Sonei Van Den Berg

Results-driven professional, specializing in Project and Program management with a proven track record in delivering large complex projects across various industries. Recognized for strategic planning and problem-solving abilities, consistently meeting and exceeding goals. Relied upon to adapt to changing needs, building and maintaining relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders in dynamic, fact paced setting. Sonei has a solid background in technical Project and Program management roles, delivering high-impact projects and driving organizational success. Strong focus on team collaboration, agile methodologies, and strategic planning. Adept at managing cross-functional teams, optimizing processes, and adapting to changing requirements. Known for excellent communication, problem-solving abilities, and commitment to achieving results.

Proven track record in building sustainable and efficient healthcare supply chains through the implementation of the Supply Chain Systems Management (SCSM) framework. Expertise in driving continuous improvement, promoting best practices, and fostering innovation within the supply chain ecosystem. Demonstrated success in leading cross-functional teams and driving project excellence while offering strong organizational and leadership skills, she is eager to learn and grow in challenging environments. She brings understanding of project management principles and ability to quickly acquire industry-specific knowledge

• Successfully managed national and global teams comprising over 500 professionals, fostering collaboration and achieving project goals.
• Manage Global ARV contracts with an annual expenditure exceeding R116 billion, ensuring effective resource allocation and financial oversight that resulted in a significant cost saving on all ARV treatments.
• HIV Optimization Project: Led the implementation of the largest global HIV optimization initiative, transitioning 4.8 million first-line ART patients to a newly optimized regimen (TLD Transition), achieving a remarkable 95% target six months ahead of schedule and significantly reducing stock wastage.
• Implemented an effective HIV training program for clinicians and healthcare workers in South Africa which resulted in a overall drop in critical errors while strengthening the HIV Programme
• Handled several high-level projects simultaneously, successfully delivering each of them in less time than was expected.
• Provided training and mentorship to over 10,000 medical professionals in South Africa on updated National ART Treatment Guidelines, enhancing healthcare delivery.
• Policy Development: Contributed to national policy formulation for Multi-Month Dispensing in South Africa, promoting accessibility and efficiency in treatment.
• Direct Delivery Strategy: Successfully implemented a Direct Delivery Strategy in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), optimizing the pharmaceutical supply chain across 11 districts and over 2,500 facilities.
• Enhanced Medicine Availability: Significantly improved the availability of anti-retroviral (ARVs) in South Africa from 63% to 98%, ensuring better patient access to essential medications.
• Crisis Management: Played a pivotal role in the Covid-19 Command Team, effectively managing South Africa’s medicine supply chain during the pandemic and assisted with the development of an epidemic response guideline
• Led the establishment of the Provincial Medicine Procurement Unit (PMPU) in KZN, increasing on-time delivery rates from 68% to 95%.
• International Leadership: Directed the Congo Agriculture Project for the World Food Programme (WFP), promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
• Governance Structure Development: Developed a multi-disciplinary governance framework to align stakeholders and enhance coordination of supply chain investments, ensuring improved oversight

Changing Lives through a Successful Transition to TLD in South Africa: In South Africa’s battle against HIV/AIDS, I provided Technical leadership, steering a monumental transition in antiretroviral therapy (ART) and ensuring the seamless shift from the former first line treatment—tenofovir/emtricitabine/efavirenz (TEE)—to the new fixed dose combination of tenofovir, lamivudine, and dolutegravir (TLD). In 2019, South Africa began its journey to transition 80 percent of its patients from TEE to TLD. The journey was marked by challenges and triumphs, but stands as a testament to collective efforts and strategic leadership that ensured a successful transition in South Africa.  The transition process involved collaborative efforts between governmental bodies, health care clinicians, dispensing facilities and external support partners. The initial phase focused on educating clinicians about updated clinical guidelines, a critical step before transitioning patients to the more effective TLD regimen. While external entities advocated for the change, the need for on-the-ground clinician training highlighted the importance of aligning clinical practices with standard treatment guidelines, developed in collaboration between my team and various national and international stakeholders. One of the major challenges was the phase-out of legacy treatments. Despite the urgency for some patients to switch, a strategic approach was crucial to exhaust existing stock before expiration, ensuring a seamless transition without compromising patient care. To effectively manage the redistribution of TEE, the team needed sightlines into each health establishment’s supply and demand. I used the National Surveillance Center (NSC) to track and visualize data for both depots and each health establishment and indicate where TEE was in excess or short supply. They then generated a TEE redistribution report and shared it with provincial personnel and partners on a weekly basis, indicating stock levels and patient numbers at each health establishment. Based on the NSC data, depots and health establishments were instructed to draw stock from other facilities with more than three months’ supply. Provincial personnel, with the support from my team, were able to analyze the data to identify health establishments which were overstocked, conduct site visits to confirm, and find a suitable health establishment to physically transfer the excess stock. 

Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Milestones

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the supply chain faced unprecedented pressure. However, proactive measures were taken to tap into 90-day supplies of TLD, guaranteeing continued access to medication for patients. The coordination between national and provincial levels became pivotal, emphasizing the significance of effective engagement and communication across all tiers of the medicine supply chain. A cornerstone of ART adherence is ensuring daily dosing, so it was important to avoid stockouts, even during a global pandemic. Upon my advice, the provincial departments of health proactively adopted strategies to minimize clinical visits and promote adherence and retention in care, including multi-month dispensing and delivery of patients’ medicines to convenient pick-up points. Our team worked together with the National Department of Health’s HIV Programme and the Essential Medicines List (EML) team to develop the Standard Treatment Guidelines, which are the basis for how the provincial departments of health treat patients. With a stabilized ARV supply chain and the introduction of larger pack sizes, stock-outs became a thing of the past, ensuring consistent availability of medications for patients nationwide.

Impact on Patients: The TLD transition was finalized in September 2023 upon achieving the target of 93 percent first line patients transitioning to TLD. I continued to support the provincial departments of health to ensure the sufficient supply of TLD and continued monitoring the introduction of the 90-day pack of TLD nationally. The impact on patients' lives was profound. Through Multi-Month Dispensing (MMD) initiatives, patients received three-month supplies, significantly easing the burden on both patients and pharmacies . External pick-up points for medication improved accessibility, empowering patients while relieving pressure on dispensing facilities.

Lessons Learned: The lessons learned from this transition are invaluable. At the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, GHSC-TA and ARC realized that demand forecasting is only as robust as the country’s patient data. Throughout the transition, access to reliable patient data was a huge challenge. My team mitigated the risk by using data based on ‘implied dispensing’ and data sourced from the Centralized Chronic Medicine Dispensing and Distribution program to track the transition to TLD. The two organizations were able to develop accurate ART stock maps on the National Surveillance Center (NSC) and work together with the AMD’s Contract Management Unit to communicate with suppliers and health establishments to balance TLD and TEE stock at risk of expiring as the pace of the transition accelerated. The significance of clinician training, strategic stock management, and robust communication networks also emerged as pivotal factors in the success of the project. One of the reasons behind this success was the collaborative approach between myself and other partners providing technical support to the AMD and the HIV Programme, and the provincial departments of health.I worked with ARC and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) to produce innovative processes, demand forecasting tools, TLD dashboard views, mentorship programs, workforce training and tools that resulted in a successful transition.

Extending Success to Future Transitions

As the program moves forward, lessons learned from this transition are being applied to ongoing endeavors, such as the transition to second-line treatments and the critical shift for 70,000 pediatric patients to TLD. Building upon the successes and challenges of the past, the program remains committed to refining processes, ensuring medicine availability, and optimizing patient care. The successful completion of the TLD transition in South Africa stands as a beacon of achievement. The collaborative efforts, strategic planning, and adaptability exhibited during this journey have not only transformed the HIV treatment landscape but have also set a precedent for future endeavors. The South African Government will continue to build on my work to advance an AIDS-free generation and contribute to the achievement of the nation’s 95-95-95 targets