The Primary Health Care Transformation Committee (PHCTC) is a learning collaborative in KwaZulu-Natal that drives health system reform to strengthen Primary Health Care (PHC) and revitalise Community-Oriented Primary Care (COPC). Established in 2018 through a partnership between the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health and UKZN’s Centre for Rural Health, the PHCTC promotes evidence-based decision-making and shared learning to improve people-centred health services.
The PHCTC brings together government departments, NGOs, academia, and civil society to co-develop and implement strategies for PHC re-engineering. Guided by a jointly developed Theory of Change, members identify challenges, test innovative solutions, and refine policies. Regular collaborative meetings, working committees, and knowledge-sharing forums ensure continuous integration of evidence into policy and practice.
By embedding research and reflection into everyday practice, the PHCTC is helping to build a resilient, people-centred health system in KwaZulu-Natal. Its work has already informed key provincial policies on health promotion, referral systems, and human resource allocation—laying the groundwork for sustainable, equitable, and evidence-driven health care.
Prof. Zamasomi Luvuno
Prof. Inge Petersen
Assoc. Prof. Andre Van Rensburg
Dr. Tasneem Kathree
Prof. Arvin Bhana
Assoc. Prof. Bernard Gaede
Dr. Christiane Horwood
April 2018 - Ongoing
Department of Health (Lead Department)
Office of the Premier
Department of Social Development
Department of Education
Learning health system
Learning collaboratives
Primary health care
