Health and Wellness

The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness promotes preventative care at both community and school level, with a strong focus on reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mental health conditions.

(a) The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness integrates NCD prevention into the primary health care platform and community-based outreach programmes:

Screening and early detection:
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness offers routine checks for hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, obesity, and certain cancers at clinics, community health centres, and through outreach activities. Early detection helps identify individuals at risk and reduces complications. Cancer screening includes pap smears, breast examinations, and referrals for mammography.

Community Health Workers and Ward-Based Outreach Teams:
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness deploys Community Health Workers (CHWs) who provide education on nutrition, physical activity, smoking cessation, and alcohol moderation. CHWs are vital in rural and farming areas where they offer accessible advice and follow-up care. Their work ensures continuity of prevention and adherence support for residents with NCDs.

Western Cape on Wellness (WoW!):
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness runs WoW! as a flagship initiative that partners with schools, workplaces, faith-based organisations, and municipalities. WoW! supports healthier environments through activities such as group fitness sessions, nutrition workshops, cooking demonstrations, workplace wellness drives, and community fun runs. These interventions promote sustainable behaviour change and help to prevent lifestyle-related conditions.

Medication adherence and community support clubs:
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness supports patients with long-term conditions by enrolling them in adherence clubs or by providing community pick-up points and e-lockers for chronic medication. These interventions reduce the strain on clinics, improve treatment compliance, and lower risks of serious complications such as kidney failure, strokes, or amputations.

Integrated counselling strategies (“Make Every Contact Count”):
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness applies this approach to ensure that every resident contact includes brief lifestyle counselling. Messages focus on nutrition, exercise, substance use, and mental well-being, embedding prevention in everyday service delivery.

Partnerships with non-profit organisations:
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness works with NPOs to extend preventative care into workplaces, farms, and community centres. These partnerships enable greater reach and complement the formal health platform, particularly in underserved areas.

(b) The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness implements the Integrated School Health Programme to build resilience against NCDs from childhood and support lifelong wellness.

Nutrition and growth monitoring:
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness conducts regular weight and height assessments of learners, using growth charts to detect early signs of malnutrition or obesity. Early detection enables referral to school feeding schemes, dietitians, or clinical services to address NCD risks.

Health education and behaviour change:
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness provides age-appropriate health talks in schools on nutrition, exercise, and substance abuse prevention. These interventions address childhood obesity and reduce uptake of risk behaviours such as smoking, vaping, and early alcohol use.

HPV vaccination programme:
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness vaccinates Grade 7 girls in public and special schools against HPV, reducing the long-term risk of cervical cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer mortality among women.

Mobile school health units:
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness deployed six new mobile units staffed by professional nurses to provide services such as dental checks, vision and hearing screening, nutrition assessments, and immunisations. These units improve equitable access to preventative care for learners in both rural and urban settings.

Through these initiatives, the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness actively promotes preventative care with a strong emphasis on non-communicable diseases, while also addressing communicable diseases, maternal and child health, and mental health.