South Africa has a national clinical guideline for implementation of the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy (CTOP) Act from 2019. However, there was a need to have one standard national training materials as different institutions are using different training materials. As we know, capacity building of health workers is a key activity to increase the number of health workers and improve their skills and attitude towards SRHR and particularly abortion- related services and SRHR services for underserved groups.

The National Department of Health (NDOH) therefore developed a framework which aims to provide a comprehensive SRHR training package, which will be used for training health care workers and other relevant stakeholders on comprehensive SRHR. WHO organized a dissemination workshop of the Consolidated Guidelines on Self-Care Interventions from 09-13 November 2020. This workshop helped finalizing the training package.

The training package was disseminated during a national meeting organized by the NDOH from 14-19 March 2021. “The national meeting helped to bring the different SRH managers (face to face and virtual) from all provinces to get familiarized with the first standardized, consolidated training package that covers the whole spectrum of SRHR. Service providers will have a menu option to select and get equipped to provide quality services. Availing all the modules in the NDOH knowledge hub will soon help the health service provider achieve continuous capacity development (coupled with clinical mentoring and clinical skills demonstrations at bedside) during the period of COVID-19 pandemic and beyond at the service provider. The learning process includes theory, practice and mentorship which
is the hybrid of learning and clinical-based training method. 

The e-learning of the training package contains 14 self-paced modules and modules should be completed into two weeks once started. Learning sessions including multiple choice questions should be completed in 72 hours once started. To be certified for each specific module or entire curriculum each module should be completed.

Each SRHR training package module has its own learning session. The CTOP module has five learning session, which includes recapping and application of cross cutting SRHR, clinical care and development of embryo and fetus, medical termination of pregnancy, surgical termination of pregnancy and public health perspectives and post abortion care.

The process of developing the SRHR training package development included situational analysis, consultation with key partners, formulation of the training package, developing the training package, validating the training package and uploading the material on the DOH e-learning Hub.

During the process, the situational analysis showed that there is a need for accreditation, careful selection of participants, presence of enough mentorship for face to face and clinical part of training and rationales to opt for hybrid form of training with e-learning platform where highlighted.