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Winner: Women & Girls
REGION: SOUTH AFRICA
INDUSTRY TYPE: HEALTH CARE PRODUCTS
WEBSITE: www.jnj.com
In 2005, Johnson & Johnson formed a partnership with m2m in South Africa to provide comprehensive services for preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT).
Goal
To reduce the number of babies born with HIV, help women access medical care for themselves and their families, and help mothers battle the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS within their families and their communities.
Program Scope
The program operates in three communities adjacent to the company’s commercial and manufacturing facilities in South Africa. Over the last three years, the program has steadily expanded from delivering m2m services at two health care facilities to 16 sites across East London, Port Elizabeth, and Retreat.
Outcomes
- In 2007, the Johnson & Johnson and m2m partnership provided services to more than 7,400 pregnant women in South Africa.
- Of the women counseled through the m2m program, 77% consented to testing and more than 1,060 HIV-positive women received psychosocial support and care throughout the pregnancy to successfully participate in PMTCT services.
- In 2007, m2m employed nearly 500 MMs. The m2m program currently includes approximately 65 site coordinators—about a third were former MMs.
- Compared to baseline data, rates of women agreeing to HIV testing have often doubled following the introduction of the m2m program. At the Chris Hani Clinic in East London, for example, testing rates dramatically increased from 40% to nearly 100% within one year of implementation.
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is a leading manufacturer of health care products, as well as a provider of related services, for the consumer, pharmaceutical, and medical devices and diagnostics markets. J&J’s 119,500 employees at more than 250 companies work with partners in health care to touch the lives of over a billion people every day, throughout the world.
THE WINNING PROGRAM
The partnership between Johnson & Johnson and mothers2mothers (m2m) in South Africa was borne out of a mutual commitment to preventing-mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) by enhancing the uptake of PMTCT services. m2m utilizes an innovative model of engaging HIV-positive women who are new mothers to serve as Mentor Mothers (MMs) to pregnant women. The support from peer mothers is critical to providing a stigma-free environment that encourages them to get tested, access the necessary health services to prevent transmission to their unborn child, and disclose their status to their families. m2m hires and trains MMs as an integral part of the health system and empowers them with education and employment tools that can be leveraged outside of m2m.
J&J supports m2m as a financial partner but also works closely with m2m to enhance monitoring & evaluation (M&E) tools and provide strategic counsel on key aspects of the m2m model.
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
Engagement of Peers to Provide a Stigma-Free Environment
In South African communities where the stigma of HIV/AIDS prevents many from seeking necessary health services, the psychosocial support provided by peer mothers is critical. The MMs foster a level of support and trust for the personal and life-changing decisions required to consent to testing and participate in PMTCT services.
Working With All Partners to Facilitate Implementation
m2m coordinates with local governments to determine provincial priorities and integrate m2m sites into existing health care facilities. Together, they review any potential policy changes and ensure that local health care needs are met. Simultaneously, m2m works closely with Johnson & Johnson to regularly assess the m2m model to ensure that program impact is effectively captured.
BROADLY APPLICABLE PRINCIPLES
Professional Development Fuels Economic Empowerment
MMs are hired to be an integral member of the health care team for a 13-month term. This allows for a new group of MMs to be empowered with educational and economic tools annually. Upon completion of the term, former MMs can apply to become a site coordinator to manage MMs assigned to a site or leverage their new skills to seek alternative opportunities in the community.
Evolving M&E Tools Enhance Program Effectiveness
m2m is committed to continuously refining its metrics to ensure that program impact is effectively captured despite environmental changes. As South Africa moves away from opt-in testing, m2m’s M&E team is shifting the priorities of its antenatal and postnatal metrics to better account for program impact amidst policy changes .In 2005, Johnson & Johnson formed a partnership with m2m in South Africa to provide comprehensive services for preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT).