Cape Town Systematic Healthcare Action Research Project (C-SHARP)
Project Description
The Cape Town Systematic Healthcare Action Research Project (C-SHARP) is an urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) which is integrated into primary healthcare services and is part of the South African Population Research Infrastructure Network (SAPRIN).
SAPRIN is a network of HDSS nodes in South Africa, funded by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and hosted by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC). SAPRIN integrates three established HDSS nodes in South Africa, namely, MRC/Wits University Agincourt HDSS in Bushbuckridge District, Mpumalanga (1992); University of Limpopo DIMAMO HDSS in the Capricorn District of Limpopo (1996), and the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) HDSS in uMkhanyakude District, KwaZulu-Natal (2000), linked to the University of KwaZulu-Natal to create a network of harmonised population-based cohorts for use by the wider research community and national policymakers.
To understand the particular challenges that urban communities face and the impact of rural-urban migration, SAPRIN has started expanding into urban areas. Along with C-SHARP, two other urban nodes are being established in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
Data captured by community health workers November 2023 to March 2024
Goals/Outcomes
C-SHARP plans to support the broader SAPRIN aims of accurately measuring trends in health, population, and socio-economic indicators, and to be a platform for intervention research and policy evaluation, particularly to support development in low-income communities. At the same time, C-SHARP aims specifically to support and strengthen community-oriented primary care (COPC) in the Western Cape and provide detailed health and burden of disease data.
Nomzamo and Bishop Lavis have an estimated combined population of 120,000 – 150,000 individuals. The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness has contracted non-profit organisations to employ community health workers and provide COPC. In these two C-SHARP sites, COPC and C-SHARP data collection services are provided by Masincedane and The Caring Network, respectively.
In a health and demographic surveillance system (HDSS) all households in a geographically defined area are assessed in a baseline census and then followed up regularly to measure significant events, like births, deaths and any migrations into or out of the household, that take place. This allows researchers to monitor demographic trends, like birth rates, mortality rates and migration patterns, and to understand how various health issues and diseases impact communities. Additional studies can also be embedded into the HDSS to look at specific issues and, if data from the HDSS are linked to health and other service information, questions around accessibility and effectiveness of services can also be assessed.
Partners
Consortium Partners
The C-SHARP HDSS sites in the communities of Bishop Lavis and Nomzamo are led by the Health Intelligence Directorate, within the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness. It is implemented through a consortium of local institutions, including the City of Cape Town Municipality, the Universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch and the Western Cape, the South African Medical Research Council and the Human Sciences Research Council. This consortium model allows C-SHARP to act as a shared research resource for all local stakeholders.
NPO Implementing Partners
As the appointed grant recipient, The Health Foundation has entered into sub-grant agreements with Masincedane and The Caring Network as project implementation partners, to facilitate the channelling of funds and enable the NPOs to carry out their day-to-day operational activities and fulfil their data collection obligations to SAPRIN. The findings from the research will be used to improve the health system and health outcomes for the communities involved in the research.
