The heart of HIGHER HEALTH’s approach to health mobilisation, education and service delivery beats in the First Things First model. This is where young people directly encounter the message that they need to put their health and wellbeing first in order to get the qualification they need to secure future opportunities. 

Some elements of the model are in place on virtually all campuses, others are in development, while a few elements are part of the future expansion of the model.

The delivery of the First Things First model rests on the establishment of a health-focused 2nd curriculum, the enrichment of the conventional curriculum, and utilisation of campus and social media.

First Things First activations take place on all university and TVET college campuses and usually run for three to five days, every two months. They are organised by the institution in conjunction with healthcare partners, including the district health service and local NGOs.