The Centre for Social Sciences Research (CSSR) and the  Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa  (IDCPPA) at the University of Cape Town invite you to join us for a lunchtime seminar on 21 April 2026 at 12:45pm. The seminar will be presented by Dr Shehani Perera.

About the Seminar:

Policy Partners: NHI policy communication preferences among women living with HIV and co-occurring mental health conditions

This presentation introduces Policy Partners, a qualitative study exploring how women living with HIV (WLWH) and co-occurring mental health conditions prefer to receive, understand, and engage with information about South Africa's National Health Insurance (NHI) policies. As South Africa transitions to universal health coverage (UHC), NHI policy communication remains inaccessible to many of the most affected communities. Complex terminology, language barriers, and top-down communication approaches exclude groups whose meaningful participation is most needed. WLWH with mental health conditions face compounding challenges such as intersecting stigma, systemic barriers, and limited opportunities to influence the policies that directly shape their care. This study uses a qualitative design, conducting semi-structured interviews with 12-15 women (aged 18-35) recruited through community-based partner organisations in Cape Town: Emthonjeni Counselling and Training, Triangle Project, and the Sexual and Reproductive Justice Coalition. Grounded in intersectional and participatory knowledge translation frameworks, the study explores participants' communication preferences and ideas for co-producing NHI policy materials that are culturally appropriate and accessible. The study aims to generate practical recommendations for policymakers and civil society on how to communicate NHI policy more equitably, while creating meaningful opportunities for WLWH with mental health conditions to contribute as active knowledge producers, not passive recipients, in South Africa's health system transformation.

Speakers

Dr Shehani Perera is a postdoctoral researcher at the Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council. Her work spans health systems research, knowledge translation, and evidence-informed policy, with a focus on mental health and sexual and reproductive health. She currently co-leads the evaluation of the EvidenceDecision (ED) collaboration, supporting the development of transparent NHI policies in South Africa. A practicing social worker, Shehani brings an interdisciplinary lens to health research, with expertise in public qualitative methods and approaches to health policy engagement.

  21 March 2026
  12:45 - 14:00 SAST
   CSSR Seminar Room, 4.29 Robert Leslie Social Science Building, UCT

Hosted by the Centre for Social Science Research and the Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa