Leadership
8 July 2026
District-level innovations that strengthen human resources for health
15 July 2026Leadership
8 July 2026District-level innovations that strengthen human resources for health
15 July 2026
Quality health services require complex systems and processes to work together in harmony. Here, we explore various elements of the DHS that impact the quality of health services with an emphasis on successful models from across the country.
Journal Articles
Improving health outcomes and quality at the subdistrict level: Evaluation of the ‘3 feet model’ in Waterberg District, Limpopo Province, South Africa
By: Schneider H, Mukinda F, Cupido J, Wessels J, Kupa P, Leboho P
Webinars
Driving improvement: Good practice and innovation in SA’s DHS
This November 2025 webinar highlights creative ways that district teams solve complex problems with limited resources.
Beyond compliance: how can norms and standards support frontline quality improvement?
This October 2025 webinar investigates how to transition away from “malicious compliance” towards real frontline improvement across South Africa’s DHS.
Beyond M&E: Leveraging learning partnerships to strengthen the DHS
This November 2024 webinar showcases collaborative partnerships between communities, academics and health managers in KZN and the Western Cape, highlighting the value of “warm data” and tacit knowledge in strengthening the system.
Other
How one district leveraged national frameworks to transform facilities and improve quality of care
Mpumalanga’s Gert Sibande District reframed the Ideal Clinic/Hospital and Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) assessments – frequently seen as compliance tools –to guide and support system wide improvements for all primary health care (PHC) and hospital facilities. Using a multi-level, phased and multi-pronged approach over 3 years, the district achieved Ideal Clinic Status, Ideal Hospital Status, and OHSC certification of all 73 PHC facilities and 9 hospitals, while also improving patient outcomes.
Introduction to the South African Learning Alliance for the District Health System
SALAD is a learning network and community of practice, established in 2023, bringing together researchers and decision-makers across provinces to: enable knowledge generation, sharing and learning; identify and disseminate innovations and priorities across provinces; strengthen the DHS for improved health outcomes. Learn more about the network in this briefing note.
Reflections on Quality: transforming a District Health System meeting into a space of learning
When quality meetings had lapsed, one Cape Town substructure re-launched them as quarterly Reflections on Quality (RoQ) sessions built for reflection, peer learning and wider participation. Junior staff now engage with managers as colleagues — and learning is spreading across the district, at no extra cost.