RURAL HEALTH ADVOCACY PROJECT

  
The RHAP was founded in 2009 by the Wits Centre for Rural Health (WCRH), the then AIDS Law Project (ALP) - which later became SECTION27 - and the Rural Doctors Association of Southern Africa (RuDASA) with the aim of advocating for the rights of rural communities toaccess quality and equitable rural health care. The secondary aim is to provide a coordinated voice and safe place for rural health care workers to channel concerns and recommendations regarding issues affecting access to rural health care.

RHAP’s work is guided by four strategic objectives which aim to ensure that:
 
• New and existing policies are rural-friendly
• Rural health care receives the financial resources to provide a quality, equitable service to rural communities
• Every rural resident has adequate access to caring, qualified health care teams
• Policies are implemented in effective and efficient rural health care systems

RHAP’s flagships programmes are The Voice Project and the Rural-Proofing Policy and Budgeting Programme. The Claude Leon Foundation will be supporting The Voice Project. With this project, the RHAP and its partners work on improving access to quality rural health care by increasing the number and quality of healthcare provider change agents. This is done through health professions education transformation, policy advocacy and advocacy training and support to coalface healthcare workers.