COHSASA’s 30 Year Celebration
On September 30 COHSASA Celebrated 30 Years of Transforming Healthcare Quality Across Africa
On 30 September, COHSASA staff celebrated the organisation’s 30th anniversary — a joyful occasion complete with a rich chocolate cake skilfully iced with the 30-year badge. CEO Jacqui Stewart said it was a privilege to mark this milestone alongside a team that has stood by COHSASA “through thick and thin,” and to continue the work of strengthening health systems across Africa. She thanked everyone for their individual and team contributions.
COHSASA marks its 30th anniversary with pride, reflecting on three decades of commitment to raising healthcare standards and ensuring patient safety across the African continent.
https://cohsasa.co.za/30-years/
Highlights of the Journey
- Founded in 1995 by Dr Stuart Whittaker, COHSASA became Africa’s first dedicated healthcare accreditation body, with Louis Leipoldt Hospital in Cape Town as the first private accredited institution
- By 1997, COHSASA had accredited Addington Hospital in Durban—the first public-sector facility—and continued to support public hospitals across several provinces.
- Expansion throughout the 2000s brought COHSASA’s work to Rwanda, Nigeria, Ghana, Botswana, Namibia, and Malawi. In 2012, COHSASA partnered with Botswana’s Ministry of Health to develop national quality standards and accreditation frameworks.
- In 2019, COHSASA co-hosted the ISQua conference in Cape Town—making history as the first such event held in Africa.
Current Impact & Innovation
- As of 2025, COHSASA has awarded 717 Full Accreditations and 954 overall awards to healthcare facilities across the continent.
- COHSASA pioneered the Graded Recognition Programme to assist facilities starting their accreditation journey and developed CoQIS (Quality Improvement Information System) and PatSIS, an incident-reporting platform for real-time tracking of adverse events and near-misses.
Recognition & Partnerships
- COHSASA has maintained six consecutive ISQua accreditations from 2002 to 2027, underscoring its consistency in meeting global quality benchmarks set by The International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua).
- Longstanding collaborations with international organisations—including the WHO, MSH, PharmAccess, the Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa, and Stellenbosch University—highlight COHSASA’s role in shaping healthcare policy, palliative care accreditation, and research.
Looking Ahead
“As we celebrate 30 years, our commitment to advancing safe, quality care continues stronger than ever,” says COHSASA CEO, Jacqui Stewart. “We remain dedicated to transforming healthcare across Africa—and invite institutions and stakeholders to join us in the next chapter.”
For more information or enquiries about accreditation and quality improvement tools, please contact:
Email: queries@cohsasa.co.za
Phone: +27 21 531 4225
Address: 6 Herschel Road, Claremont, Cape Town 7708, South Africa
Website: www.cohsasa.co.za
