{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,11]],"date-time":"2026-09-11T02:47:35Z","timestamp":1789094855220,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":70,"publisher":"AOSIS","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,9,26]],"date-time":"2017-09-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1506384000000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Afr. j. disabil."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Twenty-two years after the promulgation of a plethora of progressive health policies since 1994, the South African public health system reflects a number of stumbling blocks regarding implementation. Rehabilitation professionals are not sufficiently equipped nor allowed the opportunity to comprehensively implement Primary Healthcare (PHC) from a bottom-up approach, thus engaging communities. Training on addressing social health determinants and their impact on ill-health and health outcomes is inadequate. The inadequate understanding of the advocacy role that rehabilitation professionals could play in addressing social health determinants remains a challenge in healthcare. Rehabilitation, a pillar of PHC, remains poorly understood in terms of its role within the health system.Aim: We argue for rehabilitation as a vehicle for addressing social determinants of health with community service practitioners playing a critical role in addressing the inequities within the healthcare package.Setting: The article reflects the opportunities and challenges faced by rehabilitation community service therapists in the delivery of rehabilitation services in a rural area of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.Methods: A single case study from the perspective of a researcher was used to explore the experience and reflection of the first author during her community service as an occupational therapist.Results: The case study highlights some existing gaps within the delivery of rehabilitation services in the rural Eastern Cape. A community service package with a specific approach towards addressing social determinants of health for persons with disability at a community level is suggested.Conclusion: Advocating for a rehabilitation service package to shift to community-based levels is critical. It is envisaged that a community-based approach will facilitate an understanding of the barriers faced by persons with disabilities as constituting disability, thus facilitating learning about the disabling consequences of the rural environment coupled with the system as experienced by persons with disabilities.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4102\/ajod.v6i0.311","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,8,28]],"date-time":"2017-08-28T23:00:33Z","timestamp":1503961233000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":38,"title":["The experiences and challenges faced by rehabilitation community service therapists within the South African Primary Healthcare health system"],"prefix":"10.4102","volume":"6","author":[{"given":"Lieketseng","family":"Ned","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lizahn","family":"Cloete","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gubela","family":"Mji","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2580","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,9,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref0001","author":"African National Congress (ANC)","year":"1994","journal-title":"A basic guide to the reconstruction and development programme"},{"key":"ref0002","author":"Baig","year":"2014","journal-title":"Putting citizens first: How to improve citizens\u2019 experience and satisfaction with government services"},{"key":"ref0003","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2005.06.003"},{"key":"ref0004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/inthealth\/ihs016"},{"issue":"2","key":"ref0005","first-page":"95","volume":"10","author":"Cook","year":"2005","journal-title":"Canadian Journal of Rural Medicine"},{"key":"ref0006","author":"County of Los Angeles Public Health","year":"2013","journal-title":"Social determinants of Health: How social and economic factors affect Health"},{"key":"ref0007","author":"Department of Health (DOH)","year":"1997","journal-title":"White paper for the transformation of the health system in South Africa"},{"key":"ref0008","author":"Department of Health (DOH)","year":"2000a","journal-title":"Pharmacist intern letter"},{"key":"ref0009","author":"Department of Health (DOH)","year":"2000b","journal-title":"Rehabilitation for all: National rehabilitation policy"},{"key":"ref0010","author":"Department of Health (DOH)","year":"2002","journal-title":"A district hospital service package for South Africa"},{"key":"ref0011","author":"Department of Health (DOH)","year":"2007","journal-title":"Department of health allied health professions community service: 2007 letter"},{"key":"ref0012","author":"Department of Health (DOH)","year":"2010","journal-title":"Re-engineering primary health care in South Africa-discussion document"},{"key":"ref0013","author":"Department of Health (DOH)","year":"2011a","journal-title":"Human resources for Health South Africa. 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