In a significant move toward fostering a healthier campus environment, the Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) Clinic has launched a collaborative healthcare initiative with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health (eThekwini District).
This partnership, running from 16–20 February 2026, aligns directly with the University’s newly unveiled Strategic Plan 2026–2030. A core pillar of this plan is the commitment to providing an “enabling environment” for both staff and students, recognising that academic success is inextricably linked to physical and mental well-being.
The week-long activation focuses on high-impact preventative care and immediate health interventions. The Clinic’s Sister Khanyisile Gasa emphasised that the collaboration is designed to bring critical services directly to the student population. The comprehensive suite of services currently available includes HIV Testing, encouraging regular status checks in a supportive environment; contraceptives, which include the distribution of condoms; and TB Screening and testing. This is vital for maintaining public health within high-density campus living; treatment of minor ailments, that is, providing quick medical attention for non-emergency health issues to keep students in class; and PrEP Provision, that is, offering Pre-exposure prophylaxis, a highly effective daily medication or long-acting injection for HIV-negative individuals at high risk.
This initiative is a tactical response to the goals set by the national Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). By integrating provincial health resources with university infrastructure, MUT is setting a benchmark for how institutional divisions can proactively meet strategic mandates.
“Providing an enabling environment means removing the barriers to education. Health concerns shouldn’t be a hurdle to a student’s graduation,” notes the Clinic team.