UCT Division of Family Medicine & Palliative Medicine

Caring in the Digital Age: Compassion for Patients, Systems, and the Planet To mark World Family Doctor Day 2026, the WONCA Working Party on Pl...

Thank you to everyone who contributed to a meaningful World Family Doctor Day and Africa Month event hosted by our Division of Family Medicine on 25 May 2026 at the FaCE department of the UCT Faculty of Health Sciences.

We appreciate the rich conversations on reimagining family medicine in African contexts: grounded in identity, innovation, community engagement, and human-centred care.

Grateful to our colleagues, partners, and guests from UCT and the Western Cape Government Health and Wellness for your valuable participation and insights.

Special thanks to the FaCE team and all those behind the scenes for making the event a success.

Looking forward to continuing this important work together.



Read more: https://health.uct.ac.za/articles/2026-06-02-reimagining-family-medicine-africa-identity-innovation-and-human-centred-care

Watch highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oljRJP9nZr4

World Organization of Family Doctors - WONCA South African Academy of Family Physicians - SAAFP Family, Community and Emergency Care UCT Faculty of Health Sciences Wonca Africa WONCA World Conference 2027 Western Cape Government Health and Wellness

UCT FaCE Department World Family Doctors Day 2026: Compassionate Care in a Digital World This short clip captures reflections shared for World Family Doctor...

Happy World Family Doctor Day! 🌍🩺

Today we celebrate the dedication, compassion, and hard work of family doctors who care for individuals and families at every stage of life. Thank you for being the first line of support, healing, and hope in our communities.

Your commitment makes a lasting difference every single day. 💙



South African Academy of Family Physicians - SAAFPFamily, Community and Emergency CareWorld Organization of Family Doctors - WONCA

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New publication in South African Family Practice
📖 Read the full article: https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v68i1.6289
Rubler TA, Von Pressentin KB, Mash RJ. Family physician deployment in South Africa’s district health system: A cross-sectional study. S Afr Fam Pract. 2026;68(1), a6289.

I would like to highlight a key study published this week:
“Family physician deployment in South Africa’s district health system.”

Congratulations to our UCT Faculty of Health Sciences MMed graduate, Dr Theresia Rubler, on this important contribution, and thanks to co-supervisor Prof Bob Mash for supporting us in conducting this first national mapping.

This study provides a national overview of the distribution and employment characteristics of family physicians within South Africa’s district health system. It demonstrates a growing national footprint — with 214 family physicians currently working in the district health system — while highlighting the substantial gap towards achieving the SAAFP 2030 targets. (See 2022 South African Academy of Family Physicians - SAAFP position paper: https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v64i1.5473)

Key findings include:
- Overall progress remains limited: Deployment has reached 18.9% of the 2030 target, with many district health system entities still without a family physician.
- Marked inequities in distribution: Gauteng (55%) and Western Cape (34.5%) lead, while several provinces remain far below 10%, and the Northern Cape reports no coverage.
- Geographic and facility concentration: Family physicians are significantly more likely to be located in district hospitals and metropolitan areas, with comparatively limited presence in primary care facilities and rural settings.
- Workforce profile: Most family physicians are in specialist posts (78.5%) and full-time roles (96.3%), reflecting increasing integration into the system.

Importantly, the study highlights key priorities for strengthening the district health system:
- more explicit inclusion of family physicians in human resources for health planning,
- addressing geographic and facility-level inequities,
- improving alignment between specialist training and available posts, and
strengthening routine workforce data systems.

These findings contribute critical evidence for policy and planning, particularly as South Africa advances towards universal health coverage and a stronger health care system built on Primary Health Care principles and values.

A proud day for our division at Thursday's Colleges of Medicine South Africa Cape Town Admission Ceremony 🎓

Congratulations to:
- Dr Amanda Saunders on receiving the GA Ogunbanjo Award of Excellence (FCFP(SA))
- Dr Carlota Sekhokoane on completing her Diploma in Anaesthesia - a key step toward specialising in Family Medicine and providing essential district health services

It’s a privilege to celebrate these milestones and welcome you both as dear colleagues. Your hard work and dedication inspire the whole team. Here’s to the next chapter! 😊🥳



UCT Faculty of Health Sciences South African Academy of Family Physicians - SAAFP Family, Community and Emergency Care

INVITATION REMINDER: The Faculty of Health Sciences invites you to the next inaugural lecture in the UCT Inaugural Lecture series.

Professor Lionel Green-Thompson will deliver his inaugural lecture titled "From a village to the globe: Reflections on a journey in social accountability" on Tuesday, 7 April 2026, at 18:00 SAST in the New Learning Centre Lecture Theatre, Anatomy Building, Faculty of Health Sciences Campus, Observatory.

To register your attendance either in-person or online, visit https://health.uct.ac.za/articles/2026-02-26-uct-inaugural-lecture-professor-lionel-green-thompson