Prof Helen Schneider | UWC's modern-day Nightingale transforming South African healthcare

University of the Western Cape (UWC) Professor Helen Schneider has been dubbed a modern-day Florence Nightingale for her profound dedication to transforming healthcare systems and improving public health. 

Much like Nightingale, who revolutionised nursing and hospital sanitation in the 19th century, Prof Schneider tirelessly works to strengthen health systems and ensure equitable access to care in South Africa.  

Last week, Prof Schneider’s commitment was acknowledged at the 11th South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Scientific Merit Awards when she was honoured as one of UWC’s most prominent and industrious academics.

Prof Schneider received the Research Capacity Development and Transformation Award, recognising exceptional achievements and contributions to South African health research.

Her focus on community-based health systems and responsiveness to citizen feedback echoes Nightingale's emphasis on patient-centred care and the importance of listening to those in need. Their shared vision of a healthier world, driven by compassion and innovation, continues to inspire and shape the future of healthcare.

 “I am honoured to have received this award. I am especially delighted to have been one of four inaugural recipients of the newly established Research Capacity Development and Transformation Award. This reflects very much my orientation to scholarship over the last ten years. My achievements would not have been possible without the hugely significant context of the School of Public Health, in the first instance, and UWC more broadly, where the values and practices of transformation and capacity building are deeply embedded in lived institutional realities," she said.

Prof Schneider has also played a catalytic role in convening the PhD programme at the UWC School of Public Health, and with a small team completely revised the functioning of this programme over eight years. The programme now enrols more than 50 students a year, and in 2022/3, produced a record number of 18 graduates, largely due to the changes implemented since 2016. She has institutionalised capacity support initiatives such as a PhD induction programme, a supervisors’ forum, and annual writing retreats, all of which have strengthened the scientific rigour of the programme and have been deeply motivating for the students. Her mentorship has also extended to PhD supervisors, supporting and mentoring younger faculty members in their supervision of their own students.