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

Invitation: Pharmaceutical Public Health Webinar Series

We are excited to invite you to our upcoming Pharmaceutical Public Health Webinar Series, where we will be discussing the latest advancements and challenges in promoting global health through the lens of pharmaceutical public health.

Workshop Series on Strengthening Pharmacovigilance Systems

In 2021 the SPARCS Project held a series of three virtual workshops aimed at strengthening the Pharmacovigilance (PV) Systems in the four countries in Southern Africa, based on an assessment of needs.

by Star Khoza, Carnita Ernest and Hazel Bradley

SPaRCS presented its first in-person pilot training to community health workers

Since late 2021 the SPARCS Project has been developing a pilot training for Community Health Workers (CHWs) on Adverse Drug Reactions and Pharmacovigilance

Shifting unequal gender​​ norms and practices: what does it take?

Despite growing recognition, calls for gender transformation are not matched with corresponding rigorous research and learning on what it entails at scale and over time. It is common to come across published papers that merely mention the need for more gender responsive / transformative interventions/approaches but often fall short of articulating, why, how and what is needed to move the needle forward.      

Jakes Gerwel Award in Public Health 2023: Dr Landry Tsague Dongmo

Presentation title: “When two pandemics collide, HIV and COVID-19
– A reflection on the future of public health in Africa”

2023 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 and the launch of the 2nd Edition of ‘The Struggle for Health’

Tackling substandard and falsified health products in a post-COVID world: a multidisciplinary challenge grounded in health systems strengthening

You are invited to a lecture and panel discussion

How gender is socially constructed in policy making processes: a case study of the Adolescent and Youth Health policy in South Africa

By: *Tanya Jacobs and Asha George

Support after stillbirth: Findings from the Parent Voices Initiative Global Registry Project

By: Vicki Ponce Hardy, Alexandra Beedle, Sam Murphy. Claire Storey, Neelam Aggarwal, Rakhi Dandona, Alka Dev, Patricia Doherty, Alexander Heazell, Mary Kinney, Sara Nam, Paula Quigley, Sue Steen Linda A. Vanotoo, Susannah Leisher and Hannah Bloncowe

Stemming commercial milk formula marketing: now is the time for radical transformation to build resilience for breastfeeding

By: Tanya Doherty, Christiane Horwood, *Catherine Pereira-Kotze, Lisanne du Plessis, Chantell Witten

Aspirations and realities of intergovernmental collaboration in national-level interventions: insights from maternal, neonatal and child health policy processes in Nigeria, 2009-2019

By: *Enyi Etiaba, Ejemai Amaize Eboreime, Sarah L Dalglish & Uta Lehmann

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