aftercare teacher at Northern Cape Department of Health - Kriel, Mpumalanga, South Africa
The Northern Cape is located in the central and western part of South Africa. A sparsely populated region, it includes the Kalahari desert, the Karoo, the Namakwa flower region, and Kimberley's Big Hole diamond mine from 1900.Covering an area 1.5 times bigger than the United Kingdom (little bigger than Germany), the Northern Cape represents 30% of South Africa's land mass. Yet with a population of 1,125,900, it accommodates just 2% of the total South African population.The province's vast distances between settlements and towns, the sparsely populated rural areas, the impact of poverty, and the health challenges of communicable disease, non-communicable disease and trauma, make the Northern Cape a very special place to live and work.The priorities of the Northern Cape Department of Health are:1. Strengthen governance and management of the District Health Services2. Promote health lifestyles in communities3. Reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity4. Improve the financial management systems5. Increase the number of revitalisation (modernisation) facilities6. Provide comprehensive care, management and treatment of HIV/AIDS, STIs and TB7. Provide a comprehensive forensic medical service8. Improve human resource planning, development and management9. Strengthen research and information management10. Improve the quality of care11. Improve the management of non-communicable diseases, especially diabetes and hypertension.The overall vision of the Northern Cape Department of Health is "Health service excellence for all."