Image: Shelley Christians/UWCSituated just 15km from Durbanville, Klipheuwel is home to around 2 300 residents who have built a community against the odds. Driving down the dusty road lined with shacks, their makeshift walls patched with green, blue and black shadecloth, you glimpse everyday life here. Women call on young men to help carry water from communal taps, while washing clothing in large buckets along the roadside. Chickens peck in the dirt for scraps.
It is here that the University of the Western Cape’s Faculty of Community and Health Sciences (CHS) has launched its first outreach for 2026 - bringing essential health services directly into the community.
“This is the first outreach for 2026 from the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, bringing health promotion and screening directly into communities like Klipheuwel, where access to care is limited,” says Professor Shaheed Soeker.
The outreach has a focus on key health priorities, including TB and HIV screening, as well as early childhood interventions in local crèches. Students and staff from across disciplines, including Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Social Work, Nursing and Dietetics, work alongside external partners such as the Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s Optometry Department and Tygerberg Hospice to provide a range of services.
Image: Shelley Christians/UWCFor many residents, the initiative has brought much-needed care closer to home. “People here live far from hospitals and clinics, so coming into the community like this means they can access care they wouldn’t otherwise get,” says second-year nursing student Thabile Shilubane. “It was rewarding to see how we worked together as students and staff to support the community.”
Health education forms a key part of the activities - two weeks ahead of World TB Day. Pharmacy students engage residents on the importance of early TB detection and the need to complete treatment.
“Patients were eager to learn about TB, especially the importance of early detection and completing their treatment,” says Achuma Yawa , Clinical Pharmacy Candidate. “One gap we identified was a lack of awareness around the side effects of TB medication, which can lead patients to stop treatment early.”
Nutrition has been another important focus area.
“Most of the patients we assessed were overweight, so we focused on practical nutrition counselling based on their daily eating habits,” says, Carla Mcclusky, a fourth-year dietetics student.
By bringing services directly into Klipheuwel, the outreach not only addresses immediate health needs but also highlights the value of collaboration across disciplines, with students and staff working together to support a community navigating daily challenges with resilience.
Image: Shelley Christians/UWC
Image: Shelley Christians/UWC
Image: Shelley Christians/UWC
Image: Shelley Christians/UWC
Image: Shelley Christians/UWC
Image: Shelley Christians/UWC
Image: Shelley Christians/UWC
Image: Shelley Christians/UWC
Image: Shelley Christians/UWC
