Centre for Rural Health

As part of its on-going commitment to assisting the development of health care for all people in South Africa, the University of the Witwatersrand established the Centre for Rural Health in the Faculty of Health Sciences in 2008. The Centre’s focus is on human resource development for rural health care through advocacy, teaching, research and policy through support and sustainability.

The conception of the Wits Centre for Rural Health (CRH) began in 2003 when the University’s Faculty of Health Science recognized a demand for rural health care improvements. These demands were broken down and key areas where highlighted and targeted.

The centre was seen as a long-term project but has since seen rapid growth where academic support and educational approaches are provided to both under- and post-graduate health care students. The promotion of focused and team-related tasks by the centre has led to the aim of recruiting and retaining as many health science students within rural communities due to the current shortage of such practitioners. Furthermore, collaborative research is performed in order to pin-point areas of focus for future directionality.

It is together with the University, partners and sponsors that the CRH has been able to take an active stance in the improvement of lives of those in lower socio-economic environments through rural development, access, relevance and affordability.