Faculty of Community and Health Sciences Overview
Prof. Anita Padmanabhanunni
Dean: Faculty of Community and Health Sciences
Our Mission
Within a social justice paradigm, the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences is an engaged and connected research and learning environment that seeks to transform and sustain the health and well-being of communities through leadership in innovative and collaborative interprofessional (IP) approaches locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.Overview
The Faculty of Community and Health Sciences (CHS) Bellville Campus serves as a hub for community-based, interprofessional education and research in the health and social sciences. Recognised globally for its excellence in teaching and research, the Faculty primarily operates across two campuses: the UWC Main Campus on Robert Sobukwe Road and the CHS Bellville Campus at 14 Blanckenberg Street (view location and video tour here).Located in the heart of the Bellville CBD, the CHS Bellville Campus plays a vital role in urban regeneration by contributing to the development of a consolidated health and well-being precinct in the area. The campus includes four skills laboratories that simulate hospital ward environments, a rehabilitation gym, and a laboratory equipped with treatment rooms and dispensaries. It also houses state-of-the-art computer laboratories, a staff canteen, and multi-faith prayer rooms. Situated within one of the Greater Tygerberg Partnership’s designated priority areas, the campus building is poised to make a meaningful contribution to the revitalisation of the Bellville city centre.
It offers qualifications in:
- Physiotherapy
- Occupational therapy
- Nursing
- Dietetics and Nutrition
- Psychology
- Social Service Professions
- Community Development
- Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science
- Complementary Health Sciences
- Public Health
- Postgraduate Diploma in Interprofessional Education in Health
- Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health
- Postgraduate Diploma in Midwifery
- Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Education
- Postgraduate Diploma in Child and Family Studies
- Postgraduate Diploma in Sport for Development
- Bachelor of Arts Honours in Biokinetics
- Bachelor of Arts Honours in Psychology (Full-time & Part-time)
- Bachelor of Arts Honours in Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science
- Master of Arts in Child and Family Studies (Thesis)
- Master of Arts in Biokinetics (Thesis)
- Master of Science in Biokinetics (Thesis)
- Master of Arts in Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science (Thesis)
- Master of Arts in Psychology (Thesis)
- Master of Arts in Psychology (Structured)
- Master of Psychology
- Master of Science in Nutrition
- Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (Thesis)
- Master of Science in Physiotherapy (Thesis)
- Master of Nursing (Structured)
- Master of Nursing (Thesis)
- Master of Public Health
- Master of Public Health in Nutrition
- Master of Social Work (Thesis)
- Master of Philosophy in Sport for Development
- Doctor of Philosophy
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Dietetics is a health profession in which the science of nutrition is applied to the management of individuals or communities in states of health and disease.
The Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of the Western Cape was established around 1984. It is a leading academic entity that offers quality undergraduate and postgraduate occupational therapy education programmes. Our graduates are competent, reflective practitioners who are able to practice at all levels of the health care system.
The department has a proud history of community engagement and professional development of physiotherapists from all over the African continent and has graduated physiotherapists from Honours to PhD all over Africa.
Psychology is the scientific study of human emotion, cognition, and behaviour. Careers in psychology can be very rewarding and fulfilling, albeit challenging. Being allowed entry into the private and often vulnerable sides of others, is a privilege, and the opportunity to contribute to the healing and growth of others, makes for a meaningful life experience.
We at the Department of Social Work at the University of the Western Cape are committed to excellence in Social work education, practice and research.
The Department of Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science (SRES) provides students with the necessary academic and professional skills to promote health through participation in sport, recreation and physical activities.
The CISCFS is an interdisciplinary entity that aims to advance knowledge production and critically engaged scholarship on children, families, and society.
The School of Natural Medicine (SoNM) is dedicated to the education and training of professionals in various disciplines of complementary health sciences, as well as research within this field. Specifically, SoNM represents the professional disciplines of Acupuncture, Naturopathy, Phytotherapy, and Unani-Tibb, which are recognised within the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA) under the Department of Health. These disciplines fall under the broader umbrella of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and Traditional Medicine (TM), as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Cochrane Collaboration.
Natural Medicine and Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Context:
Natural medicine encompasses diverse healthcare systems that enhance the body's natural healing capacity, with or without synthetic pharmaceuticals. CAM is broadly defined as treatments that exist outside mainstream conventional medicine, encompassing a wide range of health systems, modalities, and practices based on different cultural and historical contexts. TM, as per the WHO, includes the knowledge, skills, and practices indigenous to different cultures, used for maintaining health, preventing illness, and treating physical and mental conditions. CAM and TM incorporate various treatment modalities, including nutritional medicine, lifestyle interventions, herbal medicine, traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, homoeopathy, massage therapy, energy medicine (e.g., Reiki), and mind-body techniques (e.g., meditation and yoga).
Role of Natural Medicine in Health and Wellness Sector
Natural Medicine has a significant role in promoting health, preventing illness, and managing disease through holistic, patient-centred approaches, conventional medical knowledge and traditional knowledge systems. Patient management would be diverse between professions and based on the relevant Scope of Practice as outlined by AHPCSA. The contributions of natural medicine to healthcare are diverse and vary based on cultural, historical, and scientific perspectives. Natural medicine has numerous benefits, including preventative healthcare, integrative approaches to chronic disease and rehabilitation, expanding public access to healthcare, supporting integrative treatments with conventional medicine, promoting personalised patient-centred care, alongside contributions to regulation and professional development.
Regulation and Professional Recognition in South Africa
Under the Allied Health Professions Act (Act 63 of 1984), the AHPCSA (regulated under the Department of Health) is responsible for regulating various CAM and TM professions in South Africa. These include Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Osteopathy, Phytotherapy, Therapeutic Aromatherapy, Therapeutic Massage Therapy, Therapeutic Reflexology and Unani-Tibb. These professions represent a unique and protected niche within South Africa’s healthcare landscape. However, despite the legal recognition of these disciplines, there are limited training programs in South Africa that contribute to the education and professional registration of complementary health science practitioners.
The Role of the School of Natural Medicine
The University of the Western Cape is one of the few institutions in South Africa dedicated to the education, research, and professional development of practitioners in complementary health sciences. The SoNM plays a central role in integrating health science knowledge, traditional healing systems, holistic patient care, sustainability, and evidence-based practice, ensuring that graduates are well-prepared for clinical practice, policy development, and research at regional, national, and global levels.
Future Programmes at the School of Natural Medicine
The SoNM is currently undergoing a curriculum re-structuring process, with future programs pending approval. Planned developments include the introduction of a Professional Bachelor’s degree, Master of Science degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas, and PhD programs. These new qualifications aim to enhance the academic and professional pathways for natural medicine practitioners while aligning with the evolving needs of the healthcare sector. Further information on these programs will be made available following the necessary institutional, statutory body, and government accreditations.
Natural Medicine and Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Context:
Natural medicine encompasses diverse healthcare systems that enhance the body's natural healing capacity, with or without synthetic pharmaceuticals. CAM is broadly defined as treatments that exist outside mainstream conventional medicine, encompassing a wide range of health systems, modalities, and practices based on different cultural and historical contexts. TM, as per the WHO, includes the knowledge, skills, and practices indigenous to different cultures, used for maintaining health, preventing illness, and treating physical and mental conditions. CAM and TM incorporate various treatment modalities, including nutritional medicine, lifestyle interventions, herbal medicine, traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, homoeopathy, massage therapy, energy medicine (e.g., Reiki), and mind-body techniques (e.g., meditation and yoga).
Role of Natural Medicine in Health and Wellness Sector
Natural Medicine has a significant role in promoting health, preventing illness, and managing disease through holistic, patient-centred approaches, conventional medical knowledge and traditional knowledge systems. Patient management would be diverse between professions and based on the relevant Scope of Practice as outlined by AHPCSA. The contributions of natural medicine to healthcare are diverse and vary based on cultural, historical, and scientific perspectives. Natural medicine has numerous benefits, including preventative healthcare, integrative approaches to chronic disease and rehabilitation, expanding public access to healthcare, supporting integrative treatments with conventional medicine, promoting personalised patient-centred care, alongside contributions to regulation and professional development.
Regulation and Professional Recognition in South Africa
Under the Allied Health Professions Act (Act 63 of 1984), the AHPCSA (regulated under the Department of Health) is responsible for regulating various CAM and TM professions in South Africa. These include Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Osteopathy, Phytotherapy, Therapeutic Aromatherapy, Therapeutic Massage Therapy, Therapeutic Reflexology and Unani-Tibb. These professions represent a unique and protected niche within South Africa’s healthcare landscape. However, despite the legal recognition of these disciplines, there are limited training programs in South Africa that contribute to the education and professional registration of complementary health science practitioners.
The Role of the School of Natural Medicine
The University of the Western Cape is one of the few institutions in South Africa dedicated to the education, research, and professional development of practitioners in complementary health sciences. The SoNM plays a central role in integrating health science knowledge, traditional healing systems, holistic patient care, sustainability, and evidence-based practice, ensuring that graduates are well-prepared for clinical practice, policy development, and research at regional, national, and global levels.
Future Programmes at the School of Natural Medicine
The SoNM is currently undergoing a curriculum re-structuring process, with future programs pending approval. Planned developments include the introduction of a Professional Bachelor’s degree, Master of Science degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas, and PhD programs. These new qualifications aim to enhance the academic and professional pathways for natural medicine practitioners while aligning with the evolving needs of the healthcare sector. Further information on these programs will be made available following the necessary institutional, statutory body, and government accreditations.
The School of Nursing at the University of the Western Cape is located in the Belville Campus in the Community and Health Science Faculty. The school offers both undergraduate and postgraduate nursing education programmes.
Established in 1993, the School of Public Health is unique in many respects both in South Africa and
in the continent.
in the continent.
The Interprofessional Education Unit's (IPEU) vision is to be leaders in IPE for scholarship, healthcare and communities.
This is supported by the IPEU's mission: to facilitate interprofessional education and collaborative practice, collaborative research and scholarship, and community engagement, in an ever-changing higher education and healthcare environment.
This is supported by the IPEU's mission: to facilitate interprofessional education and collaborative practice, collaborative research and scholarship, and community engagement, in an ever-changing higher education and healthcare environment.
The vision of the UNESCO Chair for Sport, Development, Peace and Olympic Education situated at the University of the Western Cape is to contribute to the understanding and advancement of Sport, Development and Peace as well as Olympic Education through high quality research, teaching, innovation, community engagement, integrating new technologies and learning as well as policy dialogue.
