Milestones in 30 Years of COHSASA History

Celebrating 30 Years of Transforming Healthcare Across Africa

As COHSASA commemorates 30 years of healthcare excellence, we celebrate our firm commitment to improving healthcare quality and patient safety across the continent. From humble beginnings to becoming a leader in healthcare accreditation and quality improvement, we reflect on our impact, and dedication to improve Africa’s health systems.

A Journey of
Milestones

1995: The Beginning

  • Dr. Stuart Whittaker established COHSASA as Africa’s first dedicated healthcare accreditation body. The Louis Leipoldt Hospital became the first to receive COHSASA accreditation.

1997: Public Sector

  • Addington Hospital in Durban became the first public-sector hospital to be accredited.
  • Over the years, COHSASA has worked with many public-sector facilities in seven of the nine provinces, and had accredited facilities in five, helping these provinces to elevate healthcare standards.

2000’s: Regional and Global Impact

  • By 2010 had expanded operations into countries like Rwanda, Nigeria, Ghana, Botswana, Namibia and Malawi, fostering sustainable quality improvement practices across Africa.
  • In 2012: COHSASA developed national health quality standards for Botswana and supported the country’s Ministry of Health in building a robust quality improvement framework and accreditation programme.
  • In 2019 co-hosted the ISQua conference in Cape Town – the first time in Africa

Present Day: Recent Achievements

  • By 2025 , COHSASA has presented a total of 717 Full Accreditation awards and 954 overall awards to healthcare facilities across the continent.
Technology and Innovation
  • Pioneered the Graded Recognition Programme to encourage healthcare facilities starting from a low base to begin the accreditation journey.
  • Developed the Quality Improvement Information System (CoQIS) to support healthcare facilities move towards accreditation, and the PatSIS incident reporting system, enabling real-time monitoring of adverse events and near misses.
Recognition and Partnerships
  • Has achieved six consecutive accreditations from ISQua (2002-2027).
  • Has partnered with international bodies like the WHO and MSH for various campaigns and projects.
  • Partnered with PharmAccess and JCI to establish the SafeCare Foundation.
  • Worked closely with the Association of Palliative Care Centres (APCC) to develop standards and accreditation for palliative care services.
  • Worked with Stellenbosch University and Insight Actuaries to research quality and accreditation.
The Road
Ahead

As we celebrate 30 years, our focus remains on strengthening health care in Africa to ensure safe, quality care for all. Together, with our stakeholders, we look forward to continuing this transformative journey. Here’s to the next 30 years of healthcare excellence across Africa!

Back To Top