The dire state of the North West Province's health systems is being addressed through a new weapon in the healthcare arsenal; focusing on community-oriented primary healthcare.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Health Sciences, in partnership with the Unit for Open Distance Learning, has rolled out a two-week community-oriented primary care training programme at the campus in Mahikeng.

The 30-odd people who have been trained are all middle managers in the Ngaka Modiri-Molema District who are responsible for the community-oriented primary care programme,” says Prof Andrew Robinson from the Faculty of Health Sciences.

“They have been taught how to train community health workers to go into every house in the district to make sure people live as healthily as possible, and to link those people to clinics should they need care."

According to Prof Robinson, the NWU has already conducted the same training in the province’s Ruth Mompati and Bojanala districts. Training will also take place in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district.

"Once this (training is done), we'll have 3,5 million people in the province really supported and cared for by community health workers.

“From the university's point of view, it's an opportunity to have a real-time database, as community health workers are taught how to use mobile health devices as part of the training,” he concludes.

At least 30 community health workers from the Ngaka Modiri-Molema District received training at the NWU’s campus in Mahikeng. They will provide much-needed health support to residents in the province.