We were delighted to partner with non-profit organization Shout It Now, offering our pro-bono services to help the charity explore different ways to optimize operations, so that it can reach and treat more patients with its fleet of mobile clinics.

Through the international partnership, Shout It Now is using our simulation software to help maximize its resources, in order to bring mobile HIV testing to vulnerable young people across communities in South Africa.

Andrew Wylie, Simulation Consultant at Simul8 who worked closely with Shout It Now on the project, said: “It was an absolute honor to work with the Shout It Now team. The importance of the work they’re doing can’t really be put into words, and being able to help them and use the power of simulation for such a good cause will mean this project will always be one of the proudest experiences in my career”.

Who are Shout It Now?

Shout It Now is a NPO providing HIV prevention, sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence services to communities in South Africa.

South Africa has the largest population of people living with HIV in the world, with 1 in 5 people infected with the virus. To prevent further infections and support those currently living with HIV, Shout It Now brings a range of free health services to hard-to-reach communities.

These health service include HIV testing, PrEP (also known as the HIV prevention pill), STI screening, contraception, gender-based violence prevention and counselling, as well as educational life skills programs.

Shout It Now delivers its services through a range of mobile healthcare vehicles which are staffed by social workers, nurses, specialist health advisors, as well as a support team that travels to the different communities every day to deliver vital services where they are needed the most.

William Taylor, Head of Operations at Shout It Now, said: “Our mobile care and support facilities are designed to make our service private, comfortable, and welcoming, and all completely free. But this is also about so much more than just a medical testing and treatment program.

We very actively provide prevention services in the communities we visit, talking to both young women and men to promote healthy behaviors and healthy lifestyle choices, as well as normalize conversations around sex and relationships.

Currently in South Africa there is so much stigma around these topics, but a lack of education has such a devastating effect on people’s lives with close to 200 young women becoming HIV positive each day, and eight reports of gender-based violence every hour.”

Taylor added: “Shout It Now is all about working with youth, families, schools, and community members to prevent such cruel outcomes. Of course, it’s a huge task with limited financial resources, so our approach is to combine global best practices with tech-driven innovations, so we can make a meaningful and measurable impact on HIV prevention in South Africa. This is where we came into partnership with Simul8.”

Shout It Now’s Achievements with Simul8

To meet their goal of testing large numbers of people with a high-quality service delivered in a cost-effective manner, Shout It Now needed a solution to model their processes, identify bottlenecks and deliver a highly efficient service.

Shout It Now said it has always ‘embraced technology’ to improve the quality and reach of its services. The organization’s mobile clinics are equipped with diagnostic tools and communications tech, and are supported by a contact center and app services. Therefore, using the free simulation software offered by Simul8, Shout It Now said it can now plan the effective distribution of resources, including people, skills, equipment, and scheduling.

Laura Reid, CEO at Simul8, said: “We’re fortunate in the West where we have relatively generous resources to diagnose and treat people with HIV. When we heard about Shout it Now’s efforts to tackle this epidemic in South Africa, in communities that are far less fortunate, we felt a real responsibility to offer our support.

Since Simul8’s technology has been developed for the very purpose of improving delivery mechanisms and overcoming logistical challenges, and with Shout It Now’s passion for seeking out innovative ways to improve the client experience, we have found it to be a great fit.

We’re so happy that our technology is being used to make a difference to the young women accessing these essential services.”

Jessica Aiani, Customer Support Advocate at Simul8, who worked with Shout It Now, adds: “Working with Shout It Now on this project was truly an eye-opening experience. Not only did I get to collaborate with some talented people doing some life-changing work, but it made me realize just how much these issues are taken for granted and how critical it is for us as a company and on a personal level, to raise awareness on the topic and support Shout It Now’s cause in clear, tangible ways”.

Read more about Simul8’s work with Shout It Now here.