Our Outputs: Research, Publications & Partnerships

Pilot Projects

• Cash Antiretroviral treatment Program through Public-Private Partnerships. (Partner: GDoH)
• Mobile Men HIV Disease Management Program for Hard-to-Reach Men. (Partner: FPD/PEPFAR)
• Precancerous Cervical Screening & Treatment Program for At Risk Females. (Partner: FPD/PEPFAR)
• Nurofen 1000 Day Baby Project. (Partner: TripleEight/Reckitt Benckiser SA)

Implementation Research

• OPT-PWUD: Optimizing pre-exposure prophylaxis and treatment as prevention strategies for blood-borne pathogens among people who use drugs in a community-based setting in South Africa. (Partners: Gilead / UCT / Cepheid)
• Development of a Framework for the provision of care and support for ALHIV in The My Journey Adolescents and Young People (AYP) Programme. (Partners: NACOSA/Global Fund)
• Evaluation of OST Programme and its linkage to other Treatment Accessibility & Uptake by PWID. (Partners: NACOSA / Global Fund)
• A Decentralized Point of Service Triple Prevention & Care Model for HIV, Hepatitis B & C in PWID in sub-Saharan Africa. UCT HREC R045/2014. (Partners: UCT / Gilead / Cepheid)
• Process Evaluation of Micro-Planning as a Service Delivery Model for the People Who Inject Drugs Programme PE2021-24446. (Partners: CHAPS / NACOSA / Global Fund)
• Hepatitis C Brief Treatment Intervention for People Who Inject Drugs in Tshwane - UCT HREC R045/2014. (Partners: UCT / MSF)
• City of Tshwane Drug & Substance Abuse Network Task Team. (Partners: UP & CoT)
• Cervical Cancer Screening in RSA using Folate Receptor Mediated Staining Solution compared to Standard of Care LBC and HPV testing protocol 2019-8044044. (Partner: Ilex SA)
• TAPS Demonstration Project - Expanded use of ART for treatment And Prevention for female Sex workers in RSA WRHI046. (Partners: WITS RHI / Gates Foundation / USAID)
• A Multi-Site, Longitudinal, Prospective Protocol for Samples Collection from Singly Infected HIV, HBV or HCV Positive Donor Participants 2011-10692. (Partner: BCW)

• Saayman, E. Hechter, VB. Sishwili, NS. Sonderup, MW. (2025). A decentralized point of service triple prevention and treatment model for hepatitis b, c and HIV in people who inject drugs in South Africa. International Journal of Drug Policy, 143: 104894. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104894. Presented at World Hepatitis Summit 2024 and SA AIDS Conference 2025.
• Saayman, E., Hechter, V., Kayuni, N. et al. A simplified point-of-service model for hepatitis C in people who inject drugs in South Africa. Harm Reduct J 20, 27 (2023). DOI: 10.1186/s12954-023-00759-0. Presented as Abstract 280. Global Hepatitis Summit, Taipei, Taiwan (2021).
• Day, S. Saayman, E. Hechter, V. Ncube, N. Maja, L. Hasan, M. Process Evaluation of Microplanning as a Service Delivery Model for the NACOSA People Who Inject Drugs Programme. CHAPS & Sediba Hope Medical Centre. 2022.
• Hechter, V. Saayman, E. Sonderup, M. Kayuni, N. Clifford, E. Genedrive® Point of Care Qualitative Testing in a Pilot Hepatitis C Treatment Program. Journal of Abstracts and Conference Reports from International Workshops on Infectious Diseases & Antiviral Therapy. Reviews in Antiviral Therapy & Infections Diseases (6) 2021. Abstract 10. Presented at Conference on Liver Disease In Africa. (2021).
• Saayman, E. Hechter, V. The Rise of HCV/HIV co-infection amongst PWID’s in Tshwane. SAMA Conference (2018) & SAMA Insider (October 2018, pg. 10).
• Robyn Eakle, et al. Antiretrovirals for HIV treatment and Prevention among Female Sex Workers: Results from a Real-World Demonstration Project. PLOS (2017). PMEDICINE-D-17-02589.
• Ramdas, Nishana, Meyer, Johanna C., & Cameron, David. (2015). Factors associated with retention in HIV care at Sediba Hope Medical Centre. Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine, 16(1), 1-6. DOI: 10.4102/sajhivmed.v16i1.347

2025 Presentations (SAAIDS / INSHU)

• Hechter V, Saayman E, Day S, et al. A Peer-Centered Framework for the Provision of Care and Support for Adolescents and Young People Living with HIV in South Africa. (SAAIDS Conference)
• Clovis Dusabe, Michael Wilson, Torres Luna, Elaine Saayman. Peer-led identification of high-risk clusters of people who use drugs and are experiencing homelessness for tuberculosis chest X-ray screening at a harm reduction centre in Durban, South Africa. (SAAIDS Conference)
• Hechter V, Saayman E, Day S, et al. Factors Affecting OST Accessibility, Uptake and Retention Outcomes among People who Use Drugs in South Africa. (INSHU Conference)
• Saayman E, Mahaso M, Hechter V, et al. The Effect of Opioid Substitution Therapy on Health Outcomes in People Who Use Drugs in South Africa. (INSHU Conference)
• Saayman E, Hechter V, Andrews Y, et al. The Quality of the Community – Based Opioid Substitution Therapy Programme in Five South Africa Districts. (INSHU Conference)
• Marais M¹, Saayman E2, Maila M¹, Sishwilli N2, Bhoora, U¹. Peer navigation to improve access to HIV and hepatitis care for people who use drugs in Tshwane, South Africa. (INSHU Conference)

2024 & 2023 Presentations

• Saayman E, Hechter V. (2024) Simplified point-of-service hepatitis C care for people who inject drugs in South Africa. (International Conference on Infectious Diseases - Invited speaker).
• Saayman, E. Ncube, V. Hechter, V. et al. (2023). Peer-led Delivery of Opioid Substitution Therapy Services for People Who Inject Drugs. (PsySSA Conference - Abstract 269)
• Day, S., Saayman, E. Ncube, V. et al. (2023). State-controlled Institutions and Human Rights Violations: Navigating direct and everyday violence as People who Inject Drugs. (PsySSA Conference - Abstract 268)
• Maja, L. Day, S., Saayman, E. et al. (2023). A Micro-Planning Approach to the Documentation and Reduction of Human Rights Violations for People who Use Drugs. (PsySSA Conference - Abstract 270)
• Day, S. Saayman, E. Hechter, V. et al. (2023). Evaluation of Microplanning Outreach Methodology for Harm Reduction Interventions to People Who Inject Drugs. (SAAIDS Conference - Abstract 19).
• Saayman, E. Hechter, V. (2023). A Decade of Self-Sustaining Public-Private Partnerships in Tshwane, South Africa. (Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health: African Health Conference - Abstract 28).

2021 & Earlier

• Saayman, E. Hechter, V. (2021). Enhancing CCMDD and Antiretroviral Therapy Service Uptake through a Public-Private Partnership program in the COVID-19 era. (Southern African HIV Clinicians Society Conference).
• Saayman, E. Hechter, V. (2019). Finding Under-tested Populations for Community HIV Testing in Tshwane CBD. (9th SA AIDS Conference).
• Hechter, V. Saayman, E. (2019). A Sustainable Model for HIV Treatment & Prevention within the Non-profit Sector. (9th SA AIDS Conference).
• Saayman, E. Hechter, V. Effectiveness of the Universal Test & Treat Approach in a Hard-to-Reach Population in Tshwane. (8th SA AIDS Conference).

Contributions & Academic Mentions

• Prabdial-Sing, N., Manamela, M., et al. (2024). Eliminating Hepatitis C in South Africa: Improving testing and treatment coverage in the public healthcare sector. National Institute for Communicable Diseases; Public Health Bulletin South Africa. Link to Document.
• International Network on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU). South African Policy Brief: Viral Hepatitis in People Who Use Drugs. (2021)
• Scheibe A, Shelly S, Hugo J, et al. Harm reduction in practice – The Community Oriented Substance Use Programme in Tshwane. Afr J Prm Health Care Fam Med. 2020;12(1), a2285.
• South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (SACENDU) Research Brief, Vol 22 (2). (2020 & onwards biannually).
• Community Oriented Substance Use Programme: Pre-final Post Pilot Report (2019) & Review Report (2018). University of Pretoria.
• Slaven, F. Cameron, D. Sediba Hope Medical Centre: Creating a Self-Sustaining Model of Care. Internal Report/Document.
• Scheibe, A. et al. HIV Prevalence and Risk among People Who Inject Drugs in Five South African cities. International Journal of Drug policy (2016).
• Goyer, ME. Hepatitis C Counselling in Conditions of Limited Access to Treatment. Medecins du Monde. (2016).

Training, Stakeholder Facilitation, & Advocacy

• Panellist: Role of point of care diagnostics in hepatitis elimination symposium. World Hepatitis Summit, Lisbon (2024).
• National Institute for Communicable Disease World Hepatitis Day Education Material Videos. (2024).
• HCV case presentation – Project ECHO Viral Hepatitis in Sub Saharan (virtual mentoring) meeting, UCT. (2023).
• Challenges in Operational Management in Practice within an NGO setting in South Africa – UP Public Health. (2023).
• INHSU. Connecting with Care South Africa Documentary. (2020). (View Documentary)
• Finance and Monitoring and Evaluation Mentor for City of Tshwane Drug and Substance Abuse Network Grantees (2018 -2019).
• Upcoming: Treatment Action Group Storytelling (documentary) of people from historically disadvantaged backgrounds treated for hepatitis C. (2025).
• Upcoming: Stakeholder workshop and report Provision of Care and Support for ALHIV in the My Journey Adolescents and Young People (AYP) Programme and a Peer Support Model Framework. NACOSA. (2025).