The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), in partnership with the BMJ Group, hosted the world’s largest international conference on quality improvement in healthcare in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The International Forum brought together global leaders, practitioners, and change-makers dedicated to improving patient and community outcomes.
With a strong legacy of driving progress in health systems, the forum remains a critical platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration. This year’s theme, From Inspiration to Impact: Shaping the Future of Health and Care, focused on turning ideas into action and underscored the value of global partnerships in achieving sustainable change.
The Operation Phuthuma technical team, led by Aurum's Programme Manager Amos Ndlovu, joined the forum to share South Africa’s experience in quality improvement. The Quality Improvement (QI) team was represented by five delegates: Amos Ndlovu, Sizwe Mthabela, Nombulelo Kuwana, George Letseka and Effort Nyoni, who took part in the poster presentation sessions.
Poster Presentation Topics
The Aurum Institute’s Operation Phuthuma team contributed five posters highlighting practical innovations and successes from across South Africa:
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South African Department of Health Applies a 4A Systems Approach to Quality Improvement to Address Systems Challenges in the HIV Programme
Presented by Amos Ndlovu and Lauren De Kock -
Creating Innovative Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to Enhance TROA Performance
Presented by Nombulelo Kuwana -
The Importance of an Organised Operation Phuthuma File in Effective Supportive Supervision – ZF Mgcawu District, Northern Cape
Presented by Effort Nyoni -
Decreased Levels of ULTF and Missed Appointments – Heidedal Community Health Centre (CHC), Bloemfontein Sub-district, Mangaung District, Free State Province
Presented by George Letseka -
Enhancing Data Utilisation Through Data for Improvement Visualisation – Learnings from eThekwini District, KwaZulu-Natal
Presented by Sizwe Mthabela
Key Learnings from the Forum
One of the most impactful sessions highlighted Sweden’s What Matters Most project, which reinforced the importance of engaging patients in their own care. The project showcased how patient-centred planning and appointment management can lead to more cohesive and responsive healthcare systems.
For South Africa, these insights support the ongoing efforts of Operation Phuthuma to build leadership capacity within the Department of Health (DoH). By intentionally piloting and adopting patient engagement strategies that suit the local context, the initiative aims to create a more responsive, people-centred health system — where patient voices are not only heard but acted upon.