1. Background questions to the Focus Area on Health, Wellness and Community Resilience
    • Why is SA faring so poorly on HIV and TB? What are the implications of poor nutrition, lifestyle diseases (eg. eating patterns) and lifestyle practices (eg. sexual practices)? How is this associated with changing food production practices?
    • How can the effectiveness of caregivers at the front-line of service delivery be improved? What is the ethos of the public bureaucracy?
    • Why is this associated with relatively poor uptake of health services by vulnerable groups, such as the youth? What determines clients’ responses to public programmes?(eg. young women needing abortions; young people needing HIV support, people needing TB support). For example, what does a problem such as teenage pregnancy reveal about the underlying social dynamics in a community, in schools, and in health and welfare services? These dynamics could include: Peer groups, family structures (eg. single-parent families or child-headed households), social structures at schools, cultural values, and poverty levels. In turn, teenage pregnancy tends to lead to a new generation of poor people, because of poor parenting practices.
    • How can Government planning systems identify and address social and economic problems? In what ways can communities be meaningfully involved in development planning?
  2. Potential theoretical issues
    • The nature of the state, particularly at the interface with clients
    • Social networks of influence, power and knowledge
    • The articulation of social needs and interests, and the ability of the state to plan for social opportunities and problems
    • Community involvement in development planning.
  3. Potential links with outside agencies:
    Free State Department of Health, Free State Department of Social Development, Free State Department of Education, municipalities.

  4. Current project sites:
    Thabo Mafutsanyane District Municipality (Eastern Free State), Bloemfontein (Mangaung Local Municipality), Philippolis/Springfontein/Trompsburg (Kopanong Local Municipality), Upington (Khara Hais Local Municipality).

  5. Project leaders and members:
    Prof Christo Heunis (Centre for Health Systems Research), Prof Corinna Walsh (Dietetics and Nutrition), Prof Henriette van den Bergh (Psychology), Prof Henriette van der Bergh (Department of Sociology), Prof Frikkie Booysen (Department of Economics), Dr Paulina van Zyl (Pharmacology), Ms Babalwa Magoqwana (Sociology, Qwaqwa campus), Mr Grey Magaiza (Sociology, Qwaqwa campus), Ms Gladys Kigozi (Centre for Health Systems Research).

  6. Previous presentations:
    • Prof Christo Heunis (Centre for Health Systems Research and Development): Patients’ uptake of HIV testing: Preliminary findings from the fact-finding phase
    • Prof Corinna Walsh (Department of Nutrition and Dietetics): Assuring Health for All (AHA) in the Free State: The burden of disease in the rural and urban Free State
    • Luna Bergh (UFS Business School), Living with Chronic Conditions.
    • Prof Henriette van den Bergh (Psychology) and Prof Willem Kruger (Department of Community Health): Professional Competence: The well-being of employees through life-long learning and development
    • Roné Viljoen, Community-based planning in Mangaung
    • Dr Paulina van Zyl (Department of Pharmacology), A Plea for a Biological Perspective in the Multidisciplinary Treatment of Alcohol Dependence, Department of Pharmacology.
    • Dr Asta Rau (Centre for Health Systems Research and Development), Civil society in HIV Prevention.
    • Dr Marianne Viljoen (School for Higher Education Studies), Sexual Education: We Owe it to Them.
  7. The way forward:
    Due to the extensive expertise of UFS staff, and the need to inform provincial and municipal governments, as well as civil society stakeholders, we are planning a Focus Area Showcase on 9-10 November 2011. The topic is Social Determinants of the Health Crisis in South Africa. Contact Anita Harmse at harmsea@ufs.ac.za for more information.

     

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