The Jakes Gerwel Hall at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) hosted an esteemed gathering of ministers, academics and health professionals on the evening of 10 September 2024 as the UBUNTU 2024 conference was launched with a heartfelt, upbeat opening ceremony.
Under the banner of “People, Place and Policy for Community Wellness”, the four-day event was launched as a way of building community and moving the needle in the transformation of health and wellness domains in South Africa and around the world - particularly in rural areas where the need is greatest.
As a testament to the importance of the subject, all four of the Western Cape’s higher education institutions, University of the Western Cape, University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University and Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and their partner, the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness, came together to ensure the landmark initiative on the far-reaching implications of Ubuntu in the realm of healthcare equality would be a success.
The focus of the conference aimed to address four main areas over the four days that include Building Equity for Rural Health, Community Engagement for Local and Global Health, Social and Health Policies for the Public Good, and Educating the Health Workforce.
Esteemed academics and health professionals from all over the world gathered in an initiative that has been set up to Unite for Global and Rural Health.
The Network: Towards Unity for Health (TUFH) and the Rural WONCA proudly announced that this would be their joint conference, bringing together the TUFH 2024 Annual Conference - celebrating its 45th anniversary - and the 20th WONCA World Rural Health Conference under one banner.
Chairperson Lionel Green-Thompson hosted the opening ceremony, introducing the unifying vision of Ubuntu as the theme for the event.
UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tyrone Pretorius, Dr. William Burdick (TUFH Secretary-General), Dr. Karen Flegg (WONCA President) and many other prominent speakers welcomed the guests, thanked the organisers and spoke of their excitement that the event had finally arrived.
They encouraged the guests assembled to embrace the spirit of collaboration to build long-lasting connections.
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TUFH is a hard-working organisation that unites global health leaders, capturing their passion and commitment for global equitable health, while Rural WONCA is an active network of rural family doctors and rural academics from each of the world’s regions: Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australasia/Pacific.
Representatives from local government were also in attendance and acknowledged the importance of providing serious funding in the quest for better public health commitments.
The Western Cape Minister of Finance, Ms Deidre Baartman, as well as Dr Saadiq Kariem, the COO of the Western Cape Government Department of Health, both emphasised the whole-of-society approach to healthcare that is needed to turn around rural health outcomes around the world.
Dr Kariem spoke of the importance of resource optimisation to make the best use of limited resources while Minister Baartman noted that Ubuntu should never be mistaken for a feel-good slogan of national unity.
She said we are inextricably linked to each other. Ubuntu is an urgent call to action and to work together to mobilise resources through collective action, she said.
One of the most impressive voices was the outgoing president of the Student Network Organization (SNO), Doctor Ala Magzoub, a graduate of the University of South Sudan who said: “As we gather here today, let us remember the ethos of Ubuntu - we are stronger together and our collective efforts can make significant strides towards our goals and drive change.”
The UBUNTU Declaration Cape Town Consensus was launched at the UBUNTU 2024 Closing Ceremony.
The declaration calls for those who have attended Ubuntu 2024 to consider the four broad actions, reflect on their learnings from the conference, and adapt and implement them in their local context for the benefit of their communities.
The recommended actions are key elements that can make incremental change for communities, and that fundamental service and social inequity must be addressed in a meaningful way.
The Network: TUFH and Rural WONCA challenged individuals to work through their local organisations to measure the outcomes against these key goals.
Under the banner of “People, Place and Policy for Community Wellness”, the four-day event was launched as a way of building community and moving the needle in the transformation of health and wellness domains in South Africa and around the world - particularly in rural areas where the need is greatest.
As a testament to the importance of the subject, all four of the Western Cape’s higher education institutions, University of the Western Cape, University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University and Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and their partner, the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness, came together to ensure the landmark initiative on the far-reaching implications of Ubuntu in the realm of healthcare equality would be a success.
The focus of the conference aimed to address four main areas over the four days that include Building Equity for Rural Health, Community Engagement for Local and Global Health, Social and Health Policies for the Public Good, and Educating the Health Workforce.
Esteemed academics and health professionals from all over the world gathered in an initiative that has been set up to Unite for Global and Rural Health.
The Network: Towards Unity for Health (TUFH) and the Rural WONCA proudly announced that this would be their joint conference, bringing together the TUFH 2024 Annual Conference - celebrating its 45th anniversary - and the 20th WONCA World Rural Health Conference under one banner.
Chairperson Lionel Green-Thompson hosted the opening ceremony, introducing the unifying vision of Ubuntu as the theme for the event.
UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tyrone Pretorius, Dr. William Burdick (TUFH Secretary-General), Dr. Karen Flegg (WONCA President) and many other prominent speakers welcomed the guests, thanked the organisers and spoke of their excitement that the event had finally arrived.
They encouraged the guests assembled to embrace the spirit of collaboration to build long-lasting connections.
.
TUFH is a hard-working organisation that unites global health leaders, capturing their passion and commitment for global equitable health, while Rural WONCA is an active network of rural family doctors and rural academics from each of the world’s regions: Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australasia/Pacific.
Representatives from local government were also in attendance and acknowledged the importance of providing serious funding in the quest for better public health commitments.
The Western Cape Minister of Finance, Ms Deidre Baartman, as well as Dr Saadiq Kariem, the COO of the Western Cape Government Department of Health, both emphasised the whole-of-society approach to healthcare that is needed to turn around rural health outcomes around the world.
Dr Kariem spoke of the importance of resource optimisation to make the best use of limited resources while Minister Baartman noted that Ubuntu should never be mistaken for a feel-good slogan of national unity.
She said we are inextricably linked to each other. Ubuntu is an urgent call to action and to work together to mobilise resources through collective action, she said.
One of the most impressive voices was the outgoing president of the Student Network Organization (SNO), Doctor Ala Magzoub, a graduate of the University of South Sudan who said: “As we gather here today, let us remember the ethos of Ubuntu - we are stronger together and our collective efforts can make significant strides towards our goals and drive change.”
The UBUNTU Declaration Cape Town Consensus was launched at the UBUNTU 2024 Closing Ceremony.
The declaration calls for those who have attended Ubuntu 2024 to consider the four broad actions, reflect on their learnings from the conference, and adapt and implement them in their local context for the benefit of their communities.
The recommended actions are key elements that can make incremental change for communities, and that fundamental service and social inequity must be addressed in a meaningful way.
The Network: TUFH and Rural WONCA challenged individuals to work through their local organisations to measure the outcomes against these key goals.
