As part of Swaziland’s efforts to meet the challenges of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the Ministry of Health has looked to the IntraHealth International-led Southern Africa Human Capacity Development (SAHCD) Coalition for advice on improving the service delivery of its health care system. The coalition’s efforts recently culminated in plans for a new organizational structure for the ministry that will add 11 senior-level posts and a variety of other positions at the national, regional, and local levels.

The coalition designed the organizational structure, modified it according to input from ministry stakeholders, and, in June, presented the finalized structure to the Swaziland Cabinet (which includes the prime minister and all the ministers in Swaziland), where it was approved.

The ministry subsequently unveiled a new three-year workplan that takes into consideration the additional staffing needs to strengthen the governance and management of the health care system and aid in efforts to decentralize the system. Ministry officials will now put measures into place to retain current health care staff, and will begin recruiting for new positions in August.