The School of Public Health, which is part of the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, aims to contribute to developing policy-makers and health professionals whose practice is based on research, influenced by informed and active communities, and implemented with a commitment to equity, social justice and human dignity. The School is engaged in cutting edge research, service and training activities which impact on policy development and service provision in the areas of nutrition, maternal and child health, health information, human resources development, health management, HIV/AIDS and health promotion. The School offers the following qualifications, Post-Graduate Diploma in Public Health; ; Masters in Public Health (MPH) and PhD in Public Health.

In 2004, the respected School of Dentistry of the University of Stellenbosch was incorporated into Dentistry at UWC, which already was accredited as a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre. The Faculty of Dentistry is a world-class oral health centre committed to the promotion of oral health through the excellence of its learning, services and research. The Faculty plays a prominent role in the advancement of oral health in South Africa and Africa in association with the World Health Organization (WHO), by engaging with the broader social, political and economic determinants of oral health, and through the training of well-rounded professionals with a holistic understanding of development, health and oral health care.

The ethos of the Faculty is one that actively promotes participation, democracy, equity, transparency, innovation, good governance and a deep respect for the rights and well-being of all.

Good progress has been made in implementing Health OER activities at UWC. There are two separate entities within the institution with which are involved in the project, School of Public Health and Faculty of Dentistry. The following has been achieved in this period:

1. A planning meeting has been undertaken, at which the nature of the relationship between the two institutional entities and Health OER was discussed and agreed. This initial interaction has provided a basis for subsequent interaction.

2. Initial policies have been sourced for a policy review.

3. At the request of the representatives from Dentistry and Public Health, contact has been made with key institutional players with an interest in OER or responsibility for institutional matters affecting OER. A first meeting with these institutional leaders was held in May 2010.
   

4. The Institution is in it final stages for completing the following projects:

   1. School of Public Health (SOPH):

      1. Electronic folder of case studies which are of direct relevance to the SOPH;

      2. Five written case studies based on past or ongoing SOPH research projects which match specific teaching activities in MPH and PG Diploma modules;

      3. Two new case studies for teaching purposes in CORE MPH and PG Diploma modules;

      4. Adapted and proofread existing courses (Alcohol Problems: A Health Promotion Approach and Measuring Health & Disease I) as OER resource on UWC Freecourseware site;

      5. Six academic skills/research skills PowerPoint tutorials to be distributed on CD or internet as PowerPoint presentations separate from audio.

   2. Faculty of Dentistry:

      1. A DVD with PowerPoint presentations, related videos and digital stills related to Treatment of the Complete Edentulous Patients and Impressions for Fixed Prosthodontics;

      2. Objective-structured clinical examination (OSCE) questions, to assess the quality of students’ learning, with regard to the use of dental materials in the clinical context;

      3. OSCE resources for the following dental materials: Dental Amalgam, Resin Composites, Glass Ionomers, Liners, and Bases.

A working relationship with U-M’s Faculty of Dentistry has been established to facilitate achievement of the above objectives.