​​The Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute is one of the largest research Institutes of the University of the Witwatersrand and part of the Faculty of Health Sciences. Established in 1994 as the Reproductive Health Research Unit (RHRU), the Institute was formed on 1 October 2010 through a merger with Enhancing Children’s HIV Outcomes (ECHO). Institute status was awarded by the University of the Witwatersrand in recognition of their outstanding portfolio of research.

Their extensive portfolio embraces not only research but includes programmatic support, training, policy development, health systems strengthening and technical assistance at national and international level. They are one of the largest organizations of their kind in Africa.

What They Do

Provincial & Clinical Health Programmes

The purpose of Provincial and Clinical Health Programmes is to improve delivery of quality health services for HIV and related conditions through a health systems strengthening approach. They currently work in three provinces…Gauteng, North West and Mpumalanga…and their approach includes:

• HIV prevention
• TB screening and treatment
• HIV/TB integration
• Adult and paediatric care and treatment
• Maternal health
• Primary health care support
• Monitoring and evaluation

Research Programmes

WRHI's extensive cutting-edge research portfolio is part of an international response to the HIV epidemic. Their research programme focuses on:

• HIV and related diseases
• Sexual and reproductive health

Their target population groups encompass children, adolescents, adult men and adult women.

Their scope of research includes:

• Investigator-led clinical trials
• Network trials
• HIV prevention research
• HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) prevention research
• Community engagement research

Community Programmes

WRHI's Community Programmes aim to facilitate the interface between community structures, both formal and informal, and sexual & reproductive health, through the lens of HIV services. They have a long history of serving the communities in which they work, and these connections give them unique access to at-risk populations.

Community programmes provide a package of services including:

• Risk reduction tools
• Condom distribution
• Skills-building
• HIV and STI screening and treatment
• Nutritional advice and lifestyle management
• Psychosocial support

They deliver this package of services through a number of targeted projects:

• Youth-friendly services
• Women at risk
• Men & HIV
• Mobile clinical outreach service
• Community Care Centre
• Fit for Life, Fit for Work youth training programme
• Paediatric, adolescent and caregiver support

Training

Training Department supports the Department of Health and other key partners through training initiatives. Since 2007 they have trained over 5000 Department of Health staff. They also support internal capacity-building initiatives in the areas of management, basic skills, research and technical competency. As a sustainable training entity with a strong reputation for quality training and learning, they proactively support the overarching strategy of the Institute, through:

• Internal training: technical and general skills development
• External training: support for the district-based healthy systems strengthening programme, facilitation of high-profile courses and development of new learning programmes for the health sector

Hillbrow Health Precinct

Breathing new life into the inner city, the Hillbrow Health Precinct is an internationally recognised focal point for innovation in research and training in the field of health care and community development. Firmly rooted in the community, the precinct is a unique partnership between the City of Johannesburg, the Gauteng Department of Health & Social Development and WRHI. It is a visionary, world-first health precinct addressing HIV and related diseases, poverty and urban renewal in Johannesburg’s inner city.