In 2024, ADSA embarked on the Care2Care project, in partnership with The Nutrition Society and funded by Global Health Partners. The overarching aim of the project was to strengthen the mental well-being and resilience of healthcare professionals by equipping them with knowledge and tools to better manage mental health challenges, both in themselves and in their professional environments.
The project delivered three key outcomes:
- A national needs assessment conducted among healthcare workers to identify the most pressing challenges related to mental health support. The findings informed the content and structure of the self-directed learning course.
- A self-directed online learning course, designed to build foundational knowledge and promote mental health literacy among healthcare professionals. The course is freely available on the ADSA Learn platform (https://adsa.org.za/courses/care2care/).
- A facilitator training guide, developed to support the delivery of in-person or virtual workshops, ensuring scalable and sustainable impact beyond the duration of the project.
At project completion on 30 June 2025, 151 participants enrolled for the course, representing 12 professions registered under the Health Professions Council of South Africa, with 52 participants completing the course in time for statistical analysis. 81.1% of participants demonstrated an increase in knowledge and awareness on the subject matter post assessment. The feedback on the self-learning course as well as the workshop has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the need for similar initiatives and interventions post project completion.
ADSA was delighted to host Sabrina Sangha, the NHS volunteer for the project, in Cape Town. Sabrina currently works as a Senior Specialist Women’s Health Dietitian in the UK. Sabrina shared a bit about her experience as a volunteer:
“During my trip to South Africa as an NHS England volunteer, I had the privilege of supporting the creation and delivery of facilitation sessions for the Care2Care Project. One of my key reflections was to consider the role of facilitation over teaching. I saw first-hand how facilitation empowers people to share their own insights and experiences, making the learning far more impactful. I also learnt the importance of keeping sight of the aim. It’s easy to go off on tangents or add new ideas, but this can risk derailing the core purpose of a project. Finally, I discovered that for any future international work, hospitality and generosity are fundamental languages. They are what truly build trust, relationships, and collaboration. These lessons have been invaluable in my new role setting up a women’s health dietetic clinic in North East London with Barts Health Trust. I’m incredibly grateful to ADSA for their time, warmth, and generosity. It was an unforgettable experience.”
This free activity is available on the ADSA Learn platform (https://adsa.org.za/courses/care2care/).
We encourage healthcare professionals to make use of the opportunity to reflect on their personal wellbeing, capacity and explore resources available to support you in times when your light shines a bit dimmer.
Source: https://iuns.org/2025/11/care2care-proj ... th-africa/
