Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Stellenbosch University

09/06/2026

Congratulations to Christian on having his article published in the Weekend Argus. A well-deserved achievement and an important contribution to the climate change conversation

As climate change emerges as the foremost health threat of our time, this article underscores the urgent need for action, especially in light of recent IPCC findings.

08/06/2026

The June e-workshop took place on the 4th, titled "Training in a busy clinical setting: How to make the most of your time." and hosted by Prof Hanneke Brits.

https://primafamed.sun.ac.za/2026/06/08/training-in-a-bu…ost-of-your-time/ (full presentation in post)

https://youtu.be/PrdhewMhZHo

03/06/2026

See this powerful op ed by Sheena Mathews the Vice President of the South African Academy of Family Physicians - SAAFP on the plight of family physicians in private practice. If medical aids refuse to recognise their specialist status, scope of practice and remuneration issues through dialogue over many years then in my view we need to turn to more adversarial and legal options.

Specialist family physicians complete the same type of postgraduate training as paediatricians, psychiatrists and surgeons. So why do private medical aids limit their ability to practice what they trained for?

29/05/2026

The PHCFM journal are publishing a special collection of CPD articles to enable people and programmes to include planetary health in their continuing professional development. This one outlines an approach to evaluating climate resilience and environmental sustainability of health facilities and developing a feasible action plan. In the photo (on the right) you will see the two authors, Bob Mash and Trish Schwerdtle, visiting the Cederberg subdistrict in the West Coast to perform the evaluation of primary care facilities. Also in the photo are Christian Lokotola and Melissa McRae. Read the article at https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v18i1.5445

29/05/2026

We had a visit from the ECLiPSA team - a project that we are collaborating with to improve pathways to lung cancer diagnosis in South Africa. Seen here are Patrick Redmond from the Department of General Practice at the RCSI in Ireland, and Sarah Day and Aliyha Martin-Lewis from University of Cape Town the local leads. Bob Mash is a collaborator on the project.

26/05/2026

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0F0BBY87TSrUYXkKHs3Xvs?si=h0H63yjiTKW4_i59u2FMPw An excellent interview with Ts’epo Motsohi and Michelle Allen, valuable and contemporary insights 🤩

BadEM · Episode

22/05/2026

Dr Frances Erasmus presenting on the next SU/UCT research project evaluating palliative care services.

22/05/2026

Prof Mash giving feedback on collaborative research between Stellenbosch and UCT on understanding frequent users of the health system.
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22/05/2026

We hosted our 2026 Capacity Building Day 🌱📚

Grateful for the opportunity to learn, collaborate, and grow together in the Family Medicine Department.

#2026

19/05/2026

Happy World Family Doctor Day! 🌍🩺

Today we celebrate Family Doctors for their dedication, compassion, and commitment to providing continuous, person-centred care to individuals, families, and communities.

Thank you for being the first point of care, advocates for prevention, and pillars of stronger healthcare systems.