The Rural Health Conference is an vibrant event bringing together doctors, therapists, nurses, clinical associates, health students and NGOs. Always in a rural location! Regular RHC goers love to meet up and share ideas and friendship with colleagues from around South Africa and Africa. New RHC goers are usually "blown away" by the energy and interest generated at the conference.
Find out more!
Read about our Key Note Speakers below
Find out more!
Read about our Key Note Speakers below
RHC2018 Maryke Bezuidenhout is a physiotherapist, Head of Rehab at Manguzi Hospital KZN, and current Chair of RuReSA. She received a standing ovation for her keynote speech on Rural Proofing the Future Generation of Professionals. Never one to shy away from issues and controversy she highlighted that without changing the way we educate health students we will not create the type of clinicians we need working rural - people that have been exposed to the intersectoral problem solving needed in rural and who value multidisciplinary team work .
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RHC2017 Prof Shakile Dada: Participation: Is it enough to be present?
Shakila Dada is a speech-language pathologist and has many years’ experience in training and implementing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in the South African context as well as postgraduate training in AAC implementation. Her research and publications concern augmentative and alternative communication interventions with a particular focus on the role of graphic symbols in language learning and extending participation of persons with disabilities. Her broader focus lies with ensuring participation of persons who use AAC, and their families when providing interventions.
Shakila Dada is a speech-language pathologist and has many years’ experience in training and implementing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in the South African context as well as postgraduate training in AAC implementation. Her research and publications concern augmentative and alternative communication interventions with a particular focus on the role of graphic symbols in language learning and extending participation of persons with disabilities. Her broader focus lies with ensuring participation of persons who use AAC, and their families when providing interventions.

RHC2016: Prof Steve Reid: Health, Ability, Resilience and Well-being in rural areas: a different perspective on caring
Steve Reid is a Family Physician with extensive experience in rural clinical practice, education and research. He started a vocational training programme for rural doctors in Durban, and was a founder member of the Rural Doctors Association of SA. At the University of KwaZulu-Natal he started the Centre for Rural Health and In 2010 he took up the post of Glaxo-Wellcome Chair of Primary Health Care at the University of Cape Town, where he has led teaching and research in primary health care, distributed learning, human resources for health, and medical humanities. Steve said he is honoured to have have a "promotion to rehab"!
Steve Reid is a Family Physician with extensive experience in rural clinical practice, education and research. He started a vocational training programme for rural doctors in Durban, and was a founder member of the Rural Doctors Association of SA. At the University of KwaZulu-Natal he started the Centre for Rural Health and In 2010 he took up the post of Glaxo-Wellcome Chair of Primary Health Care at the University of Cape Town, where he has led teaching and research in primary health care, distributed learning, human resources for health, and medical humanities. Steve said he is honoured to have have a "promotion to rehab"!

RHC 2015: Prof Claire Penn: Ethical issues for multidisciplinary health teams : Ensuring humane health care
Claire has a deep interest in rural Africa, and is an A-rated speech and language pathologist and one of the world leaders in the field of linguistics, sign language, child language, aphasia and head injury. Her interest in the complexities of human communication has seen her produce ground-breaking research. In Claire's career in speech pathology she has worked in the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology at Wits, was a British Council scholar at New Addenbrookes Hospital, England; a visiting research fellow in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Macquarie in Sydney; senior research specialist at the Human Sciences Research Council; and then a consultant to various international institutions.
Claire has a deep interest in rural Africa, and is an A-rated speech and language pathologist and one of the world leaders in the field of linguistics, sign language, child language, aphasia and head injury. Her interest in the complexities of human communication has seen her produce ground-breaking research. In Claire's career in speech pathology she has worked in the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology at Wits, was a British Council scholar at New Addenbrookes Hospital, England; a visiting research fellow in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Macquarie in Sydney; senior research specialist at the Human Sciences Research Council; and then a consultant to various international institutions.
RHC 2014: Jean Elphick: Community-based Rehabilitation: A viable strategy for catalysing collective agency and learning from our clients in rural health settings
Jean is a development-orientated Physiotherapist with specialization in at the assessment and management of children with Cerebral Palsy. Her interests have grown beyond clinical work into social justice and human rights, public health and development. She has overseen the operationalisation of the pilot of the Programme in Orange Farm. As part of this Afrika Tikkun Empowerment Programme: Children with Disabilities and Their Families and annual event called the Child Protection + Disability Dialogue, to promote the equitable extension of child protection and justice to children with disabilities. See Jean's keynote address on YouTube - there are 2 speakers and Jean is 1 hour in.
Jean is a development-orientated Physiotherapist with specialization in at the assessment and management of children with Cerebral Palsy. Her interests have grown beyond clinical work into social justice and human rights, public health and development. She has overseen the operationalisation of the pilot of the Programme in Orange Farm. As part of this Afrika Tikkun Empowerment Programme: Children with Disabilities and Their Families and annual event called the Child Protection + Disability Dialogue, to promote the equitable extension of child protection and justice to children with disabilities. See Jean's keynote address on YouTube - there are 2 speakers and Jean is 1 hour in.
RHC 2013: Sarah Rule: Health, Rehabilitation and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Sarah is a Speech Therapist and director of CREATE, KZN which she founded. See the slides of her presentation
RHC2012 Harsha Dayal RuReSA was started as a new volunteer group in 2011 so Harsha was our first key note speaker!