“You can do research anywhere. All the world is a laboratory to the inquiring mind," Prof Nulda Beyers said, quoting the famous physician Martin Fischer in her keynote address at the Ukwanda Centre for Rural Health's research day.

In her talk, Beyers, a renowned researcher and distinguished professor in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), emphasised the importance of research in the medical field, and particularly, primary healthcare investigations in rural communities.  

In her presentation entitled 'Life Lessons from Research', Beyers addressed students, academics and other stakeholders about the many incisive results which can emanate from properly executed research and how it serves to advance others in small and very often, significant ways.

Beyers, who started raising awareness about paediatric tuberculosis in the 1980's, said sometimes researchers do not leave their comfort zones – often to the detriment of research outcomes: “When you undertake research, keep your eye on the ball. Find a mentor, get a roadmap and work hard at raising awareness about your specific field, and remember that working with communities will put you in an excellent position to achieve what you set out to do."

Established in 2002, the Ukwanda Centre for Rural Health, through the Rural Clinical School based in Worcester, provides a multi-disciplinary platform that equips the university's medicine and health sciences students with appropriate knowledge and hands-on experience to address the health issues facing rural and underserved communities in the country.  The Centre, which stimulates relevant rural research as part of its overall vision of improving rural healthcare, aims to address the needs of the country's rural communities by recruiting and supporting students from and in rural areas, amongst other strategies.

Several studies show that South Africa's largely poor health outcomes, particularly in rural areas, are compounded by the shortage of facilities to train health professionals. To this end, Ukwanda is in the process of establishing a research team that will be tasked with improving access and equity in healthcare with a specific focus on South African communities based in rural areas. The research team will furthermore co-ordinate a long-term rural health research agenda for Ukwanda and provide research support to its staff and students.

Research presentations at the research day included investigations into Single-leg hopping in children with and without foetal alcohol spectrum disorder and Accurately measuring tuberculosis treatment adherence. According to Ukwanda's director, Prof Ian Couper, the centre's research team will focus on four research priorities, which are set to develop into niche areas over time. These are rural health professions education, collaborative care, rural child and family health, and clinical research in regional and district settings.

Caption: Prof Nulda Beyers

​

“Both in South Africa and at Stellenbosch University, we come from a divided past, which makes it vital for our teaching and curricula to be designed to cater for our students' diverse histories and different experiences of gender, culture, language and religion."

This is the hope and objective of Dr Anita Jonker and her colleagues at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. In 2018, the Faculty introduced a new interdisciplinary module “Gender, culture and religious diversity" with guest lecturers Prof Xolile Simon from the Department of Practical Theology and Missiology (Theology) and Dennis Francis from the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology (Arts and Social Sciences). The module is specifically designed for students in the Extended Degree Programme (EDP), who complete their first academic year over two years. This affords them the opportunity to receive extensive writing support and engage with enriched curriculum content so as to broaden their worldviews.

According to Jonker, EDP coordinator and lecturer, the aim of the module is to address the complexities of religion, gender and culture in society and help students develop into critical and creative thinkers in diverse environments.

“We want our students to know and respect one another's religious traditions and rituals, and at the same time develop the ability to read and listen critically. In the tutorials, students are encouraged to debate the content and form their own opinions based on the reading material, lectures, language support as well as their tutors and fellow students' contributions."

While only the 120 students in the first-year EDP group currently qualify to do the module, there have been several requests to present the course to a broader audience. The module is structured into three lectures and one tutorial per week. The first lecture is dedicated to English and Afrikaans in the humanities and the remaining two deal with subject-specific content.

This year's module has introduced students to key subject-specific concepts that appear in the prescribed reading material. These include the distinction between biological sex and gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, heteronormativity and compulsory heterosexuality, as well as the key differences between transsexual and transgender people. To broaden students' understanding of diversity in religion, gender and culture, the module also incorporates out-of-class teaching and learning. Students are encouraged to visit places of worship that they are unfamiliar with, which Jonker regards as a crucial component of the module.

“Students must be able to engage in dialogue on the issues that the module raises, not only during the module but also long after they have completed it when they encounter different views on these matters among their friends and colleagues. Students from different religions or from atheist and agnostic backgrounds are also encouraged to visit places of worship that are unfamiliar to them. This helps them develop an understanding of the complexities of religious diversity, of the potential of intrareligious and interreligious dialogue to peacefully resolve conflict, and of the human dignity of women and the LGBTQIA community," Jonker says.

English/Afrikaans interpreters are used for all lectures, and as Prof Simon is an isiXhosa mother-tongue speaker, students are able to ask questions in any of the Western Cape's three official languages.

For more information on the module, contact Dr Anita Jonker at axjonker@sun.ac.za.

​The South African Committee of Medical Deans (SACoMD) is an association formed to facilitate the collective interaction of the Medical Deans with other stakeholders in the country on academic matters related to health sciences education, research and health services.

The recent health workers strike in the North West Province and the news article in the Mail and Guardian 'Health Care Under Fire' has brought into sharp focus the challenges facing the health system in South Africa.  The Deans are deeply concerned that industrial action by organised labour actively prevented the access to health care by the most vulnerable members of society and patients died.  These events follow several significant events in the national health system including the Life Esidimeni tragedy, the ongoing oncology service provision crisis, the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, which demand some introspection amongst those managing health services. These do not support an environment for realisation of a health system based on the concept of Universal Health Coverage.

The Deans of the Medical Schools are committed to partnering with the National Ministry, the Provincial Departments of Health, the National Department of Higher Education and Training and engaging with civil society organisation and other stakeholders to ensure that our health system delivers accessible and good quality care to all citizens.  Graduating high quality health professionals and ensuring that all South African graduates are absorbed into the health system will significantly contribute to the quality of care provided.

The Mail and Guardian article 'Health Care Under Fire' sketches the dire state within six provincial health departments.  The impact of the systemic failures in these health departments are (i) on patients where the quality of care is compromised and (ii) the training platform available for the training of medical students and specialist medical doctors, and other health professionals.  The Deans have grave concerns about the future of academic medicine because of the chronic underfunding of health professional education and training.  The absence of a national integrated and comprehensive health system plan, poor human resource planning, and poor governance & management of the health system continue to destabilise the academic health services.  It is the view of the Deans of Medical Schools that the health system in South Africa is in crisis.  The Cabinet's recent decision to place the North West Health Department under administration of the national government in the wake of the health worker protests and the appointment of the Intervention Task Team in Gauteng Health Department are indicative of a limping health system that is in deep crisis.

The Deans are calling on Cabinet to take drastic steps to address the systemic failures in the provincial health departments as a matter of priority.  An optimal health system in South Africa is a prerequisite for a well-functioning academic health complex to train and graduate quality health professionals at undergraduate and postgraduate level (including specialist and sub-specialist levels).

The constant failure to adequately fund internship and community service placements for graduating health professional represents a serious human resource challenge and ethical concern.  The Deans believe that the National Government has a duty to ensure that all South African students and those with permanent residence status should be placed in fully funded posts as this is a legal requirement for practice in the country.  A concern is that permanent residency is being treated differently to South Africans in the allocation of internship positions.  It is the Committee's view that National Government must consistently make funding available so that annually, all eligible students graduating from our universities are guaranteed funded placements in the South African health system.  Government must also similarly commit to find the funding to place all South African students who graduate from the Mandela-Castro Medical Collaboration from 2020 onwards in Internship and Community Service posts.

The Deans are deeply concerned that the additional training sites required to complete the training of the medical students from the Mandela-Castro Medical Collaboration Programme are not fully prepared with only 60 days left before the first group of 720 students arrive in South Africa from Cuba.

The Deans call on the National Minister of Health, in consultation with the National Minister of Higher Education and Training and National Treasury, to urgently:

1. (Mandela-Castro Medical Collaboration Programme) Ensure that all the training sites have been assessed and are ready to host the medical students returning from Cuba by 30 June 2018;
   
2. (North West Province Strike) Engage with organised labour to ensure that industrial action does not limit access of patients to health services;
3. Initiate a policy development process in conjunction with the universities that will result in the publication of the regulations governing Academic Health Complexes as provided for in the National Health Act of 2003, Chapter 7, section 51(a) and (b).  The Deans believe that this process must resolve the issues related to policy, governance, organisation and management, and financing of academic Central Hospitals and the Academic Health Complex;
4. Establish the National Tertiary Health Services Committee and National Governing Body for Human Resources for Health (incorporating Training and Development) by end July 2018.  These National Health Insurance Implementation Structures will enable the health and higher education and training sector to jointly plan the short, medium and long-term future of health services and health professions education and training. The establishment of a joint workforce planning process will ensure that funding can be made available for guaranteed placements in Internship and Community Service posts;
5. Facilitate engagements with the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health to host open and public hearings during June and July 2018 on the crises in provincial health departments.  The outcome of these hearings to be addressed by Cabinet and where necessary and appropriate, to use the constitutional provisions in Section 100 of the Constitution to address the systemic failures in provincial health departments.​

We call on civil society to play their role to ensure that all South Africans have access to quality health care. 

The Medical Deans are committed to the realisation of a health system based on the concept of Universal Health Coverage providing quality health services to all South Africans.

29 May 2018

Professor Martin Veller

Chairperson of South African Committee of Medical Deans 

My name is Nicholas Saal and I am part of the Tygerberg Campus Security team. Any feedback or suggestions? You can find us on the basement level of the Clinical Building, call 021 938 9507 or send a WhatsApp message to 082 808 2333.​

Years on the job: 18

Describe yourself in one sentence: I'm straightforward and focused on service delivery.

Nickname: Manties.

What do you like most about your job? The interaction with students.

What other passions do you have? I enjoy fishing and family outings.

Do you have any hidden talents? I enjoy singing.

Favourite movie? Tolla is Tops. I like laughing.

Favourite music? Gospel and choir music.

Message to students: Don't see security on campus as your enemy. Always remember to maintain a good spirit and focus on the future you want for yourself. 

​This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the full article here.

Understanding children's nutritional status is important. Globally, nearly half of all deaths in children under five are caused by malnutrition. This is due to a lack of sufficient and nutritious food as well as a range of other factors such as healthcare, education, sanitation and hygiene.

Malnourished children are more likely to contract diseases such as diarrhoea, measles and other infections. These can lead to death, as well as a range of permanent mental and physical shortfalls.

In 1999 the World Health Organisation developed a strategy to tackle this global challenge. The aim was to improve the health and development of children under the age of five.

In line with this strategy, South Africa's Health Department introduced a system in 2011 to improve the way it measured children's growth by including height measurements and recording their nutritional status. It distributed a booklet to clinics aimed at helping healthcare workers keep a track record of children's health and development status.

Our study looked at South Africa's response to the Road to Health Booklet to see how well it was being used by healthcare workers and caregivers. We conducted the survey in 140 healthcare facilities in South Africa's Western Cape province.

If used properly the booklet can help healthcare workers identify children who are at risk of becoming undernourished or overweight at an early stage.

But we found that it was not being used properly. Healthcare workers weren't recording some key health statistics. This was either because they didn't understand the value of the information or because they didn't have the time.

In addition, we found that healthcare workers weren't explaining important things that caregivers could do to improve their children's health. This included things like bringing their children to the clinic for regular growth monitoring and advising the caregivers about the importance breastfeeding and complementary feeding for their nutritional value.

The Road to Health booklet is similar to growth monitoring tools, and development assessments in countries around the world has the potential to help improve children's lives. But the government must ensure healthcare workers understand the importance of collecting the relevant information. And that they transfer the correct messages to caregivers.

Recording the data

Our study had three parts. We evaluated 2400 children's booklets to see how well sections were completed. We also sat in on the consultations between caregivers and healthcare workers and we asked both groups to complete questionnaires about their knowledge, attitudes and practices.

Our findings on collecting the data was that information was missing from the booklets. For example, whether children had been dewormed or not was not filled in by half of the healthcare workers. There was other information missing too.

The healthcare workers offered several explanations for not completing the booklets correctly.

Some did not have time. At other facilities there were staff shortages which had an impact on the running of the facility. And there was also a challenge with equipment which was either not working or not available. In some clinics, for example, the weighing scales were inaccurate.

Poor advice

There were several irregularities when it came to advising caregivers.

Many of the healthcare workers couldn't interpret the information they were gathering. While nearly all the children were weighed, more than half of the healthcare workers didn't explain the children's growth to the caregivers.

About a third of the healthcare workers couldn't correctly identify underweight children or those suffering from severe weight loss. And only half could do so for stunting (when a child is short for their age). This is because they didn't know how to perform and interpret the measurements.

Stunting is a serious problem in South Africa and can disadvantage children for the rest of their lives. It's critical for healthcare workers to identify it early and to give advice about changing a child's diet.

Most healthcare workers knew the correct regimes for vitamin A supplementation and deworming. As a result most of the children had their immunisation and vitamin A supplements adequately recorded in the booklets.

Although the healthcare workers received training, some were not clear on the purpose and importance of the measurements and how they determined a child's health. This shows that more resources need to be channelled into healthcare worker training so that they are able to counsel caregivers better on the importance of nutrition.

Fixing the system

There are several other elements that need to be fixed so that the system can run efficiently.

Accurate scales and measurement tools need to be provided to ensure that children are measured properly.

In addition, community healthcare workers need to be mobilised to strengthen awareness in the community.

And lastly, caregivers need to be educated on the importance of routine nutrition screening and interventions. This will give them a better understanding of the programme's benefits which in turn will empower them to ask more questions and get more information.

This year's PREDAC (Professional Educational Development of Academics) programme kicked off on 21 May with an opening day at STIAS.  The opening was attended by 87 academics with 59 of the PREDAC participants joining us.  The theme of the day was:  What is good teaching at Stellenbosch University?

After the welcome, the Stellenbosch University Context for Teaching and Learning was the first topic up for discussion.  Participants engaged with several institutional policy documents through a jigsaw activity.

After teatime, participants discussed the importance of being a reflective practitioner.  The use of feedback as a tool to reflect on your teaching practice was discussed.

After lunch, faculties had the opportunity to engage with their PREDAC participants during breakaway sessions.

PREDAC participants will meet again in July for four days.  These four days comprise various sessions, with a three-night sleep-over at the Goudini Conference Centre near Rawsonville.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.sun.ac.za/english/learning-teaching/ctl/professional-learning-opportunities-for-t-l/predac

​Genetic engineering and plant breeding techniques are used in biofortification programmes to improve the nutritional quality of African cereals such as sorghum and pearl millet. Apart from being important food sources for many poor people around the world, especially those in drought-stricken areas, these cereals also contain important plant-based chemicals that can assist in the fight against  cardiovascular disease, hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

“Improving the nutritional quality of sorghum and pearl millet is important, but it is equally vital to determine whether altering the composition of these cereals may lead to unforeseen and/or undesirable consequences that may not be immediately obvious," says Dr Roya Ndimba a postdoctoral researcher at iThemba LABS in Cape Town.

A recent PhD graduate in Plant Biotechnology from Stellenbosch University, Ndimba adds that we need extensive testing of biofortified sorghum and pearl millet to ensure that 'improvements' are as intended, and that they do not introduce any unwanted or undesirable changes in the composition of the grains. She points out that biofortification   ̶  the process of increasing the nutritional value of crops  through agronomic practices, conventional plant breeding, or modern biotechnology  ̶  is considered the most cost-effective and sustainable approach for improving the iron and zinc content in staple foods.

In South Africa about 55% of sorghum grain is consumed as sorghum meal ̶    commonly referred to as 'Mabele'  ̶  which is served as a breakfast cereal or as a soured porridge. The grain is also used for malting and brewing in the production of traditional sorghum beer. Pearl millet is mainly produced as a subsistence crop in rural areas of Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State. Sorghum and pearl millet are important food security crops in countries like Namibia, Botswana, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

As part of her research, Ndimba set out to determine if there was a difference between the key physical and chemical characteristics as well as the protein profile of genetically modified sorghum and sorghum that hasn't been altered. She also endeavoured to find out whether using plant breeding techniques to increase the concentration of two essential minerals iron and zinc in pearl millet was evident in the most nutritionally important grain tissues.    

Ndimba used various techniques and experiments to compare biofortified sorghum and pearl millet with wild types that have not been altered; to study the distribution and concentration of mineral elements within cereal grain tissues; and to assess the effect of biofortification on the composition and other important quality characteristics of the grain.

Sorghum

“As far as biofortified sorghum and wild types are concerned, important differences were found in grain weight and density, as well as the texture of the nutritive tissue inside the grains," says Ndimba.

“There was also a difference in the lysine content of biofortified sorghum and wild types. Lysine is an essential amino acid and building block of protein. The highest increase in grain lysine content was observed biofortified sorghum."

“An increase in lysine content is indicative of an increase in the overall protein quality of the grain."

“In genetically modified sorghum, the protein called kafirin, which serve as repositories of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur for seed germination, was suppressed."

Making up 70-80% of the total proteins found in sorghum wholegrain flour, kafirins have a low lysine content and are also hard to digest.

Ndimba says about 1 742 genes that exhibited different expression patterns in genetically modified and wild-type sorghum grain samples were also identified. Gene expression is a complex series of processes in which the information encoded in a gene is used to produce a protein that dictates cell function.

“The vast majority of these genes were upregulated or, in other words, displayed higher expression levels in the genetically modified samples as compared to those not modified the non-transgenic counterpart."

“Of note, amongst the top most up-regulated genes, were genes encoding for two types of albumin proteins, which are considered to be more nutritionally valuable in comparison to kafirins."

“However, there was also some evidence of an increase in expression for certain proteins that may be allergenic or that may be indicative of increased plant stress. Further research is therefore needed to establish more clearly if the changes in gene expression adversely impact the overall nutritional value of the genetically modified grain.

Pearl millet

Regarding her analysis of pearl millet grains, Ndimba says her research showed that biofortified pearl millet contains more iron and zinc.

“The analysis confirmed an approximate two-fold increase in iron and zinc levels in the grain of the biofortified variety in comparison to the normal pearl millet."

“The intended impact of the biofortification of the pearl millet was to increase the concentration of two essential minerals iron and zinc in specific grain tissues. My study confirmed that a certain variety (Dhanashakti) had significantly higher concentrations of iron and zinc in the most valuable portions of the grain."

Ndimba points out that iron and zinc deficiency can lead to poor growth and compromised psychomotor development in children, reduced immunity, muscle wasting, sterility, increased morbidity and in acute cases even death.

She says her study contributes towards a deeper understanding of the intended and perhaps non-intended changes that may arise in biofortfified grains. 

“This information can help plant scientists to improve the nutritional quality of important staple foods that sustain millions of the world's most poor and marginalised people."

“Scientists who work on cereals and are involved in the development of nutritionally improved grains for global food security and health could benefit from this research."

In light of increasing droughts and an expected global population growth, Ndimba calls for the cultivation of more sorghum and pearl millet to help address critical food security needs across Africa.

She says she would like to work closely with agricultural research institutions to gain access to the vast array of millet species that may be developed into the next generation of climate tolerant and nutritionally superior African grain crops.

• Main photo: Sorghum crops (Credit: Pixabay)
  
• Photo 1: Roya Ndimba
  

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES ONLY

Dr Roya Ndimba

Materials Research Department

iThemba LABS

Cape Town

Tel: 021 843 1165

E-mail: rminnis@tlabs.ac.za

        ISSUED BY

Martin Viljoen

Manager: Media

Corporate Communication

Stellenbosch University

Tel: 021 808 4921

E-mail: viljoenm@sun.ac.za

​​Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), internationally known for its efforts in securing plant diversity for the well-being of people and the planet, has accredited the Stellenbosch University (SU) Botanical Garden – only the *second botanic garden in Africa and the first in South Africa to receive this honour.

To date (5 June 2018) there are nine** botanical gardens with accreditation.

BGCI Accreditation recognises achievements in plant conservation with institutions carrying out a range of conservation-related policies, practices and activities.

Accreditation can result in tangible benefits for participating gardens – such as recognition, peer review, creating standards for excellence, and funding –  and will act as a motivator for botanic garden leadership. 

In congratulating SU in receiving the accreditation,  Dr Paul P. Smith, Secretary General of the BGCI based in the UK, said that the SU Botanical Garden is very special due to it being the only university-managed botanic garden in the Cape Floristic Region. “With dozens of threatened plant species only represented in your collection and in no other collections globally, the SU Botanical Garden is of critical importance for global research and conservation efforts. We have also seen large increases in requests from your collection from other institutions since you have started sharing your collections data with our global PlantSearch database in 2014."

He added that with various well-regarded academics and research groups within SU, the SU Botanical Garden provides the “perfect platform" from which to build international partnerships and drive various research and conservation projects. “Besides the collections, the expertise that has been built up in your Botanical Garden and University has a huge role to play in helping build capacity in other botanic gardens not only in your region but also on the rest of the continent.

Conserving plant species on critically endangered list

Comments Prof Stan du Plessis, SU Chief Operating Officer: “The accreditation is a valuable international recognition for the leading work at the SU Botanical Garden. The Garden has an important focus on environmental conservation and especially the protection and study of species that are critically endangered. This accreditation also reflects the increasing role that the Garden plays in the international pursuit of environmental conservation. We are particularly proud that the Garden is one of only two botanical gardens in Africa that received this accreditation."

He also credited Mr Martin Smit, former curator of the SU Botanical Garden as being instrumental in SU receiving this accolade. “Not only did Mr Smit greatly enhance the research value of the Garden – he for example introduced new standards of recordkeeping in the garden – he also initiated large-scale projects. These include restoring the heating system for the lily dams to accommodate the specific needs of the giant water lily, Victoria cruziana – with the garden being the only garden in Africa, apart from Madagascar, where visitors can observe this unique lily. He also renovated and enlarged the tropical glass house – now home to the world's smallest water lily, Nymphaea thermarum."

This critically endangered water lily disappeared from the Rwandan wild a decade ago, and there is only a handful of botanical gardens worldwide who have succeed in propagating and growing this sensitive little plant. On Smit's initiative the long-forgotten underground water reservoir was renovated, just in time to keep the plants alive during the current drought.

The garden's database has been digitalised and via the IrisBg database the garden is now connected with other botanical gardens worldwide. This also means that visitors can learn more about the plants in via the downloadable Garden Explorer app on smart phones.

The SU Botanical Garden is the oldest university botanical garden in South Africa.

The accreditation is valid for a period of five years with the expectation that gardens will maintain the necessary standards in areas of activity specific to botanic gardens, such as documentation of collections and supporting scientific research and conservation.

* The other being Gullele Botanic Garden in Ethiopia.

** The accredited gardens (5 June 2018) are the Gullele Botanic Garden in Ethiopia; Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, USA; Jardín Botánico Universitario – BUAP, Puebla, Mexico; National Botanic Garden of Wales, United Kingdom; Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden, Laos; Stellenbosch University Botanical Gardens, South Africa; University Botanic Gardens Ljubljana, Slovenia and Wollongong Botanic Garden, Australia.

Photo:  Ms Mbali Mkhize, Botanical Garden Assistant, Mr Willem Pretorius, President of the Friends of the Botanical Garden Association and Mr Bonakele Mpecheni, Botanical Garden Assistant. Photo credit: Stefan Els ​

​We can't just leave it to a liberalised market to address the world's economic and ecological challenges. We have to join forces and ask ourselves who we are and where we stand in relation to others and to these challenges if we are to succeed.

This was one of the viewpoints of Prof Martin de Wit from the School of Public Leadership at Stellenbosch University on Thursday (7 June 2018). He delivered his inaugural lecture on the topic Environmental governance, the human person and social order: A reinterpretation.

De Wit said humans are largely responsible for the ecological destruction, so they have to act on it.

“My suggestion in response to the ecological problems in the modern economic order is to start by asking who we are as humans."

“This is a critical time to ask ourselves who we are and where we stand in relation to others and the world's economic and ecological challenges."

De Wit said the market cannot deal with all environmental problems in all contexts.

“The liberalised modern market order is failing in many respects to address the world's greatest ecological and social problems."

He pointed out that the modern economic order has unleashed much protest.

“Globally and locally, the revolution of the masses has already begun. More and more people are willing to exchange the totality of the market for another totality, vague as yet, but shrouded in the rhetoric of power and exclusivism."

De Wit highlighted the role environmental governance (rules, policies and institutions that shape how humans interact with the environment) can play in helping us address current economic and ecological challenges.

“Environmental governance needs to inspire persons living ordinary lives in extraordinary times to act to bring about real change."

De Wit pointed out that today environmental governance is increasingly focused on changing the behaviour of agents within the social order of markets. The state still plays a role, albeit more limited, through direct environmental regulations and by supporting the creation and use of markets, he added.

He said traditional modes of environmental governance have started to shift towards newer ones that involve a greater variety of actors across a greater diversity of institutions, behaviours and sources of knowledge.

De Wit highlighted the need for action that will result in real change in the modern economic order.

• Main photo: Credit: (Pixabay)
  
• Photo 1: Prof Martin de Wit (middle) with Proff Christo Boshoff, Vice-Dean for Research in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, and Eugene Cloete, Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies. Photographer: Anton Jordaan.
  

​​​Apart from providing unconditional acceptance and love, animal–human interaction also offers health benefits, such as the potential to lower your blood pressure. That's according to Dr Marieanna le Roux, lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Stellenbosch University (SU) and collaborator of the non-profit organisation Pets as Therapy (PAT).

PAT takes volunteering pet owners and their pets on therapeutic visits to hospitals, hospices, retirement homes, frail-care facilities, special-needs schools, residential care centres and, of late, to SU. According to Le Roux, these visits are a source of companionship, support, comfort, pleasure, stress relief and stimulation for those suffering from illness, impairment or simply homesickness.

Most students who attend the sessions at SU every Tuesday reside on campus and miss their own pets back home. “These sessions offer students the opportunity to touch and play with the pets in an informal setting. Activities include meet-and-greet, play and interaction," Le Roux explains.

Considerable research done in the field of animal–human interaction has shown just how much value animals add to human lives. Le Roux said: “while it's not therapy as such, something certainly happens inside a person when interacting with a pet. Students go through a lot during their time at university, and these visits help them cope with stress, reduce their blood pressure, and even calm down the pets."

Founded in 2001, PAT has more than 180 registered volunteers who visit more than 85 institutions nationwide on a voluntary basis. The organisation has branches in Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Polokwane, Port Elizabeth and East London.

For more on PAT, visit https://www.pat.org.za/.

​

SU contributes to science leadership in African cities

Since 2015, the Urban Modelling and Metabolism Assessment (uMAMA) research team at the School of Public Leadership has been undertaking game-changing and exciting research aimed at tracking urban resource flows and thereby shaping African cities.

by PROF JOSEPHINE MUSANGO

Currently, there is lack of data-supported decision-making in urban planning, which undermines the building of sustainable communities and cities, particularly in the face of a rapidly urbanising Africa. To alleviate the lack of data, uMAMA is providing empirical cases of the metabolism of African cities. This it does by using a suite of innovative approaches that promotes bottom-up data collection through engagement with communities. And it is from this empirical evidence that it is developing theory specific to African cities.

One of uMAMA’s collaborative research projects is entitled Co-designing energy communities with energy poor women in urban areas: Case studies in Kenya, Uganda and South Africa (CoDEC) (www.codec.livinglab.co.ke). This project is one of nine awarded in 2017 by the Leading Integrated Research for Agenda 2030 (LIRA2030) in Africa programme. The project draws expertise from three African transdisciplinary research teams: the Living Lab (www.livinglab.co.ke) at the University of Nairobi in Kenya, led by Dr Amollo Ambole; the Urban Action Lab (www.ual.mak.ac.ug) at Makerere University in Uganda, led by Dr Kareem Buyana; and uMAMA (www.umama-africa.com) here at Stellenbosch University (SU), led by Prof Josephine Musango. The teams have extensive experience in and knowledge of systems thinking and systems dynamics in Africa, energy metabolism in African cities, sustainable energy, design, social innovation, social governance, the energy-gender-health nexus and informal urban environments.

The objective of the CoDEC project is to provide integrated solutions to the energy challenges of households in informal urban settlements. To achieve this objective, studies were undertaken in two informal urban settlements ˗ Mathare in Nairobi, Kenya, and Kasubi-Kawaala in Kampala, Uganda ˗ and the findings of these studies were compared to research findings from Enkanini in Stellenbosch. All the studies engaged the stakeholders (the settlement dwellers themselves), experts and policy actors. Knowledge will now be co-produced and gender-responsive options for improved household energy service provision will be co-designed. This will be able to contribute to improved policies. It will also be able to contribute to the realisation of the national energy goals of the three countries and to some of the international Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): good health and wellbeing (SDG3); gender equality (SDG5); affordable and clean energy (SDG7); and sustainable cities and communities (SDG11).

The first regional workshop of CoDEC was held in Nairobi from 9 to 11 April 2018. Forty participants were brought together, comprising the three teams, experts and policy actors from the Ministry of Energy in Kenya and the Kenya Power and Lighting Company, community members from Mathare, and funding representatives from LIRA and the International Development Research Centre. The uMAMA participants were Prof Musango, Ms Suzanne Smit (a PhD researcher) and Dr Zora Kovacic (a postdoctoral fellow joining the team in May 2018).

There was opportunity for in-depth discussion among the project partners and the team participants on the project’s scientific, policy and societal relevance to the energy-gender-health nexus and for a visit to Mathare.

One of the key achievements by CoDEC during its first year of research was surveying 300 households in Kenya, Uganda and South Africa (using the Multiscale Integrated Assessment of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism framework); another was the participatory mapping of energy sources in relation to work and other amenities in Mathare and Kasubi-Kawaala. Presentations were made at the International Council for Science in Taipei, the Nigeria Academy of Sciences in Abuja, the Nordic Africa Institute in Uppsala and the NEXUS conference in North Carolina. An article was also published in Geoforum, entitled Setting the scene for energy metabolism assessment of Nairobi city county.

It is important that our students are mentally and physically ready to handle the volume of work during examinations and to approach each examination opportunity with confidence. Student Affairs' Elmien Sinclair, Educational Psychologist and Head of the Unit for Academic Counselling and Development at the Centre for Student Counselling and Development of Stellenbosch University (SU) shared some important tips on how students can become mentally and physically ready for the exams.

Listen to some inspirational and wise words from SU's honorary doctorates to the students of Stellenbosch

1.      What is the best way to start and not be overwhelmed by the mountain of work in front of you?

• Make a study timetable.
• Don't wait until you feel ready to start working. Chances are slim that it will happen. You must make a conscious decision to start working.
• Break your work down into digestible chunks. This will help you to get it more organised.
• Study the difficult parts during the times of the day when you are most productive.
• Early in the morning and later in the evening are great revision time.
• Always remember: “How to eat an elephant? One bite at a time!"

2.      What tips are there on study methods and effective use of studying time?

• Everyone is unique and different. What works for a friend will not necessarily work for you.  Rather do not copy your friend's studying methods unless you process works and learn in the same way.
• Be creative and use what you are comfortable with to memorise your work. Think of different colours, mind maps, flashcards, bullet points, keywords and more.
• It is also not a rule to study in a stereotypical way by sitting behind a desk. You can walk around in your room; have notes pasted all over; talk to yourself or sit in the garden.
• Some people study better with instrumental background music, others with scented candles burning and others with absolute silence.
•  It's important to find out what works for you because how we are taught to study at school does not necessarily works at university. 

3.      What is the best way to cope with this stress and turn it into positive energy?

• Schedule time for relaxation.
• Surround yourself with positive people.
• Set small goals for yourself and reward yourself for the hours you put in.
• Laughter is the best medicine, so try get a good dose of humour too.
• Don't forget to take care of yourself; eat regularly, because you are burning a lot of energy while studying.
• Drink lots of water and exercise.
• Don't drink too much coffee and avoid energy drinks.

4.      How often should students take breaks and what are ideal ways to spend this time off?

• Research shows that the average person can concentrate constantly for approximately 25 minutes.
• If your concentration span is 20 minutes, then take a 5 minutes break in-between and do 2 to 4 sets of 20 minutes before taking a longer break. It is important to take short breaks while studying.
• Consider using the Pomodoro Application for time-management
• Do something during your break that can take your focus away from your studies. This way you will be rejuvenated for the next session.
• Definitely avoid snacking on junk food, surfing the internet or going on to social media and excessive caffeine intake.
  
   

5.      What should you be doing just before writing an exam? Any useful tips?  

• Get a good night's rest
• Don't try to cram way into the night.
• Have a healthy breakfast.
• If hearing people chat about what they have learnt and it stresses you out, then put on your earphones and listen to your favourite music.
• Believe in yourself

If you need academic counselling or support, make contact with the Centre for Student Counselling and Development in Victoria Road 37 or visit SU's website at www.sun.ac.za/cscd. Also, follow Student Affairs and #SUexam on Facebook for regular study tips

​​​​The Ingcungcu Sunbird Restoration Initiative

The Ingcungcu Initiative, named after the Xhosa word for “birds with long beaks", aims to re-open a migration corridor for nectar-feeding birds across the City of Cape Town by planting gardens of bird-pollinating plants on school grounds.

Led by Prof. Anton Pauw of the Department of Botany and Zoology at Stellenbosch University (SU) and Bongani Mnisi, head of nature conservation for the City of Cape Town, the initiative involves learners and teachers from eight schools across the Peninsula and numerous partners from the greater community. Ceinwen Smith, a private conservation and education consultant, is currently managing the project.

The project started in 2013 when Bongani, then a part-time student at SU, decided to write his master's thesis on how restoring the nectar-feeding bird community can identify and nurture leadership for biodiversity. His supervisors, Prof. Pauw (PhD) and Dr Sjirk Geerts (PhD), based at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, guided Bongani down the path that has today led to a highly successful biodiversity and community initiative.

The challenge, as identified by Prof. Pauw, was how to mitigate the impacts of the expanding city on its natural environment, while at the same time harnessing the benefits that biodiversity brings. “A unique aspect of the fynbos vegetation that surrounds the city is that the dominant shrubs depend on birds for pollination and subsequent seed production. However, the city is a barrier to the migration of these birds," said Prof. Pauw.

Although there are only four species of obligate nectar-feeding birds in the Cape, they are the pollinators of about 350 plant species.

In order to test the theory regarding the importance of habitat corridors for the maintenance of biodiversity, eight schools were chosen as locations for the cultivation of gardens containing bird-pollinating plants.

The eight schools were selected to form a corridor linking part of the Table Mountain National Park with the isolated Rondevlei Nature Reserve on the Cape Flats. Gardens measuring around 200 m² were established at the four high schools in April/May 2014 and at four primary schools in August 2017. The learners and staff from each school are involved in the preparation and planting of the gardens, and were taught how to identify and record bird sightings.

The opening of this migration route is especially important when fires temporarily decimate the vegetation, forcing the birds to leave in search of nectar.

“The project is still in a very early stage and the effects are still small. Malachite sunbirds were seen in the gardens for the first time in 2016. However‚ the effects on learners were more impressive‚ with a significant increase in their knowledge of nature," said Bongani.

Aside from SU being involved in the hands-on application of research findings, leading to scientific papers and improved environmental health, the initiative provides learners with an opportunity to become active role players in the creation of a more sustainable future.

Both the schools and the environment benefit from the gardens, which provide an increase in green spaces in the urban environment and an opportunity to connect with nature.

“Our vision for the next 10 years is to grow the corridor right across the Cape Flats to the Stellenbosch Mountains," said Prof. Pauw.

There has been widespread support for the initiative and future plans include the possibility of an app to assist with identifying and recording bird sightings. The collection of seeds and sourcing of plants remain challenges for the dedicated team.

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For more information regarding this initiative and how to get involved, please visit the following websites:​

Stellenbosch University Social Impact Initiative Profile

Ingcungcu Sunbird Restoration Project website

Ingcungcu Sunbird Restoration Project Facebook Page

“It feels like a space full of success stories waiting to happen. Thank you for creating it for us." This comment about the new Medicine and Health Sciences library was made by a Stellenbosch University student and retold by Ilana van Niekerk, the chairperson of the Tygerberg Academic Affairs Council, at the official opening of the modern new library on the university's Tygerberg campus.

Speaking on behalf of the Tygerberg student body, Van Niekerk expressed her sincere thanks to the university council and other stakeholders involved in the funding, design and development of the library. “Thank you for thinking of us as students, and thinking of our success in the development of this project. We will cherish it and use it to be the best that we can be," said Van Niekerk.

The 3 000m2 library has been entirely refurbished and is now an ultramodern facility with innovative spaces for collaborative learning and research, and boasts state-of-the-art video conferencing and e-classroom amenities.

“We often speak about Stellenbosch as being a world-class university. Part of what makes it world class is having world-class facilities – and this is what we see over here," said Prof Eugene Cloete, Vice-Rector: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies at the opening event.

“This is a wonderful moment," said Cloete. “You start off with a dream and you end up with a space like this. And you can celebrate it in the university's centenary year. It's just wonderful."

SU Rector and Vice Chancellor, Prof Wim de Villiers, also praised the new library. “Isn't it great to have this friendly, fresh space filled with light and colour? A modern, future focused place serving a new generation of library users with the latest technology and opportunities for interactive, collaborative learning and research," De Villiers reiterated.

According to him this is in line with international trends and contemporary thinking about the place of the library in the 21st century. “Jeffrey Schnapp of Harvard says: 'We tend to think of libraries as collections, but the libraries of the future will be more about connections'. Connecting people to the great cloud of information enveloping us in the digital age, but also connecting people to each other," De Villiers said.

This feature of the new Medicine and Health Sciences library is aligned with the one of the themes of the University's new Strategic Framework, namely, networked and collaborative teaching and learning, De Villiers said. “The aim of the collaborative approach is to create learning communities where students, staff, and alumni can experience meaningful learning."

A yellow wood tree was planted in a courtyard in the centre of the library, and conceptualizes the philosophy of a library being symbolically and physically the heartbeat of a university. It symbolizes the seed of knowledge and creative thinking that is planted in the library, and precipitates growth of the campus community.

Prof Jimmy Volmink, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, congratulated the Roelof Rabe Architects on the successful design and development of the new library, and thanked Linda Bellairs and Yusuf Ras (the former and current heads of the Medicine and Health Sciences Library respectively) for seeing this ambitious project through to completion. He also commended the Rector's Management Team and the University Council for being future focused in terms of providing financial support for the project.

Caption: Mr Yusuf Ras, Eben Mouton, Profs Eugene Cloete, Wim de Villiers and Jimmy Volmink, and Ms Ellen Tise and Mr Roelof Rabe.

The more you do, the more you can do. Just ask Annamart Laubscher, final-year medical student and top cross-country athlete.

Since 2013, when Annamart started participating in this sport, she has clocked up an impressive 21 wins in a variety of cross-country events across the country, one of which was the 2017 Ultra Trail Cape Town, a tough 35km-route over Table Mountain. “I did not expect to win. I just wanted to enjoy the environment," she says.

At school, Annamart was an accomplished biathlon and triathlon athlete and she represented South Africa several times internationally in these sporting categories. When she became a medical student in 2013 at the University of  Stellenbosch's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, she realised that it would be difficult to take part fully in all three these sporting activities (swimming, cycling and running). “Also, it is quite dangerous to cycle in Parow, so I decided to focus on my running." She loves nature and also previously did mountain biking, so it is no wonder that she eventually found herself doing cross-country running.

Unfortunately two injuries tripped up Laubscher's cross-country plans for 2018. “This sport is a bit dangerous. Sometimes you should rather be cautious instead of just rushing headlong down the mountain," she warns. She first fell on her knee, "which then needed quite a few stitches", and shortly after that she sprained her ankle. “That forced me onto the sidelines for a while."

According to Laubscher this sport has grown considerably over the last few years, especially among women. “It was reasonably small-scale when I started. Few people knew of it and there were just one or two events per month. There were also considerably more men taking part than women."

In the meantime, cross country races have started to attract more attention, and there are now events to choose from just about every weekend. “I think there are a few reasons for this," speculates Laubscher, “such as the desire to live a healthy lifestyle, a desire to discover new places, a need to meet people who also love nature and adventure, or maybe even just collecting fitness points for your medical scheme!"

She says the number of female participants has also increased. “Some of them are very strong and I have a lot of respect especially for those who take part in the longer items. I would like to run with them some day!"

Laubscher is one of 18 medical srudents who were chosen to do their practicals at the Worcester Provincial Hospital, instead of at the Tygerberg Academic Hospital. Apart from believing that there are more opportunities in Worcester as there are fewer students working on the clinical rotation, she also thinks it is important to support the training of doctors in rural areas. “One gets a greater insight into the overall health of a patient, and how treatment should be individualised for each patient in order for it to be successful," she explains. “I hope this also means that more doctors will return to areas such as these when they have completed their studies."

As with all medical students, her schedule is a busy one, and it is sometimes difficult to get round to everything. “I did, however, decide from the beginning that my studies and my career would always be my first priority." Her secret with regards to time management is to put together a programme containing everything that needs to be done that day. “Do the most important things first, and then take a look at whether there is time for the rest." Laubscher sees sport and other hobbies as things that help one with good time management, because it is easy to "waste" time. She says that it does require effort and energy, even though she sees her running as a source of relaxation. "After a long day in the hospital it is sometimes difficult to motivate yourself to go running." Her advice? Don't think about it too much and just take the first few steps. “After that it becomes easier to persuade your body to continue."

She still isn't sure what she would like to specialise in one day, but she says she would like to get a few years of experience overseas, maybe climb a few mountains there, and then return to work in a smaller hospital in South Africa. In terms of her running career a Comrades Ultra-marathon, an Iron Man triathlon and other cross-country races are on her list of milestones she would like to reach.

Laubscher encourages anyone who is interested in cross-country running to give it a try. “All it takes is a love for the outdoors, willpower and a general motivation to live a healthy life."

*Visit www.trailrunning.co.za for a complete list of cross-country running events.

The fact that Laura Wolvaardt is currently living out her dream by walking onto the field as an opening bowler of the South African women's cricket team doesn't mean that she has abandoned her other great dream – to qualify as a doctor. 

Laura started studying at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) at the University of Stellenbosch at the beginning of the year as a first-year student. 

The busy cricket calendar – and especially the T20 World Cup Tournament in November this year – disrupted everything, however, and she was given permission after a few months to interrupt her studies. She will resume these next year. 

Laura made her debut for the South African senior women's cricket team in 2016 in a one-day tournament against England. And she hasn't looked back since. She is very grateful that the FHMS has given her the opportunity to play professional cricket for a year without having to worry about her studies. 

The decision about where to study came easily. “I attended an Open Day at Tygerberg, and simply fell in love". 

And why medicine, in particular? “As a doctor I feel that one can truly make a difference in someone's life," says the 19-year-old, who also shines in many other areas, but realises only too well that in the long run she would not be able to do justice to both cricket and medicine at the level she would like to do. 

Last year in matric at Parklands College in Milnerton she was head girl, a member of the first hockey team, and academically in the top spot, as she has been throughout her school career. 

“When I started studying at the US, I quickly realised that the medical course was extremely demanding – just as demanding as the schedule of a professional cricketer," she says. “I will never completely stop playing; I love cricket too much to do that. But after I have resumed my medical studies, I will not be part of every single cricket tour." 

At the moment her days look very different to those of a typical medical student. “When I am home, I will go to the gym every day, and attend cricket practice. However, the biggest part of this year I will be touring, which means many team practice sessions and matches." 

Her passion for cricket she ascribes to the boys who her friends during very early childhood. “At the age of five everyone started playing cricket. I trundled along behind them as I didn't want to miss any of the fun, and to my surprise, I started loving the game." 

Laura has quite a few impressive firsts on her list of records, such as being the youngest South African cricketer (of the men ánd women) who have made a century in international cricket (at the age of 17), and she is also the youngest woman in the world who has passed the 1000-run mark in one-day cricket (at the age of 18). But the highlight of her cricketing career was when the South African women's team took part in the World Cup Tournament last year during her Matric year. “We played brave and fearless cricket and it was incredible being part of that. We reached the semi-finals and played for one another." 

She did so well that she was selected to play in the international team. 

Laura has received many accolades, such as when she was named in her matric year as  Women's Newcomer of the Year at Cricket South Africa's annual awards, and at an awards ceremony for women, athletes received the sport award for School Sports Star of the Year. 

She believes that in order to be a good opening batsman, you need to possess both a solid technique and strong mental abilities. "You must be 100% focused. There is no room for errors. I believe it is very similar to when you are a doctor."

Caption: Laura Wolvaardt in action on the cricket pitch.

Photo supplied by Cricket South Africa.

A group of Matie Community Service (MCS) student volunteers from the Stellenbosch University Primary Health Care Programme hosted a health promotion day at the Kalkfontein Community Hall on Saturday 26 May.

The day was aimed at identifying the symptoms of health issues such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, and providing advice to local residents on health issues.

TygerBurger, a weekly community newspaper, published this article covering the event.

The event, which was led and co-ordinated by Mrs Avril Whate, a senior project manager at Primary Health Care at Tygerberg, is part of the MCS Primary Health Care programme. This programme provides a holistic after-hour and primary healthcare service to certain communities of the Western Cape who have limited access to healthcare.

The goals of the programme are to:

• promote holistic and integrative management;
• provide health promotion and health education to clients;
• promote the prevention of diseases through appropriate screening;
• provide training to student volunteers;
• create a platform for academic support and development;
• provide a platform for student and student leadership development; and
• promote the development of community volunteers.

“Our mission is to interact with communities in their specific context through the provision of our services and healthcare education in order to empower these communities to improve and maintain their own development and well-being, thereby creating the hope of a sustainable future," said Mrs Whate.  

The initiative also contributes towards the professional development of students and improves their clinical skills by providing additional training. The students also have the opportunity to spend time with patients and listen to their stories, which contributes positively to the training of undergraduate health professionals.

For more information regarding the programme and clinic dates, please contact Mrs Whate at acw@sun.ac.za.

A paragraph indicating:

• who is involved (Stellenbosch University stakeholder and partner),

• where it is taking place,

• what is/are the activity/ies,

• when (date and time),

• an invitation for involvement,

• contact person & contact details,

• photograph/s
  

Please submit your contributions to Michelle Pietersen by 22 June 2018.

People whose knees have been affected by osteoarthritis, also known as the 'wear and tear' arthritis, often have to get knee implants to repair the damage. But if a knee implant does not fit the specific individual, it could lead to soft tissue damage, collapsing of the underlying bone, loosening of the implant and an increased likelihood of joint pain after an operation.

“One possible solution is to design implants that are patient-specific, anatomically accurate, reproduce normal knee motion and are ultimately repeatable," says Dr Johan van der Merwe a lecturer in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering at Stellenbosch University (SU). Van der Merwe, who is also a member of the Biomedical Engineering Research Group in the same department, recently obtained his doctorate in Mechatronic Engineering at SU. He focused on developing a repeatable, semi-automated method of generating patient-specific implant components that reproduces an individual's healthy anatomy to facilitate natural joint movement after an operation.

Van der Merwe points out that the knee is one of the joints most susceptible to osteoarthritis, a form of arthritis that occurs when the protective cartilage in joints breaks down.

Van der Merwe says for localised osteoarthritis, surgical reconstruction or replacement of only the damaged part of the knee (Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty) may be preferred over the replacement of the entire joint (Total Knee Arthroplasty). Projections are that by 2030 three million knee replacement surgeries will be done globally. Current knee replacements usually last for 10 years.

“Replacing or repairing only the damaged part may result in faster recovery, improved post-operative joint movement, retains as much of the joint's natural anatomy as possible and is done at a lower cost."

“But designing patient-specific Unicompartmental Knee Replacements ultimately rely on a technician's interpretation and skill in order to consistently reproduce healthy knee shapes. This is a difficult problem – what is considered healthy for one patient might not be the same for another."

Van der Merwe points out that there is often a mismatch between current standardised sizes of commercially available implants and the shape and form of an individual patient's knee. This generally requires the surgeon to make the patient fit the implant, and sometimes even deviate from the ideal intended implant placement based on experience and current best practices to achieve good outcomes.  

In an attempt to address these shortcomings, Van der Merwe developed a model based on the various shapes of healthy knees, which could then be used to estimate the healthy shape of damaged parts on a patient's knee.

Van der Merwe used this information to write a semi-automated design program that fits smooth surfaces onto the estimated healthy shape to create implants ready for computer-assisted manufacturing.

“To validate the shapes created by our implant design method, we performed the semi-automated design process on a set of test knees. Our semi-automated approach to designing patient-specific Unicompartmental Knee Replacements resulted in implants that compare favourably with the original, normal knees."

“These implant components matched the normal anatomy of the knee."

“The method proved able to repeatedly generate anatomically compatible implant shapes. We hope that the design could therefore facilitate the restoration of more normal joint function after an operation."

Van der Merwe says by tailoring each implant to the individual, the mismatch between the shape and form of the patient's knee and that of the implant could be reduced.

“This could potentially lead to reduced recovery times and shorter operating times because the patient's bone surfaces don't have to be modified a lot. Implants with a better fit and, in our case, more natural shape, could potentially also improve movement of the joint after an operation."

Van der Merwe says people in their 50s and early 60s who already suffers from osteoarthritis and need a knee replacement, and more active patients that would like to preserve their quality of life for a period before getting a total knee replacement as the disease progresses would benefit from his research.

He adds that the implant designed as part of his study is ready for preliminary clinical testing.

• Main photo: Pixabay
  
• Photo 1: Dr Johan van der Merwe
  

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES ONLY

Dr Johan van der Merwe

Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering

Stellenbosch University

Tel: 021 808 4038

​E-mail: jovdmerwe@sun.ac.za

      ISSUED BY

​Martin Viljoen

Manager: Media

Corporate Communication

Stellenbosch University

Tel: 021 808 4921

E-mail: viljoenm@sun.ac.za ​

Six months after Dr Burt Davis, lecturer at the Africa Centre for HIV/Aids Management at Stellenbosch University (SU), received his doctoral degree by designing a photo novel dealing with the health risks of using tik, he is hard at work to develop the product further to make it even more useful.​

Davis developed the photo novel “Spyt kom te laat" (“Better safe than sorry") in an attempt to address the tik problem in the Western Cape. The phenomenon of using photo novels to address health issues is especially popular in the USA.

As part of his research, Davis looked at which documents (brochures, etc.) about tik abuse were available in Afrikaans.

“I was quite shocked about how few documents were available and the translations were often very bad," he says.

Because he wanted to move away from a theoretical PhD and rather wanted to design a product that could be used practically, he decided to focus on the development of a photo novel that could form part of awareness and prevention campaigns in schools and health clinics.

“In South Africa, many products that convey health messages are developed without being empirically and scientifically tested. This photo novel is one of few products that wasn't only carefully thought out and planned, but also tested."

“I'm not naïve to think that that I will necessarily convince people to stop using drugs, but it is a good tool for creating awareness. I've received amazing feedback from community workers."

Davis is currently developing his photo novel even further by adding more information in a Q&A format to increase its efficiency and versatility.

“I'm in conversation with representatives of the Department of Higher Education as well as social workers in the Hermanus and Stellenbosch areas about how we can produce the photo novel cost-effectively and distribute it at clinics and schools in the Western Cape."

Earlier this year, he was approached by a wine farm in the area to distribute the photo novel there and it was also handed out to approximately 3 800 learners at 14 schools in the Richtersveld as part of a book project run by the “Vriende van Afrikaans" (Friends of Afrikaans) in conjunction with the ATKV.

Davis also plans to adapt the photo novel to experiment with further health communication outcome variables.

In the past six months, he presented several talks about his research, among others at the VIOT (Vereniging Interuniversitair Overleg Taalbeheersing) conference in the Netherlands and the South African Medical Research Council's biannual symposium on drug use.

For more information, contact Dr Burt Davis at burt@sun.ac.za or 021 808 3707.