Evaluation of the PEPFAR/USAID Asibonisane Community Responses Program in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Few programs intended to improve HIV outcomes or modulate gender norms have been rigorously evaluated in South Africa’s informal settlements where nearly 400,000 people live in KwaZulu Natal province alone. There is limited evidence on how to implement large-scale HIV-prevention programming in these contexts. Project SOAR and partners are addressing these knowledge gaps by conducting an evaluation of the PEPFAR/USAID-funded Asibonisane Community Responses Program in South Africa. Specifically, the study will assess the effectiveness of this community-based HIV-prevention program in informal settlements throughout KwaZulu-Natal—one of four provinces where the program is being carried out. This study aims to influence the achievement of two key objectives of South Africa’s National Strategic Plan on HIV—addressing social and structural drivers of HIV and reaching all vulnerable populations with comprehensive services and interventions