In an effort to grow training in family medicine, the Division of Family Medicine has had a “Twinning Partnership” with the University of Namibia (UNAM) as part of the University of Ghent’s Primafed initiative to stimulate partnerships between South African Departments of Family Medicine and their counterparts in SADC countries.

Primafed is a network aimed at developing and improving family medicine training and strengthening primary health care worldwide. All partners are currently situated in sub-Sahara Africa and the network is currently developing and strengthening family medicine higher education and training through, for example, capacity building, curricula enhancement, academic research development among other activities.

The Division has played a key role in supporting the development of UNAM’s Medical School since its establishiment in 2008. Since then, the UCT Division of Family Medicine has assisted with the undergraduate programme in community medicine, conducted combined presentations at conferences arranged by the Primafamed organisation as well as acted as external moderators for the school’s primary health care and family medicine examinations. The university celebrated its first medical graduates in 2015.

Following the success of the undergraduate programmes, the Division of Family Medicine at UCT is now advising the Department of Community and Family Medicine at UNAM on the development of a postgraduate programme in Family Medicine.

The Department is headed by Dr Felicia Christians, who completed her postgraduate training in Family Medicine at UCT. She has since been invited as an observer at the College of Family Physicians (SA) examinations as a continuation of the sharing of expertise and knowledge.

Associate Professor Derek Hellenberg, Head of the Division of Family Medicine, is pleased with the progreess of the project so far. “We will extend the co-operation in developing the postgraduate programme for as long as our assistance is required,” he said.