The SOPH's vision is the optimal health of populations in developing countries, particularly Africa.
Established in 1993, the School of Public Health (SOPH) of the University of Western Cape is a WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Human Resource for Health Development, hosts the SARChi chair in Health Systems, Complexity and Social Change and houses the UWC Centre for Research in HIV and AIDS (CRHA).
The SOPH's vision is the optimal health of populations in developing countries, particularly Africa, living in healthy and sustainable environments with access to appropriate, high quality, comprehensive and equitable health systems, based on a human rights approach.
Most of our research, in line with the overall orientation of the SOPH, focuses on health policy and systems, social determinants of health and building a district-based public health system. It addresses four inter-related programme areas, namely HIV/AIDS and TB, maternal and child health, public health nutrition, and non-communicable diseases.
The purpose of the School is to contribute to developing policy makers and implementers who are knowledgeable and skilled in the principles and practice of public health, whose practice is based on research, influenced by informed and active communities, and implemented with a commitment to equity, social justice and human dignity.
