U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has announced a public-private partnership to provide greater access to medical, legal and psychological care for survivors of sexual assault in South Africa, according to a State Department statement. Partners include the Office of Global Women’s Issues at the Department of State, the MAC AIDS Fund, the USAID Regional Mission in South Africa and the South African Government’s National Prosecuting Agency/Sexual Offensives and community Affairs Unit (NPA/SOCA). Rape and other forms of sexual violence are common in South Africa. Such violence can spread HIV, and studies show that women living with HIV are at greater risk of assault.

To read the State Department statement, click here.