VIHASA at Stellenbosch University: Bringing Values-Based Care to HIV/AIDS Management Professionals

2 July 2026 | Africa Centre for Health Management, Stellenbosch University

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On 2 July 2026, VIHASA had the privilege of partnering with the Africa Centre for Health Management at Stellenbosch University to deliver a session to 267 postgraduate students enrolled in the Postgraduate Diploma in HIV/AIDS Management.

The session brought together a large and diverse group of predominantly healthcare professionals, with nurses making up a significant proportion of the participants. Students came from South Africa as well as other countries, bringing a rich range of professional and cultural experiences to the learning environment.

Bringing VIHASA into HIV/AIDS Management Education

The collaboration with the Africa Centre reflects a shared commitment to supporting healthcare professionals not only in developing technical and professional expertise, but also in exploring the human and values-based dimensions of healthcare.

For professionals working in HIV/AIDS management, the demands of healthcare can extend far beyond clinical knowledge. The work often requires compassion, resilience, self-awareness and the ability to remain connected to the people at the heart of care.

VIHASA’s contribution created an opportunity for these postgraduate students to engage with the principles of values-based healthcare and reflect on the qualities that support them in their professional roles.

A Diverse Community of Healthcare Professionals

With 267 students participating, the session provided an opportunity to connect with healthcare professionals at different stages of their careers and from different backgrounds.

The majority of participants were nurses, alongside other health professionals, and students represented South Africa and other countries.

This diversity added to the richness of the session, creating a space where experiences and perspectives from different healthcare settings could come together.

A Meaningful Partnership

The Africa Centre for Health Management and VIHASA have been building a relationship around the shared purpose of strengthening healthcare professionals.

The Africa Centre described the collaboration as keeping its word and teaming up with the VIHASA team to deliver the session to its postgraduate students — a partnership that was well received by the participants.

For VIHASA, being invited into a postgraduate learning environment of this scale is an important opportunity to bring values-based approaches into professional education and to reach healthcare professionals who will continue to influence healthcare delivery in South Africa and beyond.

Continuing the Journey

The session at Stellenbosch University represents another step in VIHASA’s growing engagement with universities and healthcare education.

By bringing together professional knowledge with reflection on values, wellbeing, compassion and the human experience of care, VIHASA continues to create opportunities for healthcare professionals to strengthen not only what they do, but also how they show up for the people they serve.

With 267 postgraduate students engaged in the session, it was a powerful morning of learning, connection and shared purpose.

And, as the Africa Centre so aptly put it: “It can’t get better than this, can it?”