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UFS strengthens campus health leadership at annual SA Association of Campus Health Services Conference

05 February 2025 | Story Vuyelwa Mbebe | Photo Supplied

Regional Committee SAACHS — The Kovsie Health staff members who also serve on the SAACHS regional committee: Shibashiba Moabelo, Riana Johnson, Sarien de Necker, Theresa de Vries, and Emmerencia Sibanda.

The University of the Free State (UFS) took centre stage at the annual South African Association of Campus Health Services (SAACHS) Conference, held at the Windmill Casino Conference Centre in Bloemfontein from 8 to 10 January 2025.

The conference was themed ‘Student Centredness’ and brought together representatives from 22 higher education institutions to explore critical issues related to student health and wellness.

SAACHS is a national association comprising tertiary institutions that offer primary and occupational healthcare services on campuses across South Africa. This year’s conference covered a range of pressing topics, including HIV support for students, strategies to assist pregnant students, telehealth collaborations, caregiver self-care, student health-seeking behaviours, food insecurity, and best practices in campus health emergency medical services.

Sr Riana Johnson, Deputy Director of Kovsie Health and regional chair of the Free State and Northern Cape SAACHS committee, emphasised the impact of the UFS’s involvement. “The strong representation of UFS speakers highlighted the strides we have made in campus health services and the invaluable contributions our institution brings to these crucial discussions,” she said.

As key organisers, Johnson and her team – including Sr Sarien de Necker and colleagues from the UFS and the Central University of Technology (CUT) – were instrumental in securing speakers, selecting relevant topics, and managing conference logistics. Their efforts ensured the smooth running of an event that encouraged knowledge-sharing and collaboration among campus health professionals.

“The conference provided a vital platform for networking and exchanging ideas,” Johnson said. “UFS’s active participation helped strengthen partnerships with institutions such as the Department of Health and promoted shared solutions to student wellness challenges.”

She added that hosting the event underscored the UFS’s leadership in campus health and allowed other institutions to learn from its initiatives. Discussions and collaborations at the conference enhanced awareness campaigns and reinforced a collective commitment to student well-being.

Looking ahead, Johnson believes the insights gained will shape the future of Kovsie Health. “Exploring new health technologies and expanding student-centred health initiatives are among our top priorities,” she concluded. “The knowledge shared at this conference will undoubtedly influence how we evolve our services to meet the needs of our students more effectively.”

News Archive

Student leaders' hard work rewarded

2013-05-01

Four student leaders on our Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa Campuses each received a scholarship of R15 000. Handré Hay, Estine Cronje, Tsepang Lenka and Jean Vermaas were rewarded for the positive impact they had on the student community in the past three years or more. Student Affairs' scholarship programme acknowledges the contribution of student leaders in the upliftment of the student community.

Read what the four have to say about leadership:

Handré Hay:

Handré Hay, a third-year BSc Physiotherapy student who holds several leadership positions on our Bloemfontein Campus, served for two consecutive years on the committee of Armentum residence. He was also a member of the executive council in the Students' Representative Council (SRC) and served in two SRC portfolios. "Leadership is about being able to serve. When people see that you are willing to put other people's interests above your own and that you are willing to serve unselfishly, despite a position of authority, you will get far," said Handré.

Estine Cronje:

Estine Cronje is the current prime of Marjolein residence. This was the second time the fifth-year Psychology student were re-elected to this position."Leadership is very important to me. One needs leaders in everything you do. I believe a leader should never think herself better than the rest and should work as hard as her team. She should command respect, be disciplined, an example to others, accessible and open to the opinions of other people.

Tsepang Lenka:

Tsepang Lenka is the SRC President of our Qwaqwa Campus. Tsepang, who was twice elected as prime of his residence, has already obtained his BA degree in Public and Business Management. He is currently working on his Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). "To me leadership means to serve. As a leader you don't lie to people when things are taking the wrong direction, you stand firm and tell the truth; in that way, people don't lose trust in you. The scholarship inspires me to work even harder," Tsepang said.

Jean Vermaas:

Jean Vermaas is a former SRC member who is currently studying for his LLB degree. Some of Jean's achievements include leadership positions of the Juridical Society and the Broad Students' Transformation Forum. In 2012 he was a founder member of the Student Elders' Council."Leadership is of extreme importance to me. It formed me into the person I am now. Leadership isn't always easy, but in the challenges you face you grow as a leader and as an individual."

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