PI

Team Member

• Prof. Firdouza Waggie

Supporting community health workers through interprofessional learning

This project aims to develop a strategy of interprofessional learning which will support and strengthen community health workers (CHWs) in preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in South Africa.

Project period

01 January 2019 – 31 December 2022

Project Summary

This project aims to develop a strategy of interprofessional learning which will support and strengthen community health workers (CHWs) in preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in South Africa.

While most CHWs are volunteers with limited training, they are becoming an important part of interdisciplinary healthcare teams in the community.  Universities have a prominent and important task in supporting CHWs by sharing knowledge and expertise and contributing to their training and empowerment. This project therefore focuses on developing an overall model to provide standardised training for CHWs, resulting in better-prepared health workers.

This is being undertaken through a mutual approach in which universities and CHWs may learn with, from and about each other – focussing on the design of an interprofessional model for co-operation between CHWs and students, researchers, lecturers and other stakeholders.

The project is funded by VLIR-UOS (Belgium) and is being undertaken in collaboration with the VIVES University of Applied Sciences, Department of Health Care (Belgium), and four South African universities: UWC’s SOPH and Interprofessional Education Unit; University of Venda School of Health Sciences, Department of Public Health; University of Free State, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing;  and University of Cape Town, Chronic Diseases Initiative for Africa.

Funders

• Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR-UOS)

Partners and Collaborators

• VIVES University of Applied Sciences, Department of Health Care (Belgium)
• University of Venda School of Health Sciences, Department of Public Health
• University of Free State, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing
• University of Cape Town, Chronic Diseases Initiative for Africa