Healthy Campus Programme
This is a programme of the International University Sport (FISU) campus programme that aims to enhance students’ and the campus community’s wellbeing in all aspects.
The Healthy Campus Programme is premised on seven cardinal pillars, namely; 1) Healthy Campus Management, 2) Physical Activity and Sport, 3) Nutrition, 4) Disease prevention, 5) Mental and Social Health, 6) Risk Behavior, and 7) Environment, sustainability and social responsibility.
Although the Healthy Campus Programme is not limited to health, it encourages the campus community to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Its initiatives contribute to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (formerly known as the Millennium Development Goals).
Over 50 international education institutions participate in the programme. UJ is the only certified African university (achieved a bronze medal in March 2022) among three participating institutions from the continent.
The Healthy Campus programme seeks to improve the lives and wellbeing of all university students. However, the entire university population is critical to the programme’s operations and objectives.
The programme uses what already exists in university departments by creating synergies to achieve success.
Download Wellth fund brochures from Discovery health medical aid scheme:
Seven (7) Healthy Campus Domains/Pillars
Healthy Campus Management
- Involves a variety of people in an organisation
- Cross cutting collaborations at leadership and operational level daily
- Stakeholders to implement & organise tangible activities
- Collaborations require support by stakeholders and stakeholders support
Physical Activity and Sport
- Physical activity and sports are practices of human movements
- Includes: walking, gym, running, exercise, etc.
- Controlled mass open gym sessions on premises
Nutrition
- Good nutrition with regular physical activity is a cornerstone of good health
- A university must commit and propose concrete nutrition solutions to students and staff.
- Encourage campus community to consume conscientiously
- E.g.: Student Affairs and STH
Disease Prevention
- Primary prevention: Avoiding the manifestation of a disease
- May include provision of information on behavioural and medical health risks (immunisation, vaccinations, post-exposure to communicable diseases
- Secondary: Early detection and screening programmes
Mental and Social Health
- Mental: The State of one’s wellbeing
- Social: building satisfying interpersonal relations.
- Adapting comfortably to various social situations and act appropriately in a variety of contexts.
- A sense of belonging
- Very important for students (especially juniors/first-years)
- E.g.: PsyCaD, IOHA services
Risk Behavior
- Acts, attributes and actions: cover potential situation of individual damage (risks: health, physical and social integrity – drugs, social media, unhealthy eating, alcohol, sex, smoking)
- University challenges students – most discover themselves here.
- Institutions must take these serioulsy
Environment, sustainability and social responsibility
- Environment: all external, chemical, & biological factors.
- Sustainable: Meeting needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
- Fulfilling civic duty.
- People, planets & profits.
- E.g. UJ Solar Power Initiative, etc.
INITIATIVES
Physical activity & Sport
- Propose sport or physical activity for the campus community (Football Fridays [twice a month?] – Netball Wednesdays)
- Provide a specific budget
- Activities developed and piloted by internal professional
- Gender equality in physical activity
Nutrition
- Name a person/group responsible for food & nutrition services
- University to provide sustainable food / nutrition catering services (Affordable healthy menus)
- Free drinking water stations on campus
- Vending machines must provide quality products
Disease prevention
- Prevention programmes + Specific actions to reduce risk of non-communicable diseases
- Promote benefits of vaccinations, immunisation, medical check-ups (inform campus community via Univ. official communication channels)
Mental and Social Health
- Jacqueline Du Toit
- PsyCaD
- Miemie Geya
- Occupational Health
Risk Behaviour
- Propose sport or physical activity for the campus community (Football Fridays [twice a month?] – Netball Wednesdays)
- Provide a specific budget
- Activities developed and piloted by internal professional
- Gender equality in physical activity
Environment, sustainability, & social responsibility
- Waste Management (Recycling)
- PPEs
- Pollution (sound, light)
- Clean energy (solar power)
- Carbon emissions (Sneaker/Active Friday)
Healthy Campus Management
- Inter-departmental collaboration on healthy living initiatives
- Gender-based violence (GBV)
- LGBTIQ+ community
