From Mahala Flats to the Taxi Rank Health Services Delivery Campaign: SANPUD’s Presence Kept Care Within Reach

When care moves closer to daily life, connection grows stronger and health becomes possible again.

Mahala Flats: Support in Shifting Conditions

​Earlier in the year, the SANPUD Medical Linkage Officer in Gauteng visited Mahala Flats at a time when conditions were changing quickly and support was urgently needed. The visit showed how easily living environments can deteriorate for people who use drugs when stability is fragile. Rooms were crowded, health was declining, and many residents were carrying the weight of untreated mental health challenges.
The officer listened, assessed and made referrals where possible, focusing on what could be done immediately without overwhelming people already under strain. The aim was simple: respond to the presenting needs of people and keep care within reach.

A Woman Trying to Return to Treatment

​One woman stood out. She had defaulted on antiretroviral treatment and Opioid Substitution Therapy after losing both her mother and sister in a short space of time. Grief had pushed her out of care, and she was trying to manage alone.
The SANPUD Medical Linkage Officer assisted her and referred her to the Community Oriented Substance Use Programme site at Bosman Street for methadone and counselling. It was a small but steady step back into treatment, taken at her pace and without pressure.

Meeting people where they are is often the first step in helping someone reconnect with care.”

National Work on OAT Access

​During this period, the SANPUD Technical Advisor continued national work to address the barriers that make it difficult for people to stay on Opioid Agonist Therapy. He raised concerns about inconsistent methadone supply, rigid dispensing schedules and the lack of psychosocial support at some sites. He also highlighted the impact of missed doses and the administrative delays that make it difficult for people to re‑enter treatment after interruptions.
By bringing real cases from crisis visits into these discussions, the Technical Advisor helped shift attention from policy statements to practical steps clinics and partners could take to stabilise access.

Bushbuckridge: Health Services at the Taxi Rank

​The PWUD Sub‑Sector National Deputy Chairperson and Country Coordinating Mechanism Alternate Member joined the Taxi Rank Health Services Delivery Campaign in Bushbuckridge, working alongside Local Drug Action Committee and Community Safety Forum partners. Together, they brought health services directly to a high‑traffic public space. People were screened, counselled and linked to care without needing to navigate long queues or unfamiliar clinics.
The campaign showed how accessible support becomes when services are taken to places where people already are.

A Presence That Continues

​SANPUD continues to remain present in the places where people who use drugs face the greatest barriers, responding to crises, supporting access to treatment and working alongside partners in public spaces where care is needed most. This steady presence keeps support within reach, even as conditions shift and the work of staying connected to care continues.