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07 November 2024 | Story André Damons | Photo Supplied
Implementation Science Workshop 2024
Building capacity for the use of implementation science. The Principal Investigators of the project; Dr Phindile Shangase from UFS, left, and Dr Lebogang Mogongoa from the Central University of Technology, with Dr Shalini Ahuja from King’s College London, centre, who facilitated the workshops.

The Division of Public Health at the University of the Free State (UFS) together with the Central University of Technology (CUT), held a successful workshop (first phase) for their project: Capacity building for the use of implementation science in various typologies in low- and middle-income countries for the prevention and/or management of the quadruple burden of disease.

According to the National Institute for Health as well as the World Health Organisation, implementation science supports innovative approaches to identifying, understanding, and overcoming barriers to the adoption, adaptation, integration, scale-up and sustainability of evidence-based interventions, tools, policies, and guidelines. Implementation research therefore pertains to gathering and analysing implementation evidence of effectiveness that determines if the intervention works in real-world circumstances.

The Principal Investigator at UFS is Dr Phindile Shangase from the Division of Public Health, supported by colleagues in the Division, as well as the CUT team, led by Dr Lebogang Mogongoa. The first phase of the project took place from 14-17 October 2024 with the first two days held at UFS.

In this co-funded project, UFS and CUT engage in partnership capacity building for academics and postgraduate students. At the UFS, the project is funded by the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation and resulted from the CUT and UFS Joint Research Programme Research Grant 9th Call.

Contributing to evidence-based policies and practices

Dr Shangase says the workshops of this project were well attended by academics, researchers, postgraduate and postdoctoral students from different disciplines, and community organisations, including programme managers, as well as clinicians from the Department of Health. Other stakeholders and international students who could not travel for face-to-face interactions attended live on UFS YouTube.

Workshops were facilitated by Dr Shalini Ahuja from King’s College, London, who is an international expert and experienced in this field through engaging in research as well as field facilitation in various low- and middle-income countries.

Says Dr Shangase: “Implementation science is the study of methods and strategies to promote the systematic uptake of research findings. It contributes to evidence-based policies and practices and ensures that they are implemented effectively to achieve their intended outcomes, through the identification of barriers and facilitators to implementation. These strategies can therefore be integrated effectively into routine practice in healthcare, public health, and other fields.

“Reviewed studies indicate that the effectiveness of implementation research is noted in the identification and investigation of factors that address disparities in healthcare delivery and outcomes, including those within the health systems and in the population. In simple terms, the goal of implementation science is to understand how and why some interventions succeed while others fail, and to identify the best ways to integrate research-backed interventions into real-world settings for maximum impact and to ensure they continue to be used and remain effective over time,” says Dr Shangase.

Purpose of project

According to her, in the context of South Africa, implementation science has potential to assist in addressing the quadruple burden of disease which comprise of these colliding epidemics: maternal, newborn and child health; HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB); non-communicable diseases (e.g. cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, cancers, and diabetes); and violence and injury.

The purpose of this project, explains Dr Shangase, is to capacitate academics and postgraduate students at the UFS and CUT as well as community stakeholders with knowledge and skills regarding the processes and factors involved in the successful integration of evidence-based public health improvement interventions into routine practice and policy.

“Implementation science offers a strategic, data-driven approach for South Africa, especially in addressing the country’s unique and complex healthcare challenges. These advantages stem from its focus on translating evidence-based interventions into real-world practice, addressing the quadruple burden of disease and helping overcome systemic obstacles to effective healthcare delivery.

“These advantages make implementation science a vital tool for improving health outcomes and achieving sustainable public health progress in South Africa.”

The next phase of this project is expected to be more innovative and takes place between February and March in 2025 with the inclusion of a multistakeholder team.

News Archive

Student organisation tackles difficult questions in debate
2012-05-12

 

At the debate were, from the left: Danie Jacobs, Head of the Centre for Business Dynamics, Mhlanganisi Madlongolwana, Nombuso Ndlovu and Prof. JP Landman.
Photo: Leatitia Pienaar

 

“South Africa is consumed by a monster, namely the lack of critical thinking and dialogue with regard to our problems. Now is the time to make radical changes.” This is according to Nombuso Ndlovu, who spoke at the first debate in a series of Commercio and the UFS Business School.

“Young people are more interested in social gatherings than applying their minds to the problems of South Africa,” she said. Nombuso is the CEO of Commercio.

Commercio is the student organisation in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Two teams, one positive and one negative, debated the topic: Is South Africa’s current economic direction viable?

What emerged from the debate was that our students are well-aware of what is going on in our economy and that people cannot just sit back and expect government to deliver. Every individual has a responsibility. South Africa has a “democratic deficit” society, a “corruption-stricken economy” and “economic activism” is necessary to get the economy on the right path.

Prof. JP Landman, Visiting Professor at the Business School, economic advisor, analyst, columnist and also managing director of the Aardklop Arts Festival, was the expert panel member. He said the critical issue in South Africa is “how do you distribute wealth while keeping things going?”

“It is fantastic that South Africans have developed a collective repulsiveness for corruption.” People must know what underpins society and where aggression comes from.
– Leatitia Pienaar.

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