Virgin Unite

Bhubezi

Get involved

Sign In

Join Us

You are here:  Skip Navigation LinksHome > Initiatives > Bhubezi > The buzz

Bookmark & share

Help spread the word by sharing this page with others.
Bookmark and Share

A new model for HIV treatment in South Africa

Virgin Unite

20 Nov 2007 Virgin Unite

In rural South Africa, communities are still struggling to provide decent healthcare, especially for those suffering from TB, HIV and AIDS. Like the Mpumalanga province, where 100,000 people have very limited health facilities and an estimated 20% have HIV.

So, together with the US Government (PEPFAR/USAID), Anglo Coal and the Ndlovu Medical Centre, Virgin Unite launched an innovative, public-private partnership to tackle HIV/AIDS and improve healthcare.

The result is the Bhubezi Community Healthcare Centre - a one-stop centre for basic healthcare, TB, HIV and AIDS care. In just six months, the clinic has helped more than 4,000 patients. That’s 4,000 people who would never before have had access to this kind of care.

This is one ambitious health centre. It plans to grow and could serve thousands of patients a month, and offer new services, including an ambitious prevention programme to help reduce HIV and TB infections within the community.

Bhubezi needed to succeed, so we worked with social entrepreneur Dr Hugo Templeman. He was instrumental in developing and managing the Bhubezi clinic, basing it on the successful Ndlovu Medical Centre which he launched in Moutse Township. Ndlovu has an outstanding record of providing care, support and treatment for people with HIV and AIDS.

Together an amazing group of organisations has come together to build Bhubezi and keep it running. Here’s how it breaks down: -

USAID/PEPFAR: £700,000, with £2 million more on its way based on performance
Anglo Coal: £400,000
Virgin Unite: £400,000

Virgin Unite and Anglo Coal will also be providing additional financial support to cover the management costs in the first few years.

While Bhubezi will provide HIV, TB and Malaria treatment free of charge, some primary health services will be financed through cost-sharing schemes with patients, to help the clinic become self-sufficient, so it stays in service for years to come.

The centre gives a boost to local employment too. Alongside Bhubezi, Pride ‘n Purpose, the charitable arm of Sir Richard Branson's Private Game Reserve, Ulusaba, will help launch locally-run businesses that will provide economic freedom and reduce unemployment in the local community. Everyone wins.