Modern ART for South Africa

Modern ART is here to provide clear, easy and accurate information about HIV treatment and care in South Africa.

• What is Modern ART for South Africa?

  Modern ART is here to provide clear, easy and accurate information about HIV treatment and care in South Africa.

  We aim to give you all the basic information you need to get the best out of your HIV treatment and care.

  This includes information for people living with HIV and starting ART for the first time, and for those in different circumstances, such as pregnancy or if you need to switch treatment. We also look at other infections such as TB.

  We also have information on PrEP to help HIV-negative people avoid getting HIV.

• Why the name “Modern ART”?

  Modern ART stands for “modern antiretroviral treatment”. Despite many campaigns to educate people about HIV, there is still a lot of stigma about it in our communities. We decided to name our project Modern ART and use vibrant colours and exciting designs to get the message out.

• How it all began…

  Modern ART started in 2017 to support the transition to dolutegravir in South Africa with community materials – and to support a study of the same drug. The study – called the ADVANCE trial – compared two dolutegravir-based ART combinations to an efavirenz one. The project was funded by Unitaid.

• A collaboration

  Modern ART is a collaboration between the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and Ezintsha. Our materials are developed by HIV treatment activists and trainers, along with communication professionals – and reviewed by medical professionals and people living with HIV.

• About TAC

  Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) fights for the rights of people living with HIV and public healthcare users through monitoring, advocacy and campaigning. TAC works to ensure access to dignified, quality healthcare for all – with specific focus on prevention, treatment, care and support services for people living with HIV, TB and other key populations.

  Founded in 1998, TAC’s activism and litigation helped establish the world’s largest free ART programme here in South Africa. Today the organisation has over 8,000 members across 265 branches in eight provinces.

• About Ezintsha

  Ezintsha is a medical technologies research and policy unit at Wits University that focuses on finding health solutions for the big challenges facing public sector patients in southern Africa.

• The library is open!

  We have made videos, booklets, posters, a website and an app. More than a million of our leaflets have been distributed to communities across South Africa, and many public clinics and hospitals display our posters.

  In our community events we connect with and inform people, while our team of graffiti artists creates murals. We have rolled out Modern ART to all TAC branches across the country.

  Find our materials on our website and app.

• Printed materials

  We have these booklets available:

  • Starting ART
  • ART, Pregnancy & Women’s Health
  • ART & TB
  • Switching & 2nd-line ART
  • Advanced HIV Disease
  • The Modern ART for South Africa App
  • PrEP

  And posters:

  • Starting ART
  • ART, Pregnancy & Women’s Health
  • ART & TB
  • Switching & 2nd-line ART
  • Advanced HIV Disease
  • ART Packaging in South Africa

• Community events

  TAC branches organise vibey social mobilisation activities all over South Africa. Find out how to join a TAC branch on our website: www.tac.org.za

• Informative Videos

  We have a selection of informative treatment-related videos on our website and on YouTube.

• Website & Tools

  Carry all the info you need in your pocket! The website contains all of the printed information and offers some handy treatment adherence tools which can help you with taking your ART.
  To use these, you only need an email address* to set up a profile. Add it to your homescreen and use it like an app!

  *We adhere to very strict privacy and security measures and will never share your information with anyone else.

• South Africa... and beyond

  Most of our activities are in South Africa, but some of our materials have been used by community organisations in other countries on the continent. Please contact us if you are interested in our materials!

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