Further Education and Training Colleges. The theme for the 2007 Congress was “Changing Lanes: Global Best Practices in Marketing, Communications and Advancement.” HIV-911 is a flagship programme of the Centre for HIV/AIDS Networking (HIVAN), University of KwaZulu-Natal. HIVAN constantly receives feedback from uses of the HIV-911 Programme. For endorsements of HIV-911 Programme, see http://www.HIV911.org.za/?page_id=37