loveLife: Preventing HIV Among South African Youth - Part A

This case describes the strategy of the nongovernmental organization (NGO), loveLife, to prevent HIV among South African youth. The organization was founded in a response to the world's largest HIV epidemic, youth culture in post-apartheid South African, and a national government hostile to HIV/AIDS programs. The case traces loveLife from its inception and rapid scale-up in 1999 to 2005, when loveLife lost one-third of its operating budget after the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) chose not to renew its second phase of funding. This case documents loveLife's strategy in scaling up and sustaining delivery of HIV prevention services at scale. A short, optional case coda describes loveLife's restructuring and positioning after the Global Fund crisis up to 2009. This case has a supplementary summary of history and next steps titled loveLife: Preventing HIV Among South African Youth - Part B. There is also an additional sequel, loveLife: Transitions After 2005.

Learning Objectives: To learn the application of strategic thinking in HIV prevention using Michael Porter's "Five Tests of a Good Strategy" and to understand the organizational changes required in transitioning from scaling up to operating at scale.

The Global Health Delivery (GHD) Project, an interdisciplinary collaboration between Harvard Business School, Harvard Medical School, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, investigates the management decisions behind disease treatment and prevention globally. The Global Health Delivery (GHD) Case Collection is a set of teaching case studies that are available for all at no cost online through Harvard Business Publishing, GHDonline, and The Case Centre.