Quality health systems

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

Learning in the district health system: How can meetings become spaces of reflection?

By: O Motshweneng, S Elloker, L Gilson

The District Health System must become a learning health system

By:

L Gilson, O Motshweneng

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

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.

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.

MORE ABOUT SALAD