Media Release

Monday, 08 September 2025

 

50 Plus Projects NPO is proud to announce its selection to present at the 2025 South African AIDS Conference, an essential event for advancing public health, leaving no one behind. Our presentation will highlight the STEPSSA 50 Plus Scoping Project (2023-2024), which examined the extent to which services related to prevention, treatment, and care for individuals aged 50 and above are integrated within the HIV response framework. The Scoping exercise was coined “strengthening prevention, treatment, and psychosocial support for older persons living with HIV, aged 50 and above in the Test and Treat era”, grounded in a mixed methodological approach that included Listening – Open Public sessions, Focused Group Discussions, Key Informant interviews, Interview with subject experts, people Living with HIV Long Term as well as a structured questionnaire to arrive at evidence-based advocacy.

 

Strategic Partnership and Evidence-Based Advocacy

Thembi Ngubane-Zungu, Executive Director of 50 Plus Projects NPO, says, “Our inclusion marks a watershed for older South Africans living with HIV, often an underserved demographic in national health programming. The STEPSSA 50 Plus Scoping Project has generated rigorous, participatory data to inform and influence national HIV policy, utilising advanced monitoring and evaluation (M&E) techniques for adaptive learning and scalable solutions. We will leverage the conference to forge multisectoral partnerships and share replicable, cost-effective interventions tailored for ageing populations”.

 

Advanced Communication and Influencing National Policy

Paddy Sipho Nhlapo, Advocacy, Communications, and Social Mobilisation Director, adds, “Our evidence-rich approach amplifies the lived realities of older persons. We use storytelling grounded in quantitative and qualitative data, ensuring voices are both recorded and recognised in national policy dialogue. By engaging key opinion leaders and government decision-makers, we strategically reposition ageing and HIV as central pillars in public health architecture. This will facilitate uptake of our model and catalyse sustainable change across provincial health systems”.

 

Systems Strengthening and Multi-Dimensional Impact

Ngubane-Zungu highlights, “We call on the National Department of Health and the Department of Social Development for support for this initiative. Both are responsible for various components that directly affect ageing populations. In addition to funding, we would like a meaningful partnership that is embedded within the GIPA and MIPA principles. We aim to provide our staff and colleagues with opportunities to attend conferences and engagement platforms such as the SA AIDS Conference. This will foster transdisciplinary knowledge exchange, disseminate outcome findings, and reinforce capacity-building for evidence translation in real-time. Our participation ensures the meaningful involvement of older persons in monitoring their care pathways, bridging the gap between policy and community realities”.

 

Integrated Care and Equity

Nhlapo states, “Older South Africans living with HIV face compounded health risks: multimorbidity (including hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease), social isolation, and ongoing stigma. Our STEPSSA 50+ Scoping Study—the first of its kind nationally—utilises advanced analytic methods to identify gaps and opportunities. We provide empirical evidence to design age-friendly, integrated HIV care, fully aligned with the National Strategic Plan for HIV, TB, and STIs (2023–2028).

 

Commitment and Forward Momentum

Ngubane-Zungu concludes, “As a newly registered NPO, we demonstrate transparent governance, accountability, and impact-driven innovation. Supporting our delegation to the SA AIDS Conference will accelerate our journey toward health equity, ensuring monitoring and evaluation insights drive programme scale-up for the 50+ cohort. Together, we will move from data to action, keeping older South Africans at the centre of the solution”.

 

For media enquiries or partnership opportunities, contact 50 Plus Projects NPO at [info@50plusprojects.org.za].

Contact: Paddy Nhlapo on 073 600 5111

 

ENDS