C O U N T R Y B R I E F

SOUTH AFRICA

WHO WE ARE

University Research Co., LLC (URC) is a global

company dedicated to improving the quality

of health care, social services, and health

education worldwide. With our non-profit

affiliate, the Center for Human Services (CHS),

URC manages projects in over 40 countries,

including the United States.

Since 1965, URC has earned a reputation of

technical excellence and innovation through

work with more than 60 national governments,

the private sector, and US federal, state and

local government agencies. We also work

closely with nongovernmental organizations in

the US and abroad.

WHAT WE DO

We offer technical assistance to improve the

quality and reach of health and education

systems by empowering communities and

workers to identify and scale up locally

appropriate solutions to critical problems.

Internationally, URC expands access to and

improves the quality of services addressing

education; maternal, newborn, and child

health; infectious diseases including HIV/

AIDS, TB, and malaria; reproductive health

and family planning; food and nutrition; mental

health; and vulnerable children and families.

OUR WORK IN SOUTH AFRICA

URC began its work in South Africa in 2004 under the Quality Assurance

Project. Since then, URC has provided technical assistance to strengthen

South Africa’s health system, with particular expertise in tuberculosis

control. URC’s current portfolio includes:

n The Tuberculosis South Africa Project (TBSAP) provides technical

assistance to the Government of South Africa in order to reduce the

burden of tuberculosis and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB)

in the country. The project works to reduce TB infections, increase the

sustainability of effective TB response systems, and improve the care and

treatment of vulnerable populations. TBSAP builds upon interventions

and achievements from URC’s current USAID TB CARE II South Africa

and the prior TB South Africa project. The USAID TB CARE II South Africa

Project trained over 20,000 South African health care workers in TB

screening, care and treatment, increased TB screening among HIV-

positive clients in the Project’s facilities from 75% to 96%, and increased

HIV counseling and testing uptake in TB patients from 76% to 92%.

n The USAID-funded Applying Science to Strengthen and Improve Systems

(ASSIST) Project works with facility level, district and provincial health

managers in 20 districts across five provinces to support planning,

implementation, evaluation and documentation. ASSIST also works

in 100 PEPFAR-supported sites to improve medical male circumcision

services by integrating continuous quality improvement. Between May

2014 and June 2016, there was documented improvement in each of the

eight modified WHO CQI VMMC standards by over 40%.

A boy receives his new backpack imprinted with information about the prevention

and treatment of TB.

JULY 2016

In the US, URC focuses on improving communication related to

issues like substance abuse, with a particular focus on reaching

underserved populations. For all of our projects, our technical and

managerial staff provide services to our partners including short-

and long-term technical assistance, planning and management

training and support, procurement assistance, communications

and outreach, and capacity building, among many others.

HOW WE WORK

URC focuses on finding ways to deliver proven approaches to health

care problems, applying quality improvement (QI) methods and

conducting research and evaluation to tailor those approaches

to various settings. Recognizing implementation barriers unique

to each setting, we train local managers and service providers to

apply QI methods to strengthen health systems, integrate system

elements, and bring improvements to scale. URC also specializes

in designing health messages and materials to educate target

audiences about improving health behaviors. URC’s approaches

include Quality Improvement, Health Systems Strengthening, Health

Communication and Behavior Change, and Research and Evaluation.

WHERE WE WORK

Headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, URC works in Asia, Europe

and Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East,

sub-Saharan Africa, and the United States. We have worked in

over 80 countries in every world region.

Some of our clients include:

n US Agency for International Development

n Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

n Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria

n Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

n UNICEF

n World Health Organization

n US Department of Health and Human Services

5404 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 800

Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815 USA

+1 301 654-8338

www.urc-chs.com

Block B, Rigel Park Offices, 446 Rigel Ave,

South Erusmasrand 0181, Pretoria

+27 12 484 9300

Tuberculosis South Africa Project

USAID Applying Science to Strengthen and Improve Systems (ASSIST) Project