Health services and systems, rooted in human rights and social justice.
The purpose of the School is to support and train policy makers and implementers who are knowledgeable and skilled in the principles and practice of public health
Reflections of resilience and vulnerability of adolescents living with HIV during COVID-19: A photovoice study in peri-urban Cape Town, South Africa
On the 8th April 2025, I had the opportunity to present my PhD research, which explored the impact of COVID-19 on adolescents with HIV in peri-urban Cape Town, with a focus on their resilience and vulnerability using photovoice methodology.
Reflections 2025 International AIDS Society Conference: Finding belonging, building resilience, and reimagining a future in research.
Final Year PhD candidate Charné Petinger reflects on her experience presenting at IAS 2025 in Kigali, Rwanda, where she showcased her participatory research with adolescents living with HIV. In this piece, she shares key lessons learned from the global HIV conference, which emphasizes the importance of community-led approaches, innovation and resilience- and offers a powerful reminder that person-centred, equity-driven research belongs at the heart of all public health work.
The promises and pitfalls of working with a co-design approach for advancing health and gender equality: Perspectives from programme implementers, public health researchers and funders
Globally and in South Africa, young people face significant sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges. In South Africa, young people (15-24) represent a significant proportion of people living with HIV and women were disproportionately affected.
Khayelitsha and Eastern Substructure (KESS) Research day
The Western Cape Government Department of Health and Wellness (WCGHW), Khayelitsha Eastern Sub-structure (KESS) is hosting its 2025 Research Day under the theme “Health and Harmony: Ecosystems, Equity, and Evidence for Sustainable Well-being” which will take place on 31 October 2025.
Partnerships and Co-Design Processes for Health and Gender Equality: Insights for Programme Implementers, Researchers and Funders
This session aims to illustrate the promises and pitfalls of working with a co-design approach in implementing a gender-transformative approach into adolescent and young people SRHR intervention. The perspectives of a grant manager, a programme implementer and a public health researcher are discussed in relation to participant’s own experiences.
Advancing knowledge for district health system strengthening: emerging themes from the South African Learning Alliance for the DHS (SALAD)
SALAD is a learning network that connects health services managers at district, provincial and national level with health policy and system researchers. SALAD will reflect on its progress since inception through four themes: M&E, COPC, resource allocation and community-led monitoring while eliciting the perspectives of the attendees using world café.
Toward an ethics of epistemic justice: Research on health disparities related to sexual orientation, gender identity in restrictive settings
The School of Public Health and Women’s and Gender Studies, UWC Jointly invite you to a seminar
Health Justice is Social Justice – 2024 Annual David Sanders Lecture in Public Health and Social Justice
The University of the Western Cape School of Public Health (UWC-SOPH) and People’s Health Movement for the Annual David Sanders Lecture in Public Health and Social Justice
Barriers and facilitators of and strategies for successful community engagement in infectious disease clinical trials in low- and middle- income countries
By: Bey-Marrié Schmidt, Carmen Späth, Myrna van Pinxteren, Primus Che Chi, Charles S Wiysonge, Joy Oliver, Christopher James Colvin
Determinants and rates of retention in HIV care among adolescents receiving antiretroviral therapy in Windhoek, Namibia: a baseline cohort analysis
By: Farai K. Munyani, Brian van Wyk
Asking the Experts: Using Cognitive Interview Techniques to Explore the Face Validity of the Mental Wellness Measure for Adolescents Living with HIV
By: Zaido Orth, Brian van Wyk
Drivers of retention of the HIV workforce transitioned from PEPFAR support to the Uganda government payroll
By: Henry Zakumumpa, Joseph Rujumba, Marjorie Kyomuhendo, Ilyse Stempler, Woldekidan Amde
Report of Activities 2019 – 2020
We have published reports of our activities every two years for about the past twenty years.
This year we are publishing it electronically for the first time, perhaps reflecting the rapidly accelerated replacement of print with on-line resources (although I don’t think I will change my preference for reading in print). But while the electronic format will make the report easily available around the world, easily readable on mobile phones and tablets, I am also aware that the ubiquitous presence of on-line meetings, digital resources and a world of information that can be tapped any time does not mean equitable access. When we surveyed our students and short course participants last year, we learned that while access has increased substantially, bandwidth, data access and data cost, remain substantial barriers
