The Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) is the centre’s flagship programme and equips students with the knowledge and competencies to manage all facets of HIV and Aids in the world of work, from epidemiology and sociocultural aspects to policies and programmes. Many of the principles can be applied to other epidemics and health threats, increasing the scope and relevance of the qualification and making a tangible difference in communities across Africa and the world.
What the PgDip in HIV/Aids Management can do for you
Through the PgDip course Mekolle Julius Enongene, a consultant and technical specialist with FHI 360 in Cameroon, discovered a new perspective on HIV/Aids that transformed the way he viewed his work. This deeper understanding of the socioeconomic impacts of the disease ─ seeing it as more than just a biological phenomenon ─ allowed him to shape strategic planning and enhance the effectiveness of HIV projects in his community. His story is one of many.
Feedback from the 2023 PgDip graduates is testament to the qualification’s relevance and practical value.
“I now have a better understanding of the ways in which strategic HR management could contribute to decision-making in organisations, while considering the impact of epidemics and pandemics on the workforce,” says Blaise Lukau, a medical doctor and study manager at SolidarMed in Lesotho. Lukau has since graduated with the MPhil in HIV/Aids Management from the Africa Centre as well.
For Nothemba Nqayi, understanding the potential impact of making medicine and (mobile) clinics available at the workplace was a highlight: “It eradicates missed appointments and medication non-adherence, improving staff wellbeing. In addition, it is time- and cost-efficient for both employees and employers.”
In his role as a clinical nurse practitioner at the Tshwane University of Technology, Noko Lucky Morakaladi says the PgDip has been invaluable: “The diploma has been my stronghold in disseminating evidence-based information on issues relating to HIV and Aids and has assisted me in analysing current data and formulating policy.”
With its holistic and comprehensive view of all the complexities of HIV/Aids, the PgDip also provides a foundation for further research. Chambalson Chambal, an engagement officer at UNOPS in Mozambique, is currently enrolled in the Africa Centre’s PhD programme. One of his PgDip course assignments inspired his PhD research, which focuses on HIV policy, specifically the perceptions of public health professionals toward HIV criminalisation.
Why doing a PgDip in HIV/Aids Management now is more important than ever
But is HIV/Aids still a threat? The world is after all facing many other geopolitical and socio economic challenges. Dr Burt Davis, interim director of the Africa Centre, explains, “Although the number of new HIV infections and Aids-related deaths have declined from the peak in the mid-1990s, about 1,3 million people were still newly infected in 2023. This is way above what will be required for the world to end the epidemic in the next few years.”
Regional prevalence of HIV/Aids makes the need for education, training and action even more pertinent. Of the estimated 40 million people globally who are living with HIV, about 26 million are in Africa, with approximately 8 million in South Africa (and a quarter of them not on antiretroviral therapy).
How the PgDip in HIV/Aids Management is presented
The PgDip offers a hybrid learning approach that provides unparalleled flexibility, allowing students to balance their studies with professional and personal commitments. The course includes a summer and winter school in Stellenbosch as well as regular interactive online sessions. Due to the Africa Centre’s ties with industry organisations such as UNAIDS, the speakers at these events often provide students with the opportunity to engage with leaders in the field and the latest insights.
In addition to the Africa Centre’s own lecturers, the centre contracts external local and international experts each year to present the various modules. The 2023 programme, for example, included the likes of Dr Guy Lamboly Kumboneki (SADC Secretariat), Prof Sarah Bosha (O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law), Dr Jenika Gobind (Wits Business School) and Dr Takiyah White Ndwanya (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign).
Applications for the PgDip enrolment for 2025 close on 30 November 2024. Find out more about the programme and apply here. DM