Men’s health is something that needs to be prioritised in South Africa’s healthcare system. This is because many men neglect going for routine check-ups and learning about preventive care, because of stigmas about seeking help. To address this, Bokang Jackson Morure, 32, is creating safe spaces for men, where they can have open discussions and attend workshops to learn about health issues. Bokang is a cluster manager at Wits Health Consortium, where he supports many key department of health priority programmes, using data, programme indicators and operations research to continuously enhance outputs. Through his work at Wits he implemented the Men’s Health Project, which has gained much recognition and won him awards. His big takeaways from this project were working with people to understand their needs, being flexible to adapt working models and conducting regular follow-ups to ensure long-term behavioural changes in participants. He says the youth are at the forefront of technological advancements, which are causing a radical transformation in healthcare. For example, telemedicine and mobile health apps will expand access to healthcare to people in underserved areas.
Diploma in General (Psychiatry & Midwifery) & Community Nursing Science, Excelsius Nursing College
Dispensing License, Medunsa
Courses: Microsoft Excel/Powerpoint, Adult Primary Care, Nimart, Management development program, Clinical Mentoring, Advanced Clinical Care, Circumcision for Clinician, Ideal Clinic, Quality Improvement Management, Project Management.
One of my proudest achievements is the successful implementation of the Men’s Health Project, which earned me the “65 Men of the Year”award last year. This initiative was designed to address critical health issues affecting men in our community, emphasising preventive care, mental health, and lifestyle changes.
The project gained significant recognition, leading to a benchmarking visit from a North West district. This district sought to replicate our model, highlighting the project’s impact and effectiveness. Key components included community workshops, free health screenings, and partnerships with local healthcare providers.
From this experience, I learned several valuable lessons:
Community engagement is crucial, and it must involve local stakeholders. Understanding their specific needs ensures the project’s relevance and sustainability.
Collaboration enhances outcomes: partnering with healthcare providers and organisations amplifies our reach and resources, enabling us to offer comprehensive services.
Consistency and follow-up matter: regular follow-ups and consistent messaging are vital in maintaining momentum and ensuring long-term behavioural change among participants.
Adaptability is key: the benchmarking process with the North West district taught us the importance of flexibility and adapting our model to different contexts and needs..
Several mentors and role models have profoundly influenced my journey. One significant mentor was Paul Potsane, a renowned public health expert, who taught me the importance of data-driven decision-making and community engagement. His guidance on leveraging research to drive health initiatives was invaluable, and his dedication to health equity inspired me to pursue similar goals in my work.