Health Systems Trust - HST

17/10/2025

HOW DO WE ADDRESS THE MENTAL HEALTH HUMAN RESOURCES CRISIS IN SOUTH AFRICA? FROM SHORTAGE TO SOLUTION

In their article in the mental health edition of the SAHR, Wolvaardt, et al. examine the severe shortage of mental health professionals ─ particularly psychiatrists ─ in South Africa’s public sector.

They argue that lifting restrictions on private sector training of mental health professionals, optimising task-shifting, and embracing technological solutions are urgently required to address South Africa’s mental health human resources crisis.

Find more evidenced-based recommendations here: https://sahr.hst.org.za/article/142351-south-africa-s-mental-health-human-resources-dilemma-from-shortage-to-solution

16/10/2025

HOW DO WE IMPROVE ACCESS TO AND USE OF PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICINES IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN PUBLIC SECTOR?

In the latest edition of the SAHR, Robertson and colleagues note that while the Essential Medicines List has enhanced access to cost-effective treatment guidelines, systemic bottlenecks persist. Regulatory constraints, particularly those that limit prescribing authority for primary care nurses and clinical associates, exacerbate service delivery challenges in a health system already stretched by workforce shortages.

The authors call for decisive reforms, including a decentralised prescribing authority, improved patient-level monitoring, and equity-oriented planning tools to ensure more consistent and fair access to medicines across all regions.

Read the full article here: https://sahr.hst.org.za/article/142332-access-to-and-use-of-psychotropic-medicines-in-the-south-african-public-sector

16/10/2025

Health Systems Trust invites you to join our satellite session at the 2nd South African Mental Health Conference.

15/10/2025

DataBridge360° E theha marokho.

👉 https://databridge360.hst.org.za/
👉 https://youtu.be/mMojQglYnWk?si=Zllb_4Wdxp-BYxCk

# DataBridge360°

15/10/2025

FIND OUT HOW A MENTAL HEALTH ADMISSIONS DASHBOARD IN THE WESTERN CAPE IS TRANSFORMING DATA VISUALISATION AND EMPOWERING STAKEHOLDERS TO MONITOR TRENDS, OPTIMISE CARE, AND DRIVE EVIDENCE-BASED DECISION-MAKING IN SOUTH AFRICA’S PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM.

Already in use at provincial surveillance forums, the dashboard described in the latest edition of the SAHR by Mountford et al., tracks key indicators such as diagnostics patterns, re-admission rates, bed occupancy, and length of stay, and offers a replicable model for other provinces aiming to build capacity for real-time decision-making in mental health care.

Find out more here: https://sahr.hst.org.za/article/141580-developing-a-dashboard-for-surveillance-of-mental-health-admissions-in-the-western-cape-province-of-south-africa

14/10/2025

WHAT INSIGHTS AND INNOVATIONS CAN BE GAINED FROM SOUTH AFRICA’S MENTAL HEALTH INVESTMENT CASE (MHIC)?

In their paper, published in the Mental Health edition of the SAHR, Besada and colleagues show that the MHIC provides an evidence-informed roadmap for strengthening mental health systems in South Africa. By offering policymakers robust cost-benefit data, the MHIC provides a valuable tool for prioritising and allocating resources more effectively.

However, the paper underscores a crucial point: evidence alone is not enough. The impact of the MHIC will depend on its integration into budgeting systems, improved financial governance, and meaningful collaboration between the Ministries of Health and Finance.

Read the full article here: https://sahr.hst.org.za/article/141579-fiscal-realities-and-future-directions-insights-and-innovations-from-south-africa-s-mental-health-investment-case?auth_token=8vZDe4MbvZZY6xp1Zc7z

14/10/2025

The Health Systems Trust invites you to attend our satellite session at the upcoming CPHIA conference at the Durban ICC.

13/10/2025

HOW PEOPLE CENTRED IS SOUTH AFRICA’S MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM? AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW OF RESEARCH FROM 2011 TO 2024

In their paper in the latest edition of the South African Health Review, André Janse van Rensburg and Carrie Brooke-Sumner argue that meaningful reform demands more than policy and must be accompanied by political will, investment, and a re-imagining of care systems grounded in the realities of those they serve.
Read the full article here: https://sahr.hst.org.za/article/143071-how-people-centred-is-south-africa-s-mental-health-system-an-integrative-review-of-research-from-2011-to-2024

10/10/2025

09/10/2025

DataBridge360° Skep brûe.

👉 https://lnkd.in/g8czwGG9
👉 https://lnkd.in/dzcpfM6U

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03/10/2025

DataBridge360° I sika vhuṱumani

👉 https://databridge360.hst.org.za/
👉 https://youtu.be/mMojQglYnWk?si=Zllb_4Wdxp-BYxCk

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