SARChI Chair
in Health Systems Governance
South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) in Health Systems Governance was established in 2015 under Prof. Helen Schneider. Following her retirement in 2026, Prof. Renier Coetzee assumed the role of Interim SARChI Chair in Health Systems Governance.
The SARChI Chair in Health Systems Governance at the UWC’s School of Public Health was established in 2015 to advance research, scholarship, and capacity development in the field of health policy and systems research, with a specific focus on governance within health systems. The Chair forms part of South Africa’s broader national strategy to strengthen research excellence and develop research leadership. This work is grounded in collaborative, policy-engaged, and systems-oriented research. The Chair works closely with various health system stakeholders to generate evidence in South Africa and other low- and middle-income settings that explores:
- How health systems function in practice,
- How governance influences service delivery and system performance, and
- How health systems can become more responsive, equitable, accountable, and resilient.
It is guided by three interconnected objectives:
Exploring the Governance of Health Systems
The Chair seeks to explore the micro, meso, and macro dimensions of health system governance within the South African health system. This includes understanding how governance processes influence leadership, accountability, decision-making, implementation, coordination, and service delivery across different levels of care. Attention is given to how governance operates in real-world settings and how policy translates into improved practice in health systems, intersectoral collaboration, pharmaceutical public health, antimicrobial resistance, rational medicine use, and health system stewardship.
Advancing Conceptual and Methodological Understanding of Governance
The Chair examines both the structural and relational dimensions of health systems governance by exploring relationships between communities, healthcare workers, managers, and institutions, and by understanding how collaboration, trust, collective action, and accountability shape health system functioning. The Chair is also exploring methodological innovation in health policy and systems research by strengthening approaches for studying governance, implementation, learning systems, and embedded research within health services.
Building Research Capacity and Developing Future Scholars
The Chair is strengthening capacity by supporting master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral training, with a strong emphasis on developing a pipeline of South African and African scholars working in health systems and governance research.
Current areas of research and engagement:
- Strengthening district health systems linked to national health insurance reforms
- Continued stewardship of the South African Learning Alliance for the District Health System (SALAD), which promotes engagement among researchers, policymakers, clinicians, and health managers
- Research collaborations with provincial health departments that focus on health systems strengthening, medicine use, pharmaceutical public health, antimicrobial stewardship, and embedded health systems research, particularly with the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness
- Engagement in national and international health systems research networks
- Participation in international platforms and dissemination
History of the SARChI Chair in Health System’s Governance at UWC’s SOPH
Professor Helen Schneider was the founding holder of the SARChI Chair in Health Systems Governance at UWC and played a central role in establishing and shaping the programme from its inception in 2015. A leading scholar in health policy and systems research, her work significantly advanced understanding of health systems governance, district and community health systems, and implementation research in South Africa and globally.
Following the retirement of Professor Helen Schneider, Professor Renier Coetzee assumed the role of Interim SARChI Chair in Health Systems Governance. As Interim SARChI Chair, Prof. Coetzee is responsible for ensuring continuity of the research, sustaining collaborations and postgraduate support, advancing ongoing health systems governance research, and supporting the transition of the Chair role.
Preparations for the next phase of the SARChI Chair in Health Systems Governance are currently underway as the University of the Western Cape continues to strengthen its contribution to health policy and systems research, governance scholarship, and health systems transformation in South Africa and beyond.
Key Collaborators
The South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) was established by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the National Research Foundation (NRF). The aim is to attract and retain excellence in research and innovation at South African public universities through the establishment of Research Chairs.
