Want to make a difference to South African public healthcare?

Sixteen years after the advent of democracy in South Africa, a polarisation of access continues to exist in the field of healthcare. For most South Africans, equitable access to decent care remains but a dream. The primary problem? A chronic shortage of qualified professionals. 

Due to the ongoing exodus of medical professionals, South African facilities – many of which are well equipped – remain desperately understaffed, resulting in overcrowded waiting rooms, underserviced patients and taxing working conditions for the few staff that do remain.

Africa Health Placements (AHP) aims to change this reality by recruiting health professionals, mostly from foreign shores, to work in the most underserved and remote facilities. Aside from marketing and advocacy, AHP manages the necessary foreign workforce applications and administration, and supports new placements through the period of adjustment and settling in. All of these services are offered free of charge.

There is also a broader perspective: the organisation's full objective is to support and enhance the South African public healthcare system through various human resource solutions. These actually extend beyond the recruitment, placement and retention of management and staff, to include services directed toward building sustainability, such as consulting, information services, advocacy and marketing. This is a substantial task, achieved with the help of powerful relationships across the world!

AHP was officially launched in 2008, although the project has been in existence since 2005. The organisation was formed as a joint venture between FPD and the Rural Health Initiative of the Academy of Family Practice. Its mandate is to focus on the most underserved facilities, and to assist the National Department of Health and the Health Professions Council of South Africa in their efforts to improve the health care capacity of South Africa.

If you're interested in making a difference and gaining fantastic medical experience (or if you'd like to assist in some other way), AHP would be delighted to talk to you. You can contact AHP at www.ahp.org.za or through the local offices:

Johannesburg Head Office

Mr Saul Kornik
Tel no: +27 (0) 11 328 1310
Fax no: +27 (0) 11 328 1301
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

KZN & Eastern Cape Assistance:

Durban Office
Tel no: +27 (0) 31 765 1732
Fax no: +27 (0) 31 765 1755