Taryn Townsend

The Anova Health Institute is proud to announce its appointment, through a competitive selection process, as a sub-recipient under two Global Fund Grant Cycle 7 (GC7) programmes, implemented in partnership with the prime recipients The Aurum Institute and NACOSA. The grants will run from October 2025 to March 2028. These awards reflect the confidence of our partners in Anova’s technical expertise, strong implementation track record, and ability to deliver high-impact HIV prevention and care programmes for populations disproportionately affected by the epidemic. Johannesburg: PWUD and MSM/TG Programmes (Aurum-led Global Fund GC7 Grant) Under the Aurum-led Global Fund GC7 grant, Anova will implement comprehensive HIV prevention and care services for people who inject drugs (PWID), as well as men who have sex with men and transgender people (MSM/TGP) in the Johannesburg district. Building on Anova’s long-standing JabSmart and key populations programmes, this work will integrate harm reduction services, HIV testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), antiretroviral therapy (ART), mental health support, human rights interventions, and peer-led outreach. The programme is designed to ensure that services are accessible, affirming, community-informed, and responsive to lived realities of the populations served. Cape Town: NACOSA-led My Journey Young People Programme My Journey is a national programme funded by the Global Fund through NACOSA and will be implemented by Anova in two sub-districts in the City of Cape Town. My The My Journey Programme is a national initiative building on youth-focused programmes supported by the Global Fund since 2016. The Programme is designed to reduce HIV incidence among adolescent girls and young women by strengthening agency, expanding choice, and increasing access to youth-friendly, integrated services. The brand was co-developed with young people in 2021 to ensure an engaging and relatable identity for the programme. Aligned with South Africa’s National Strategic Plan on HIV, TB and STIs, the programme contributes to national efforts to reduce new infections and address structural drivers of vulnerability. Anova brings extensive experience in delivering layered HIV prevention interventions, sexual and reproductive health services, psychosocial support, and strong referral systems for adolescents and young people. Our approach remains youth-centred, data-driven, and firmly grounded in human rights principles. Looking Ahead Securing these two Global Fund GC7 awards marks an important milestone in Anova’s organisational journey. They are a testament to the dedication and resilience of our teams, the strength of our partnerships, and our collective commitment to rebuilding and strengthening South Africa’s HIV response. We look forward to the next two and a half years of meaningful collaboration and measured impact, as we work alongside communities and partners toward ending the HIV epidemic in South Africa. About the Anova Health Institute: Anova Health Institute is a leading South African non-profit organisation that empowers people and changes lives. We believe that good health is the foundation of dignity, opportunity, and quality of life — and this belief drives us every day. For over two decades, Anova has partnered with government, funders, healthcare workers, and communities to deliver high-quality, donor-funded public health programmes that expand access to care for those who need it most. Our work goes beyond providing services; we are committed to strengthening systems, supporting frontline providers, and ensuring that individuals and communities are met with compassion, respect, and excellence in care. Anova manages funding from major international and local partners, including the Global Fund, Elma Philanthropies and the Department of Health, and is widely recognised as a credible and trusted implementing partner in the public health sector. We are proud of our strong governance, sound financial management, and consistent clean audits, underpinned by robust internal controls. With extensive experience establishing and managing community-based clinical and outreach sites, Anova combines technical expertise with deep community engagement — delivering measurable impact while remaining grounded in the people and partnerships at the heart of our mission.

Every year, World Mental Health Day invites us not only to reflect, but to face a difficult truth: mental health remains the silent emergency within South Africa’s health system. This year’s theme, “Access to Services: Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies,” is a powerful reminder that in our rural communities, there can be no true health without mental health. For too long, mental health has been treated as a luxury, or worse, a stigma to be whispered about in clinics and homes. Yet, in rural districts like John Taolo Gaetsewe, ZF Mgcawu (in the Northern Cape), and Thabazimbi (in Limpopo), the realities of poverty, unemployment, gender-based violence, HIV, and substance use mean that mental health is not peripheral, it is central. Without addressing depression, anxiety, trauma, and substance use we cannot realistically expect sustained gains in HIV prevention, adherence, or broader sexual and reproductive health. At Anova Health Institute, through the Ke Botlhokwa Mental Health Programme, aptly named “I Matter” and funded by the Sishen Iron Ore Company- Community Development Trust (SIOC-CDT), we have learned that solutions must be both innovative and localized. We are not waiting for psychiatrists to arrive in every village. Instead, we are investing in capacity building, equipping nurses, lay counsellors, and community health workers to screen, manage, and refer clients with mental health concerns. We are embedding mental health and psychosocial support into the everyday flow of chronic care, in clinics and other places where most people already seek help. And we are seeing the ripple effects: more young women accessing contraception, more men opening up in support groups, and more families recognizing that mental health care is not shameful, but a pathway to healing. But progress is fragile. Our data shows the challenge of keeping screening consistent, reducing the drop-offs between identifying a need and ensuring treatment, and the constant fight to retain skilled health workers in rural facilities. These challenges can be addressed if we keep investing in mental health, working together on policy, and building trust within our communities. This World Mental Health Day, our appeal is simple, let us reframe the conversation. Mental health in rural South Africa is not an add-on. It is the backbone of sustainable development, the foundation for healthier communities, and the catalyst for dignity and hope. We owe it to the young woman in Thabazimbi who, after losing a loved one and surviving gender-based violence, finds the courage to turn to the programme for support. We owe it to the elderly man in Kuruman who quietly shares his struggles with alcohol after decades of silence. And we owe it to every health worker on the frontlines, who carry the weight of a system that is only beginning to take mental health seriously.