Introduction

South Africa adopted the District Health Care System and Primary Health Care (PHC) as per the Alma Ata Declaration of 1978.The Alma Ata Declaration expressed the need for all governments’ health and development workers, and the world community to protect and promote the health of all people. The PHC approach has since then been accepted by member countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) as the key to achieving the goal of "Health For All.”

PHC is scientifically sound, universally accessible, affordable and practicable to individuals, families and communities. The PHC challenge to achieve health for all by year 2000 could not be attained due largely to gross inequalities in the health status of people.

One of the interventions to address this challenge is through community development. Community development is about education, collective action and organisational development.

Course Description

This course is about equipping the community health worker with an understanding of PHC and to facilitate and implement PHC projects in communities. The programme will enable community workers to practice according to

relevant ethical and legal codes and to develop community profiles. It will facilitate a participatory community development process, deal with risk behaviour and promote personal well-being.

Target Audience

Community health workers who practice as lay health workers to provide Primary Health Care in their communities. This may include home-based carers; data capturers and support staff working at a facility or community-based settings. Nurses that work in PHC, community settings and outreach teams.

Learning Outcomes

After completing the course, you will be able to:

Facilitate and assist in the provision of the Primary Health Care approach in communities.
Practice health care according to relevant ethical and legal codes.
Develop a community profile.
Facilitate community development participation.
Identify and engage with relevant community stakeholders that impact on health care projects.
Plan health care projects in consultation with the community.
Implement planned health care projects in line with community health care needs.
Assist in dealing with risk behaviours and the promotion of personal well-being.

Course Content

The key themes/topics that the course will cover:

Primary Health Care system in South Africa.
Primary Health Care approach.
Identifying and engaging stakeholders that impact PHC projects.
Planning healthcare projects in consultation with the community.
Implementing PHC projects in line with priority community needs.
Monitoring and evaluating healthcare projects.
Counselling people in a variety of situations.
Explaining risk behaviour.
Promotion of well-being.
Describing human motivation and behavioural change.
Application of accepted strategies and techniques to facilitate behavioural change.
Explaining legal and ethical behaviour.
Describing rights of individuals or groups in health care.
Facilitating a participatory community development process.

Admission

Any equivalent qualification on NQF level 3 with relevant practical experience (maths literacy and numeracy).

Training Delivery

The course will be delivered through e-Learning or blended learning with contact at the work-site.

Requirements

Students must have access to a computer and the internet.

Duration

Duration of the programme

15 days for contact learning sessions
5 days for self-directed learning
30 days work place learning

Assessments

Formative assessments in the form of group discussions, role plays, case studies.
Summative assessment in the form of tests and á completed Portfolio of Evidence.
Completion of work-based assignments.

Award

A Health Systems Trust Certificate of Completion will be given to students who complete the short course.

A Health Systems Trust Certificate of Competence will be given to students who have completed all the assessments and have been certified competent.

Students will obtain 36 credits towards a Further Education and Training Certificate: Public Awareness Promotion of Dread Disease and HIV/AIDS at NQF Level.

Fees

The course fees vary, based on the number of enrolments by an organisation for the short course. A quotation per student will be given by the Course Co-ordinator, Cassius Semaushu at Cassius.Semaushu@hst.org.za. Course fees must be paid in full prior to the course start date.