The University of Pretoria delegation led by Prof Tawana Kupe, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, recently visited the Melusi Holistic Care Clinic under the Faculty of Health Sciences to strengthen community engagement.
 
In his address, Prof Tawana Kupe explained the importance of working with communities, transdisciplinary work, and impacting the community.

The UP delegation, led by Prof Kupe, included the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Prof Tiaan de Jager; Deputy Dean of Teaching and Learning, Prof. Steenkamp; Prof Flavia Senkubuge, Deputy Dean for Health Stakeholder Relations. The Melusi COPC team included Mulalo Mukwevu, Marion Beeforth, and Kenny Mafala. Dr. Edith Madela-Mntla and Prof Jannie Hugo represented the UP COPC Research Unit. 

The community leaders talked about the positive impact of the work on the community. Prof Jannie Hugo, who heads the Department of Family Medicine and the implementation of the University of Pretoria Community Oriented Primary Care (COPC), shared the vision and history of the research unit. The UP COPC Research Unit was established in 2015 by the Department of Family Medicine to explore and innovate the practices and processes of ICT-enabled community-oriented primary care. Prof Hugo explained that work done over the years in Melusi Informal Settlement is an excellent example of what "UP wants to do in communities with communities to establish and maintain a community-based platform."
"UP fully supports the work in Melusi, and it will find ways to ensure long-term development and stability," said Prof Hugo. 

The visit took place in a very positive atmosphere, and the participants undertook to develop a long-term plan that UP could support. In addition to showcasing the current work of the UP COPC,  potential opportunities for further collaboration were explored. The visit demonstrated the importance of the community-based platform for teaching, research, and health service in informal settlements. During the visit, stakeholders explored the potential for long-term transdisciplinary work.  

In his presentation, Prof de Jager highlighted the importance of UP COPC as a platform for research, service, and teaching for the Faculty of Health Sciences. Kenny Mafala spoke about the wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate students that do work and service-learning in Melusi. Dr. Madela -Mntla from the Department of Family Medicine highlighted vital areas of enhanced collaborative activities with community leaders and other NGOs. Lastly, SAPRIN's Prof Rhena Delport, Department of Family Medicine, provided insights on the SAPRIN project-related work.