University of Pretoria School of Health Systems

University of Pretoria School of Health Systems & Public Health

University of Pretoria School of Health Systems and Public Health – See Details Below:

The SHSPH provides opportunities for advanced education, research, and consultancy in the many fields of public health. Our programmes are designed for individuals and organisations whose work impacts on health.

In 1998, the School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH) was established by the University to enhance its ability to engage one of society’s most valued goals: health. The SHSPH grew out of the Department of Community Health and was tasked with preventing diseases and promoting and restoring health.

The SHSPH is a University-wide, “horizontal” School: it accesses and strengthens any area relevant to the health system and to public health. Its structure and functions are outcomes- oriented: a better health system and greater health that is more equally distributed. Its nature is, by definition, multidisciplinary; staff is recruited from many departments and faculties throughout the University, as well as from outside institutions and organisations. The SHSPH has taken over the programmes previously provided by the Department of Community Health, and has added value by increasing the scope, depth, and multidisciplinary nature of these programmes.

In the broader transformation of the University of Pretoria, the Faculty of Medicine has been replaced by a Faculty of Health Sciences, which comprises four Schools, one of which is the School of Health Systems and Public Health. The Department of Community Health remains the link between clinical medicine and public health, and forms an integral part of the SHSPH.

Enrolment in our postgraduate programmes gives students the opportunity to become a part of this exciting institution. We trust that the students’ educational experience with the SHSPH will prove worthwhile, and that it will be the start of a long relationship. In optimising the use of the University resources and learning opportunities, students should bear in mind that the SHSPH is only an entry point to the whole University for people interested in health systems and public health in general.