SidebySide

SidebySide Side-by-Side is an early childhood education campaign led by the National Department of Health. What is Side-by-Side? It starts with breastfeeding.

Side-by-Side is a national Department of Health campaign working to ensure that all children under 5 receive the nurturing care they need to develop to the best of their abilities. It relies on all stakeholders caring for caregivers and pregnant women to work alongside each other. Side-by-Side rests on 5 pillars:

NUTRITION - Good nutrition is important for mothers’ and children’s health. LOVE - Brain development is spurred by responsive care and love, play, and talk. PROTECTION - Children can be protected from childhood disease and injury by getting immunized, and safety in the home. HEALTH CARE - Children need care when they are sick or injured
EXTRA CARE - Some children may need special care or support. Caregivers should know what to do and where to go.

“Together, we can ensure that South Africa’s youngest children receive the care they need to survive and thrive.”

💛The Road to Health booklet is an important resource that can answer many of the questions you might have mommy. Please ...
19/02/2026

💛The Road to Health booklet is an important resource that can answer many of the questions you might have mommy. Please use it.

🏥The booklet has important information on breastfeeding, immunisation, how to protect your baby from disease and injury, how to monitor your baby’s development, and danger signs you should look out for when your baby is sick.

📄The booklet also contains important toll-free helplines that you can call when you or your baby is in danger.

⚠️Remember, even if you lose the booklet, you can always go back to the clinic and ask for a new one.

Momma, is here to support you throughout your pregnancy journey. You are not alone🩵📲You can register on MomConnect to ...
19/02/2026

Momma, is here to support you throughout your pregnancy journey. You are not alone🩵

📲You can register on MomConnect to get information about caring for yourself and your baby during the first few days after delivering. MomConnect will send you tips on antenatal care and accessing care in labour, diet and nutrition, non-pregnancy related infections, hypertension, newborn care, breastfeeding, immunisation and appointment reminders.

💬The WhatsApp messages are in English, and SMS messages are in any of South Africa’s 11 official languages.

💬You can also send your questions, and you will receive timely responses.

MomConnect is here to help you access help at your fingertips.

Today is Protection Wednesday, and we are looking at why deworming is important. ⚠️All children between 6 months and 5 y...
18/02/2026

Today is Protection Wednesday, and we are looking at why deworming is important.

⚠️All children between 6 months and 5 years should receive Vitamin A and deworming medicine every 6 months to help keep them strong and healthy!

☑️ Vitamin A boosts immunity, supports healthy growth and is also good for your baby's eyesight.
☑️ Deworming helps prevent infections & improves nutrition.
☑️Check with your local clinic to make sure your child is up to date!

🛑Remember it is important to wash your hands with clean water and soap after using the toilet, changing nappies, before preparing meals and before feeding your little one.

Reading is important for babies' development; all it takes is about 10-15 minutes a day to spark your baby’s interest. 💛...
17/02/2026

Reading is important for babies' development; all it takes is about 10-15 minutes a day to spark your baby’s interest. 💛💛💛💛

📚Reading to your child helps them learn, grow, and imagine. Whether it’s flipping through picture books, telling tales from memory, or letting your little one ask questions and share their own version, stories are powerful.

📖Make it part of your routine. Talk, read, imagine, together.

If you cannot afford to buy new books, you can always check out Book Dash , they have a wide range of books for children of all ages.

Children learn most easily through play and having fun. 🟣Songs, games and rhymes develop children's home language skills...
17/02/2026

Children learn most easily through play and having fun.

🟣Songs, games and rhymes develop children's home language skills. They are also a natural way for children to learn a second language.

🔵When adults participate in songs and games with children, it builds trust and strengthens the bond between them.

🟡Children struggle to learn when they are noxious anxious , under pressure or scared.

🔴Songs and rhymes build confidence and self-esteem, they help children to relax. This is true for all children, including children with disabilities.

Watch this video by on how to create songs, rhymes and games that you can use with little ones.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/kFldZsrstF4

16/02/2026

📻 For this week's recap episode, we are looking at how to spot physical development delays.

👂🏾Listen to the rest of the episode here: https://omny.fm/shows/side-by-side-season-4/thobela-fm-episode-47-identifying-physical-development-delays

Is your little one rolling, crawling, sitting, or walking later than other children of the same age?

A health expert shares more on how to identify hearing development, signs of hearing problems, and simple ways to protect your child’s ears from harm.

Remember: Every child develops at their own pace. But if you’re concerned about delays in movement or hearing, don’t wait. Speak to your local clinic. Help is available.

What milestone are you most proud of your child achieving? Tell us in the comments below!

National Department of Health (South Africa) SABC Education Thobela FM Yaka

Iron is a superpower, and foods containing iron should always be paired with vegetables to unlock their superpower.💪 Avo...
16/02/2026

Iron is a superpower, and foods containing iron should always be paired with vegetables to unlock their superpower.💪 Avoid giving iron-rich food with food that has a lot of calcium, like milk or yoghurt.

📄Whenever you are starting your baby on solids, please keep this information in mind when prepping meals. This is important for your baby’s health and development.

Whenever you are making food for your little one, remember not to add salt or sugar to the food.

It’s important not to start giving your child food with added sugar, honey, or salt, since the child will only eat them and will refuse any other food that tastes bland.

Added sugar and salt are harmful to infants and young children because they increase the risk of harmful bacteria in the mouth, leading to tooth problems, poor nutrition, kidney strain, overweight and obesity, and high blood pressure later in life.

Honey is also not recommended for infants and young children under the age of one, as it can contain harmful bacteria that cause serious illnesses.

Refer to your child's Road to Health Booklet (RtHB) for the types of foods to give based on your child's age.

😃Babies have very sensitive taste buds, and to them even bland foods have a lot of flavour!

16/02/2026

In keeping with the spirit of observing Reproductive Health Month and Healthy Lifestyle Awareness Month, catch this recap episode where the spotlight is on Awareness, the symptoms and what kind of help is available. 🎗️🎗️🎗️🎗️🎗️🎗️🎗️🎗️

👂🏾Listen to the rest of this special Side-By-Side episode here: https://omny.fm/shows/side-by-side-season-4/sa-fm-special-episode-cervical-cancer-awareness

HPV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that sometimes cannot be detected. It is only detectable when someone goes for an HPV screening.

👭It is highly recommended that girls aged 9 years and older be vaccinated. It is also important that adults undergo cervical cancer screening. Most girls targeted for HPV vaccination are below 12 years, the age at which children cannot legally consent to medical treatment. Therefore, written consent must be obtained from a parent or a guardian.

🏥Cervical Cancer can be treated if detected early. Go to your nearest clinic for cervical cancer screening. Parents and caregivers are also urged to sign consent forms to allow their children to receive the HPV vaccine.

We are celebrating today!❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️How will you and your family be celebrating? This day should be about cel...
14/02/2026

We are celebrating today!❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️

How will you and your family be celebrating?

This day should be about celebrating our loved ones and making happy memories.

Tell us in the comments below what you will be up to?

13/02/2026

What to do when facing risks to your child’s development and well-being?

Some home circumstances create a risk to the health and well-being of your child. These may limit your ability to care for and protect your little one.

If you are experiencing abuse, unemployment, or a hostile family environment, or if you have an illness or disability that is affecting how you can care for your child, help is available to you.

Speak with your community health care worker (CHCW), nurse or doctor, and they will give you advice or refer you to the right support provider. 👩🏾‍⚕️

It can be hard to ask for help. You've got this, mama! By asking for help, you can receive the right care and support needed to protect yourself and your baby. 🫂

Babies must be raised in environments that support their development. 👶

What to bring when applying for a Child Support Grant if you have no Identity Document (ID) or the child has no birth ce...
13/02/2026

What to bring when applying for a Child Support Grant if you have no Identity Document (ID) or the child has no birth certificate?

Registering your baby for their birth certificate immediately after they are born or before 30 days pass is important.

This allows both the caregiver or parent(s) to access important services such as a Child Support Grant (CSG), provided the caregiver who looks after the child is unemployed or does not earn enough money to provide basic care for their little one.

However, if 30 days pass and the caregiver does not have an ID or birth certificate and requires the Child Support Grant to apply, they need to:

✔️Complete an affidavit in a standard SASSA format in the presence of a Commissioner of Oaths who is not a SASSA official and take the following documents with them to their nearest SASSA office.
✔️A sworn statement by a reputable person (e.g. councillor, traditional leader, social worker, minister of religion) who knows the applicant and child.
✔️Proof that you have applied for an ID and/or birth certificate at the Department of Home Affairs.
✔️A temporary ID issued by the Department of Home Affairs (if applicable)
✔️Baptismal certificate if available.
✔️Road to health clinic card if available.
✔️School report if available.

🏢Remember, you can also apply online or call the SASSA toll-free line if you need more information. ☎️Call them on this number: 0800 601 011/ 0800 600 160.

Address

Dr AB Xuma Building, 1112 Voortrekker Road, Pretoria Townlands 351-JR
Pretoria
0187

Opening Hours

Monday 08:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 08:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 17:00
Thursday 08:00 - 17:00
Friday 08:00 - 17:00

Website

https://www.youtube.com/@SideBySide_za, https://www.instagram.com

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