​You saw them everywhere this week … concerned parents arriving in Stellenbosch with big-eyed nervous newcomer students perched like meercats in the passenger seat. This added to the feeling of slight trepidation mixed with excitement that hung in the Stellenbosch air as the gears of the new academic year at Stellenbosch University (US) started to turn. The first gear was the arrival of around 2300 newcomer students from all over South Africa and even outside the country's borders at SU residences to settle in for the start of the next phase in their lives. Many of the Matie newcomers expressed both excitement and nervous emotions on starting their new student life.

Jamie Lamprecht (18) from Pinelands in Cape Town was accompanied by his older brother Zac who helped him move into Metanoia residence. Speaking to Corporate Communication Jamie said, “I will be studying Engineering and I am very excited especially because my brother is also a Maties student."

According to Dr Celeste Nel, Director: Centre for Admission and Residence Placement, SU received nearly 34 000 newcomer first year applications of which 17 700 were complete and could be considered for the 2019 intake.

“SU has 5 300 seats and approximately 2 300 beds on the Stellenbosch and Tygerberg campuses available for first-year students. The University also collaborates with private providers to offer additional private accredited accommodation," said Nel.

Newcomer students like Angel Nkosi who travelled with her mother Damali all the way from Pretoria to move into Nerina residence expressed her gratitude for being placed into a residence at SU.

Liza Brink from Paarl and her mother Marianna filled up their SUV in the early hours of the morning to move the first-year BCom student into Serruria residence. “I have been bored out of my mind waiting for this day to come; I cannot wait to meet the rest of the students at my res and also make new friends." Liza's mom on the other hand said she was happy to have her house to herself now that her daughter was in res.

At Irene residence, Nikita and mother Esmarelda Daniels from Grassy Park said they were both excited about the new journey. “I am extremely proud of my daughter and all that she has achieved. Today is a happy but sad day for me because I am emotional about her leaving home and being away from me." Nikita, on the other hand, said, “I am very excited and cannot wait for classes to start."

A vibrant week-long welcoming programme has been organised to introduce the new Maties to life on campus. Highlights of the programme will include the annual “Vensters" event taking place on Friday 1 February. All the necessary details, as well as the full welcoming programme for the newcomer students for the week, can be found on the University's website, www.sun.ac.za. Visit the site for more information on the registration schedule, transport, personal safety, the library, free writing advice and other aspects of the University.  

Professor Julia Blitz has recently been awarded honorary fellowship to the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP). This is the 'highest College award' offered by the RCGP, the professional body for general practitioners, family physicians and primary care physicians in the United Kingdom.

Blitz is the Vice Dean: Learning and Teaching at Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS).

 

“Julia [Blitz] has made a major contribution internationally to both undergraduate education and postgraduate training in the context of family medicine," Dr Steve Mowle, RCGP's Honorary Treasurer, who read the citation at the award ceremony held in London, late last year.

“She has also been a massive influence in the pioneering joint work of the RCGP with Stellenbosch University to develop vocational training and the licensing of Family Physicians in sub-Saharan Africa," he continued.

Blitz has a background in both Family Medicine and Health Professions Education, and Mowle credited her career success to excellence in both patient-centred clinical practice and academics.

“Julia [Blitz] is a motivated and committed leader and a powerful champion for primary care … Her contribution to the RCGP International work has been invaluable," said Mowle.

Blitz has collaborated on several RCGP-related projects, including the licensing examination of the College of Family Physicians (CFP) of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA), and 'Training the Family Medicine Trainers in South Africa', which is now being extended across 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Locally she has held key roles within the CFP, and at an international level she has connections with the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) Institute in Philadelphia and held a position on the executive committee of the Southern Africa FAIMER Regional Institute.

According to Mowle, these credentials have “contributed significantly to her credibility as a very skilled and knowledgeable leader in undergraduate and postgraduate education".

Nominations for Honorary Fellowship to the RCGP are made for outstanding work towards the objectives of the college, with a candidate's international standing measured by:

• The receipt of prizes/awards granted by other national or international organisations;

• Writing which has had national or international impact;

• Whether the person has made a significant contribution to general practice or its development;

• Having demonstrably furthered the aims of general practice, primary care and the college. 
  

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More than 5 000 newcomer students, accompanied by their parents, were welcomed by Stellenbosch University (SU) during the official welcoming event held at Danie Craven Stadium on Thursday, 24 January 2019.

The important event on the University's annual calendar consisted of fun, music, a formal welcoming, a human display of the number 2019 at the Danie Craven Stadium and a street march by students and parents to the iconic Victoria Street on campus.

During the formal welcoming Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor said that newcomers were now part of a university where dreams are nurtured, new dreams are born, and where students have the opportunity to realise their dreams.

“You are now part of a new community – the Matie community. Within this overarching community, you are in residence or a PSO group and through these in a cluster. This is a purposeful design to ensure each one of you will be in a social network to enable you to learn collaboratively, live in diverse groups and be exposed to a range of voices."

He further encouraged students to be active partners and take charge of their life while at university. “You will be challenged, like never before – academically speaking, but also in other ways. You are going to be confronted with new ways of thinking and doing, a diversity of people and ideas and that's how it's supposed to be. The university is the best place to examine life and come to new insights together with others."

Ms Carli van Wyk, Student Representative Council (SRC) Chairperson at SU, also welcomed newcomers during the formal event. She encouraged students to be brave, to dream big and step outside their comfort zones. “Don't wait for the opportunity to arise, create the opportunity and take the opportunity. Stellenbosch University is the platform to not only be a graduate but to be a global citizen. You have numerous opportunities to excel and to take up the mandate to be the solution. Ignite you dreams, your potential. Ignite your destiny. Stellenbosch University welcomes you!"

After the formal welcoming, the new Maties walked from the stadium to Victoria Street as part of a Dream Launch that symbolised the start of their journey at SU to realise their dreams. The students each received a card on which they could write their dreams for themselves.

The cards were placed at various points on route to Victoria Street, where, for the next few days, these will be on display on trees wrapped in various colours, so anyone that goes down Victoria Street will pass by the dreams of all the newcomers.

Newcomer students can find more information on the University's website, www.sun.ac.za, which contains all the necessary information on the full week's welcoming programme, information on the registration schedule, transport, personal safety, the library and free writing advice. 

Photos by Stefan Els.

The Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences is welcoming some 1 500 newcomer students to the faculty this year.

Most popular among the Faculty's 14 undergraduate programmes are the Accounting programmes – BAccounting, BCom (Management Accounting), and BCom (Financial Accounting) – and the 4-year BCom degree in International Business. The latter is a pioneer in undergraduate business education and includes an exchange semester at a partner university abroad. It is a unique programme in South Africa and only 30 students per year are admitted.

The Faculty's welcoming programme kicked off on Thursday, 24 January with an opportunity for the students' parents to meet the Dean, Prof Ingrid Woolard. This was followed by an information session for all the Faculty's first-year students. Orientation sessions at the JS Gericke Library, academic and computer registration also form part of the programme to ensure that the newcomers are familiarised with the faculty.

• Photo: The Faculty's newcomer first-years attended an information session in the Kruiskerk on Friday morning, 25 January 2019.
  

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

People are now living longer in sub-Saharan Africa than they did two decades ago. This is an achievement, given that life expectancy in the region went down the drain from the 1990s to the mid-2000s as it choked under the devastating effects of the HIV epidemic.

The question to ask is whether the additional years are spent in good or poor health. This question matters because how long people live affects the population's state of health and leading causes of disability. Longevity means that these change over time which in turn has implications for policy, planning and provision of services.

We used information from the Global Burden of Disease study to calculate healthy life expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa. Healthy life expectancy refers to the average number of years that a person at a given age can expect to live in good health, taking into account mortality and loss of functional health.

The data suggest that people are living many years in poor health in the region. And our paper shows that there are large inequalities in healthy life expectancy and disease burden between – and within countries – in sub-Saharan Africa.

This points to the fact that much more effort is needed to increase healthy life expectancy in the region.

Discrepancies

We found that the increase in healthy life expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa was smaller than the increase in overall life expectancy. This indicates that many years are lived in poor health in the region. In 2017, life expectancy at birth in sub-Saharan Africa was 63.9 years, but healthy life expectancy was only 55.2 years. This means that 13.6% of years of life in the region is spent in poor health.

Life expectancy in 2017 varied by sub region, ranging from 62.4 years in Central Africa to 65 years in Southern Africa. However, in Central Africa 14.4% and in Southern Africa 13.8% of these years are estimated to be spent in poor health, respectively.

The proportion of years of life spent in poor health varied between countries, ranging from 11.9% in Djibouti to 14.8% in Botswana.

While women live longer than men, many of these extra years are lived in poor health. The life expectancy at birth for women in sub-Saharan Africa in 2017 was 66.2 years, but healthy life expectancy was only 56.8 years. Thus, women spend 14.2% of their years in poor health. For men, life expectancy was 61.7 years and healthy life expectancy was 53.7 years. Thus, men in sub-Saharan African spend 13% of their lives in poor health.

Healthy life expectancy

The average healthy life expectancy at birth in sub-Saharan Africa increased by 9.1 years, from 46.1 years in 1990 to 55.2 years in 2017. The increase in healthy life expectancy at birth varied from 0.9 years in Southern Africa to 12.4 years in Eastern Africa.

Even larger variations in healthy life expectancy than these were observed between countries, ranging from a decrease of 4.9 years in Lesotho (51.9 years in 1990 to 47 years in 2017) to an increase of 23.7 years in Eritrea (30.7 years in 1990 to 54.4 years in 2017).

In most countries, the increase in healthy life expectancy was smaller than the increase in overall life expectancy, indicating more years lived in poor health.

Causes of premature mortality and disability

We calculated a measure known as disability-adjusted life-years, which captures both early death and ill health. In 2017, the leading causes of disability-adjusted life-years in sub-Saharan Africa for all ages and both sexes combined were neonatal disorders, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and diarrhoea.

However, we observed various dramatic changes in causes of early death and disability between 1990 and 2017. Measles decreased from a ranking of 5th to 20th, heart attacks increased from 16th to 11th, stroke from 12th to 10th, and diabetes from 27th to 14th. We are thus witnessing gradual shift from communicable to non-communicable causes of disease burden.

There was wide variation between countries in the causes of early death and disability.

In Eritrea, the top causes of early death and disability were neonatal disorders, diarrhoea, tuberculosis, pneumonia, and congenital defects. The most dramatic changes were with conflict and terror (1st in 1990 to 14th in 2017), measles (7th to 74th), tetanus (9th to 82nd), heart attacks (17th to 11th), stroke (12th to 10th), and diabetes (22nd to 15th).

In the Central African Republic, the top causes of early death and disability were diarrhoea, neonatal disorders, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis. The main changes were with conflict and terror (164th to 9th), measles (7th to 20th), heart attacks (14th to 11th), and diabetes (21st to 16th).

In South Africa, the top causes of early death and disability were HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, pneumonia, interpersonal violence, and diabetes. The most dramatic changes occurred with HIV/AIDS (53rd to first), measles (12th to 55th), diarrhoea (2nd to 8th), and diabetes (from 13th to 5th).

In the Gambia, the top causes of early death and disability were neonatal disorders, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS, diarrhoea, and sickle cell disease. There were substantial changes in rankings for HIV/AIDS (61st in 1990 to 3rd in 2017), malaria (4th to 25th), measles (9th to 70th), heart attacks (13th to 6th), stroke (14th to 9th), and diabetes (28th to 18th).

Extraordinary progress, but…

Since 1990, we have seen exceptional progress in sub-Saharan Africa in reducing the burden of communicable diseases, especially measles, tetanus and other vaccine-preventable diseases. However, early death and disability due to these causes remain unnecessarily high in many countries. Immunisation efforts have been helpful, but progress in coverage has slowed in the past decade. Close to 20 million children worldwide, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa, didn't receive vaccines against these deadly diseases in 2017. Conflict, inadequate investment in national immunisation programmes, and vaccine stock outs were among the reasons for the stalled progress in immunisation coverage.

Our report shows that there is an unfinished agenda of controlling communicable diseases – compounded by an increase in non-communicable diseases – in sub-Saharan Africa. The continued burden of disabling conditions has serious implications for health systems and health-related expenditures in the region.

About the author

Prof Charles Shey Wiysonge is the Director of Cochrane South Africa at the South African Medical Research Council

Photo: Pixabay

A sod-turning ceremony was held today for the Stellenbosch University (SU) Biomedical Research Institute (BMRI). This event marks the official commencement of construction of a new state-of-the-art research facility based at SU's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS).

This R1 billion-facility, which will be completed in 2022, will be one of the most innovative and advanced biomedical research centres in Africa.

“This facility will help us realise our vision of becoming Africa's leading research-intensive university, globally recognised as excellent, inclusive and innovative, where we advance knowledge in service of society," says Prof Wim de Villiers, SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor.

“The Biomedical Research Institute is set to significantly advance our capacity to undertake world class research on the leading health problems affecting our people. It will also contribute considerably to building research capability in the African region," says FMHS Dean, Prof Jimmy Volmink.

The institute's main aims will be to investigate diseases that have the greatest impact on communities in South Africa and the rest of Africa, and to translate its discoveries into improving the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of illnesses such as TB, HIV, diabetes, heart disease and neurological disorders, among others.

“Africa bears the brunt of the global burden of disease, with a number of major epidemics colliding across our continent. With one of the top medical faculties in Africa, Stellenbosch University has a huge responsibility to help lead in the endeavour to ensure healthy lives and wellbeing for all," says Prof Nico Gey van Pittius, the FMHS Vice Dean: Research, and professor in molecular biology.

Biomedical teaching, training and research at the FMHS has up to now been based in its Physiology and Anatomy (FISAN) Building, which was built in the 1970s. In the four decades since the building has been opened, student numbers have more than tripled and the field of biomedicine has changed dramatically.

The new BMRI will provide additional space and be on par with the most advanced and sophisticated biomedical research facilities in the world. The new facility will allow for the immediate expansion of current research activities, as well as strengthen research and teaching capacity in fields such as bioinformatics, genomics, anatomy, neurobiology, advanced surgical sciences, biobanking, etc.

“When completed, the new Biomedical Research Institute will form a fully integrated, future-focused and superbly organised research complex that matches and, in several ways, exceeds the best the world has to offer in terms of technical sophistication and optimised workflows in a healthy, inspiring and sustainable learning, working and public space," says Mr Eben Mouton, Senior Director: Business Management at the FMHS.

Apart from a range of research laboratories, the new facility will also host:

• Bioinformatics Hub;

• Electron microscopy laboratories;

• Proteomics and FACS laboratories;

• Morphology Museum;

• Biorepository;

• Sunskill Laboratory;

• Clinical research unit; and

• Conference facilities.

Unique architectural features of the new BMRI include, inter alia, the following:

• Sustainability is fundamental to the design of the building's energy and water systems, material selection, emissions, waste management, use of natural light, ventilation and acoustics.

• Flexibility of the configuration, deployment of smart technologies, rainwater harvesting and community access to the facility have all been designed to evolve with the building as the way we do research changes in the future.

• A smart lighting system will detect areas where natural light is strongest and adjust lighting accordingly, thus drawing less electricity from the grid.

• The building will tie into the campus's greywater masterplan, which allows for rain water harvesting and the use of borehole water. All toilets will be flushed with non-potable water.

• A secure bicycle storage area with adjacent shower facilities will be located in the basement to encourage staff and students to cycle to work.

• Workstations and laboratory benches will be inviting and inspiring, with outdoor views and access to fresh air and natural lighting where possible.

A system of negative air pressure will keep hazardous fumes or airborne toxins from flowing out of laboratories and into adjacent areas. A powerful ventilation and filtration plant will continuously draw air out of laboratories and to the top of the building, where it will be filtered and released.

Caption: Stellenbosch University Rector and Vice Chancellor, Prof Wim de Villiers, and other members of the rectorate are seen here with members of management of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the official sod-turning for the Biomedical Research Institute.

​The more you communicate and share your dreams, the better the chances are that these dreams will come true. This is one of the reasons why hundreds of cards containing the hand-written dreams of newcomer students are currently hanging on trees on the campus of Stellenbosch University (SU).

These dream cards will be on display for the next few days and anybody who walks past is welcome to stop and read them. Most of the dream cards can be found in Victoria Street.

The Welcoming Event of newcomer students at the Danie Craven Stadium at Stellenbosch University (SU) yesterday (24 January), was aptly themed as the “Dream Launch".

Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor said in his welcoming speech that this event was billed as a “dream launch" and invited to the students to engage with him on this topic. “Let's talk about that … your dreams as a student; your dreams as a young person starting out in life as an adult Your dreams as parents and guardians and friends and family; your dreams for our students who you would like to achieve success so that they can move forward in life.

“And let's talk about our dreams as University – a place where we share a commitment to knowledge and to common values; a place where we care about knowledge and about people. And our dreams as a country, a continent, a planet … the dreams of a nation, the dreams of humanity. Here dreams are cherished, new dreams are born, and you have the opportunity to make your dreams come true," he said.

After the new Maties formed a massive “2019" with senior students on the field, they were integrated into a new Matie community which they will remain part of for the rest of their lives.

Every student then had the opportunity to focus on his/her dream, write it on a card and therefore share and communicate the dream. This symbolised the igniting of their dreams. After that, they all marched from the stadium to Victoria Street on the campus where they went a step further by hanging their dreams onto the trees for everyone to see. This symbolised the start of their journey to realise their dreams.

Fun, music, dancing and excitement were part of the march. Some students said they still felt a bit anxious about the start of their new lives and did not know what to expect. Other were simply enjoying the moment and did not seem to worry too much about the future.

Corporate Communications spoke to a few students during the march to Victoria Road.

First-year Economic Management Science student, Harriet Twessa from Malawi said, “I want to travel the world and do my postgrad studies abroad where I will also be working hopefully."

Zimbabwean-born Jessica Cormick born said, “I want to inspire more girls to become more interested in Science and become Scientists. I want them to look beyond the entertainment industry, not that it would be a bad career choice, but perhaps help do away with the perception that Science is difficult and that it is for males."

Xander Henning, a first year Civil Engineering student from Durbanville, said he was looking forward to getting good marks and doing well academically.

Farouk Lwanga all the way from Uganda is a first year BCom Management Science student. “I would like to get good marks for my course and later become a businessman who shares knowledge with family and friends," Farouk said.

Katleho Sehloho from Johanessburg, a BCom Actuarial Science student, said, “In the next few years I want to focus on my studies while I work towards my dream of eventually becoming an actuary."

Mr Pieter Kloppers, Director of Student Communities at SU, said the Dream Launch was a big success. They plan to make it an annual event that links up with the welcoming of newcomer students. 

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​A walkabout by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences' Transformation Committee is just one way that this committee plans to foster transformation in their environment by understanding how others experience the world. 

According to the Chair of the committee, Dr Ubanesia Adams-Jack, the idea of a walkabout was raised by a colleague with a disability who wanted to illustrate how hard it still was to access various spaces on campus. 

Following the suggestion, Adams-Jack approached Facilities Management, who sent a number of key staff members to accompany the committee members, including the Dean of the faculty, Prof Anthony Leysens, and the Chair of the Ancient Studies Department, Prof AnnemaréKotze.

“I was actually shocked to discover that most of our disabled students and colleagues are not able to access the bathroom on the ground floor of the BA building due to the way the card access and the entrance to the bathroom itself was set up. It actually hinders the easy movement of persons in a wheelchair for example," said Adams-Jack. 

The committee also learnt that many of the safety doors in the faculty did not open properly to allow easy access for those in wheelchairs and that shallow gutters that facilitated the flow of rainwater to prevent it from accumulating in one space, were also a challenge to cross for those who are wheelchair bound. 

“Transformation is about people, places and spaces and looking at the accessibility of spaces, in particular for those with disabilities, is part of transforming our university space." 

The group also discovered that the tiled surfaces on the second floor of the faculty building was quite slippery and made it hard to move for those with physical disabilities. Thanks to Facilities Management, the surface was sprayed with an adhesive that prevents slippage making it more user friendly for those in wheelchairs too. 

“It was also obvious that many physically disabled individuals have to cover longer distances to get to the same places that able bodied persons needed to get to," she added. 

This is because many shortcuts on campus were not accessible to the physically disabled. 

“It was important for us to participate in this walkabout because it made us more aware of how other people experience the world and transformation is after all about understanding how others experience the world. My vision for the transformation committee is to build amicable relationships between students, staff and their students, and between different staff. At the end of the day, when are at peace with each other, it changes how we interact and treat each other too. I think the most powerful thing about transformation, is the ability to truly see each other."  

Photo: The following persons participated in the walkabout of the Transformation Committee of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences' recently. In the front from the left are Mr Dan Prata, Mr Malan Oosthuizen and Mr Trevor Hoeben, all from Facilities Management; and Mr Bongani Mapumulo (in the wheelchair), a Stellenbosch University student and Chair of Dis-Maties. At the back from the left are Mr Phumlani Mathebula and Mr Louis Fincham, both from Facilities Management; Prof Annemaré Kotze, Chair of the Ancient Studies Department; Ms Lizelle Ferus of the Office for Students with Disabilities, Dr Ubanesia Adams-Jack, the Chair of the faculty's Transformation Committee, and the Dean of the faculty, Prof Anthony Leysens.​

Two PhD candidates with the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) were among 14 exceptional young women scientists in sub-Saharan Africa to receive coveted fellowships from the L'Oréal Foundation.

The FMHS' Mss Charlene Goosen and Shalena Naidoo each received a PhD research fellowship from the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science regional programme. The awards, valued at 5000 Euros (about R80 000) each, were presented at the Sub-Saharan Africa Fellowship Ceremony which was held in Nairobi, Kenya, late last year.

The 14 fellows – 12 doctoral and two post-doctoral – were drawn from five countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Ghana, Mauritius, Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria). They were selected for the scientific excellence of their work from more than 480 applicants.

“The world needs science, and science needs women: nowhere is this more clearly illustrated than in African countries, which face significant challenges including climate change, access to energy or food security. Science and technology are key to addressing these challenges, and this will not be possible without women. Their talents and perspectives enrich relevant research," Alexandra Palt, Executive Vice President of the L'Oréal Foundation said in a statement.

Ms Charlene Goosen

Goosen, a PhD student in Epidemiology, says that she was honoured that her work was being noticed by an external body. Her research focuses on the “effect of oral iron supplementation on the gut microbiome in HIV infected children".

“There is a growing body of evidence of the potential adverse effects of iron fortification and supplementation strategies on the gut microbiome. There is currently no data of the effect of routine iron supplementation, a widely used therapeutic measure for correcting iron deficiency, on the gut microbiome in virally supressed HIV-infected children, nor has the gut microbiome been characterised in older children with perinatal HIV infection and early onset ART, or in those with overlapping HIV infection and iron deficiency," says Goosen, a registered dietician with a background in nutrition and HIV policy development.

Her PhD study aims to fill these knowledge gaps and to contribute to the rapidly expanding field of the human microbiome and its interactions with health and disease. “The study will also describe the nutritional status (in relation to iron nutrition) of the participants."

She hopes that her study will inform policy makers of the safety of oral iron supplementation interventions in HIV, and the iron bioavailability in the context of HIV using a stable isotope method.

Ms Shalena Naidoo

“I am honoured, deeply appreciative and excited to have received this prestigious award," says the second FMHS candidate, Naidoo, who is pursuing her PhD in Immunology/Virology. “Pursuing doctoral studies and striving to make a valuable contribution in my research field comes with many challenges. An award such as the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science provides recognition that really validates the significance and impact of my work and role I serve as an aspiring woman in science," says Naidoo.

Her research “Longitudinal Perspective on the Impact of Immune Status on the HIV-1 Latent Reservoir and Neurocognitive Outcomes in Virologically Supressed Children", aims to determine how the immune system of children who are born HIV-positive develops over time in comparison to other children, and whether immune system damage inflicted early in life persists after years of therapy.

Her work also aims to delineate and understand the immune risk factors involved in the development of neurocognitive impairment, and other non-infectious diseases which may lead to novel therapies to minimise this risk in future.

“Studying the cellular components of immunology in children will assist in providing knowledge on the treatment and clinical management of vulnerable children infected with the disease," she explains. “Considering the high disease burden that we are experiencing in South Africa, I found it very useful to bring that knowledge to clinicians." Understanding the interplay of the immune system and the virus in HIV-infected children will yield knowledge on vaccine development and potentially cure strategies.

Last year Naidoo also received an AIDS 2018 Conference Scholarship Award and a Polio Research Foundation (PRF) Bursary Award. She has also previously won the South African Immunology Society (SAIS) Conference Scholarship Award and the SAIS Immunology Primer Training Scholarship Award.

Caption: Mss Charlene Goosen (second from left) and Shalena Naidoo (fifth from left) with the other South African recipients of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science fellowships.

Until recently orthopaedic surgeons have had to rely on two dimensional imaging modalities, for example X-rays, computer tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to assess ailments such as tumours, fractures or deformities affecting their patients' musculoskeletal system.

With the support of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), doctors at Stellenbosch University (SU) and Tygerberg Hospital's Division of Orthopaedics have created a 3D printing laboratory and are now employing three dimensional (3D) printing techniques to create models of patients' anatomy. This process assists them in planning, practicing and executing complex and challenging surgical procedures.

“It is a relatively novel way for surgeons to visualise and assess a patient's anatomy and can help them to plan and perform procedures with a greater measure of safety and efficiency," says Dr Rudolph Venter, an orthopaedic surgeon with the FMHS.

Doctors can “recreate" any anatomical structure by importing a 3D image – obtained from 3D medical scans such as CT or MRI – into a software programme, which then enables them to print a plastic 3D model of the image.

3D printing is not a new technology, but has been considered too costly for everyday use until recently. In recent years, however, 3D printers have become much more affordable and the required software is now freely and widely available. This has enabled surgeons to comprehensively explore the potential benefits of using 3D models in medical practice.  Orthopaedic surgery is a good place to start this journey of discovery, as the work of the orthopaedic surgeon is very tactile by nature.

According to Dr Venter, orthopaedic procedures require a great deal of pre-operative planning. Historically orthopaedic surgeons used X-rays and paper templates to plan procedures, but now X-rays, CT scans or MRI images are electronically manipulated to help plan for operations.

“The planning has always been visual, while the actual execution of the procedure is very “hands on". Having a 3D model of the patient's anatomy allows you to plan for the operation in a whole new way. For example, not only can you see the tumour you need to remove, but you can also feel it. Or you can physically plan where you are going to make the bone cut to correct a deformity," explains Venter. He adds that these models can even be used to rehearse interventions or during trial procedures.

“For instance, we would print a patient's thigh bone with a deformity and rehearse the procedure, or physically experiment with implants in the model as if we were performing the exact procedure on the patient. This enables the surgeon to enter the operating room with confidence, knowing what size implant to use and where to make all the bone cuts," explains Venter.

3D printed models can also assist surgeons in visualising their patient's anatomical structures as they are operating. Usually surgery provides only a small “window" into a patient's body, but the availability of a 3D model of the patient's own anatomy in theatre can help doctors gauge where to make an incision or position an implant. “For instance, if you have one hand in the wound and one on the model, you obtain a lot of extra information about where the bone fragment or tumour is which you have to remove," says Venter. “The model becomes a kind of tactile map."

3D printing enables surgeons to create patient-specific instruments that aid with surgery, assist with training and open up new areas of research. The use of 3D models in medicine is not unique to orthopaedic surgery and can be used in other disciplines as well, including cardiothoracic surgery and neurosurgery.

Venter is currently undertaking research to determine and quantify the advantages of using 3D printed models in day to day orthopaedic practice.​

​​​​​​​​​Click on this video ​below where Gerald Maarman, a former SciMathUS student, who received his PhD at the end of 2014, tells his story. ​​

Maties Sport's Sinazo Solani (20) will travel to Europe this week to represent South Africa in its Fed Cup tie at the National Tennis Centre in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, from 6-9 February.

South Africa gained promotion to the Euro/Africa Zone Group II of the Fed Cup competition last year and will battle it out in an eight-nation event to solidify their position in this group.

Sinazo, a member of the Maties Tennis Club and a BA International Studies student at Stellenbosch University (SU), will make her debut at this event.

“I'm very excited and proud to represent my country. This is my highest achievement in tennis thus far," she said.

Sinazo, who grew up in Strand and attended Rhenish Girls High in Stellenbosch, would like to make a career out of tennis and is looking forward to gaining some experience on the international stage. She is positive that she will learn a lot and that her selection for this team will open doors for her in future.

The South African Fed Cup team comprises of Sinazo, Chanel Simmonds, Imaan Hassim, Theresa van Zyl, Madrie le Roux and Zani Barnard.

Ilhaam Groenewald, Chief Director: Maties Sport, congratulated Sinazo on this achievement.

“We are very proud of Sinazo's inclusion in the Fed Cup team and we wish her and her teammates all the best. Tennis as recently been added to Maties Sport's list of High Performance (HP) sport codes and our aim is to support and grow tennis in South Africa in collaboration with Tennis South Africa (TSA)."

Maties Sport's HP programme aims to attract and retain top athletes and coaches to an inclusive holistic and elite training environment that will offer them the opportunity to perform at national and international level.

Sinazo is very positive about this move and believe Maties tennis players will benefit from it.

Prof Dave Richardson from the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology (CIB) at Stellenbosch University (SU) and a world leading scientist in the field of invasion biology, is the recipient of the 2018 Kwame Nkrumah Award for Scientific Excellence.

This continental award is one of three awards made annually by the Commission of the African Union to recognise outstanding African scientists for their achievements, discoveries and innovations. Established in 2008 in memory of the well-known Pan-Africanist leader Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the continental award includes a monetary award of US$100 000.

Prof Richardson is a distinguished professor in the Department of Botany and Zoology at SU, James Marsh Professor-at-Large at the University of Vermont in the United States of America, and director of the CIB, one of the most productive and influential research groups working in the field of biological invasions in the world. Biological invasions are a rapidly growing threat to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in Africa and many parts of the world.

Prof Richardson says he is extremely honoured to receive this award: “I hope that it will help to spread awareness of the massive problems with invasive species worldwide, and the urgent need for innovative solutions to prevent the escalation of impacts on biodiversity and human livelihoods."

He also commended South Africa's Department of Science and Technology and Stellenbosch University for their substantial investments in this field through their funding of the CIB: “The Centre has created a critical mass of knowledge and expertise across disciplines to address diverse issues pertaining to biological invasions in Africa."

Prof Louise Warnich, Dean of the Faculty of Science, says the award is yet another well-deserved recognition of Prof Richardson's significant contributions to the field of invasion biology: “The awards confirms his status as an influential international leader in this field. The CIB has continued to blossom under his leadership and he is an excellent role model for young researchers."

The Award Ceremony will be held at the AU Conference Center on 10 February 2019 during the Assembly of the AU Heads of States (The Summit) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

More about Prof Richardson

Prof Richardson is regarded as one of the most influential authors globally in the field of invasion science. His research focusses on biological invasions, and in particular the dynamics of plant invasions, specifically trees and shrubs. He has worked predominantly on invasive species in South Africa, mainly in the fynbos and savanna biomes, but has also published widely on invasive species in other parts of Africa and the world, on global patterns and trends in biological invasions, and on developing a sound theoretical basis for invasion science.

One of his major contributions to invasion science has been the thorough development and exploitation of new model systems for the elucidation of all the diverse perspectives that need to be considered to understand and manage invasive species. His contributions on the ecology of pines and Australian acacias are widely recognised as foundation studies in invasion science.

Prof Richardson has also contributed substantially to the formulation of practical guidelines for the improved management of invasions. He is frequently consulted by conservation agencies and government departments, and serves on various committees related to environmental management in South Africa and abroad.

He is currently one of only a handful of African scientists rated as a “Highly Cited Researcher" by Clarivate Analytics – these are scientists who rank in the top 1% by citations for their field in the Web of Science and are making an impact in solving some of the world's biggest challenges. He has received numerous awards, including the Hans Sigrist Prize (2006), the John F.W. Herschel Medal from the Royal Society of South Africa (2012), and the Havenga Prize for Life Sciences from the South African Academy for Science and Arts (2013). In 2019 he received a third successive A1 rating from the National Research Foundation, reflecting his status as a world leader in invasion science.

​More than 5 000 new Matie students will get an opportunity to take part in the annual Social Impact Community Morning at Stellenbosch University (SU) on Thursday, 31 January 2019. The students will visit several of the social impact projects in and around Stellenbosch and the Tygerberg area (where the Tygerberg campus is situated) and take part in an array of engaged activities.

The Social Impact Community Morning forms part of the Welcoming Programme and offers the opportunity for newcomers to interact with the partners within their proposed community initiatives. The Community Morning links well with the University’s 2040 vision of advancing knowledge in service of society and one of its key strategies of building purposeful partnerships and inclusive networks including within the surrounding communities of SU. 

The aim of the Community Morning is for newcomers to form meaningful connections with communities outside of SU in order to collaborate on joint volunteer project initiatives to be implemented throughout the year. The focus will also be placed on sharing innovative ideas and solutions in terms of the challenges identified by community partners.

Students are invited to form part of a structured volunteer programme managed by Matie Community Service, which is an NGO housed with the Division for Social Impact.

Besides support offered to various initiatives, students have documented the following competencies gained by participating in the programme:

• Development of self-awareness and interpersonal skills
• Understanding of the concepts and principles of community engagement
• Understanding of leadership in context and engaging actively in community partnership formation.

This year, student societies will take part in the activities alongside the residences and private wards. Although some of the activities are once-off visits, others are opportunities in which students can become involved throughout the year.

Erica and Huis ten Bosch residences will, for example, be supporting The Ark Educare Centre, where newcomers will interact with learners through different activities.

The private student organisation (PSO) Olympus is partnering with Rise Against Hunger for our Community Morning, where they will pack 10 000 meals at the Simonsberg residence for their initiatives. They have also offered to donate another 10 000 meals to the Move for Food initiative – an initiative which focusses on creating sustainable food banks for students who need it at SU.

Even though the Tygerberg campus has already started with their academic programme, newcomer students are also involved in various social impact initiatives. Here, Osler, a PSO, is focusing their efforts on improving the environment within Tygerberg Hospital. The Huis Francie van Zijl residence acknowledges the importance of education and will be visiting a primary school. Activities include the creation of a campus vegetable garden and visits to the old-age home and MES Night Shelter.

• Liaise with Michelle Pietersen (Stellenbosch campus) at tel. 021 808 3643 and Avril Whate (Tygerberg campus) at tel. 021 938 9310 for more information.

Programme

​ 

Dr Pierre Viviers and colleagues from the Institute of Sport and Exercise Medicine (ISEM) won the prestigious David Sisk Award for Best International Paper for the official journal of the American Orthopaedic Association.

Their paper, entitled: “The Diagnostic Utility of Computer-Assisted Auscultation for the Early Detection of Cardiac Murmurs of Structural Origin in the Periodic Health Evaluation" relates to a home-grown computer-driven clinical auscultation device. An auscultation device is a device which listens to the internal sounds of the body to examine the circulatory, respiratory and gastrointestinal systems.

The T. David Sisk Research Awards were established in 2010 to honour the best papers submitted to Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach in clinical, laboratory, and international research.  The winners receive a $2,500 cash prize and a plaque.
 
Sisk, who died in 2009, was a staunch advocate of a multidisciplinary approach to sports health and left a strong legacy of teaching and collaboration. He served as the chairman of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) Medical Publishing Board of Trustees at the time when the creation of the new journal was proposed.  

In an interview, Viviers, who is the head of Campus Health Services at Stellenbosch University as well as being associated with ISEM, said the paper provides sports physicians with a tool to assist in decision-making when cardiac murmurs are present in athletes.

“It is challenging to identify the nature of cardiac murmurs during the periodic health evaluations of athletes because of the difficulty in distinguishing between murmurs of physiological or structural origin. Computer-assisted auscultation (CAA) has, previously, shown promise in supporting appropriate referrals in the non-athlete paediatric population. Our hypothesis was that CAA could have the ability to accurately detect cardiac murmurs of a structural origin doing a periodic health examination in university athletes."

The study, which used a total of 131 university athletes, concluded that CAA could potentially improve the identification of structural murmurs in athletes. However, more research is needed.

“Our award came as a surprise. I did not imagine we would win," he said. “The competition is quite extensive to get in. We put a lot of heads together to develop the study protocol for this – so I can put our success down to teamwork. We are very happy that our project ended in a significant way."

Viviers won the award wearing his ISEM hat and collaborated with fellow ISEM colleagues, Professor Wayne Derman, director of ISEM; Dr Joann Kirby, a sports physician in campus health service and Jeandre Viljoen, a physiotherapist and MA student in physiological sciences.

“The project started when we read in the Innovus monthly newsletter about a technology company working in the biomedical engineering sphere that was working on developing an electronic stethoscope for use in rural areas. The idea was that nurses and doctors in those areas could use it to diagnose structural heart pathologies, valve lesions and other cases, so that they can refer the patients further.

“We contacted the project manager and decided to work on the project.

“What interested me was the fact that in athletes you often hear murmurs because of the physiological changes that occur in the heart during exercise, but obviously underlying conditions can also produce murmurs. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between a normal non-structural lesion in athletes and a real problem.

“So, I thought there might be some interest to look into this. We then wrote a research proposal and got ethical approval and started our research using university athletes.

“We pitched our pilot study when it was the time of year when we do health screenings with high-performance athletes. We did a pilot study and then published our data."

Asked what the award means to him, Viviers said: “It means there is definitely a place for pre-participating screening in athletes. We have recommended that further studies take place with more numbers. We believe this tool will assist physicians in the evaluation and decision making in the presence of murmurs in athletes."

Caption: Dr Pierre Viviers (middle) receiving the David Sisk Award for Best International Paper from members of the American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine.

​SU Teaching Excellence Awards 2018

The annual Teaching Excellence Awards and Research Excellence Awards ceremony took place at STIAS on 4 December 2018. The awards were presented at the same function for the second year in a row. Prof. Arnold Schoonwinkel, Vice-Rector: Learning and Teaching, emphasised the complementary relationship between teaching and learning and research. He referred to teaching as an integral part of SU as a research-led university, commenting that “research on how to teach well is as important as research on what you teach." In the same context, Prof. Eugene Cloete, Vice-Rector: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, called SU not only a research-intensive university, but also a teaching-and-learning-intensive university.

Prof. Schoonwinkel, who presented the Teaching Excellence Awards, said that teaching and learning are a “shared endeavour". With regard to the professionalization of the teaching role at SU, he described the opportunities for lecturers to research their teaching, such as the annual SoTL conference and the FINLO/FIRLT grants. Prof. Schoonwinkel referred to the Teaching Excellence Awards as a “progressive route" which could lead to a Teaching Fellowship and/or an HELTASA national award for teaching excellence.

Prof. Schoonwinkel presented 11 Teaching Excellence Awards. These awards acknowledged lecturers in two categories, 'Distinguished Teacher' or 'Developing Teacher', based on their experience and leadership in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Applicants had to submit a portfolio that demonstrated their reflection on and evidence of four main components: context, students, knowledge and professional growth. They also had to indicate the lessons they had learnt on their journey to becoming excellent teachers.     

The following lecturers received Teaching Excellence Awards in the category 'Developing Teacher':

• Dr Elize Archer (Centre for Health Professions Education, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
• Dr Lidia Auret (Department of Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering)
• Dr Eric Decloedt (Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
• Prof. Faadiel Essop (Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Science)
• Ms Zahn Münch (Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences)
• Dr Michael Schmeisser (Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of AgriSciences)
• Ms Natasha Sexton (School of Accountancy, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences)
• Dr Debra Shepherd (Department of Economics, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences)
• Ms Anria van Zyl (School of Accountancy, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences)
• Dr Bjorn von der Heyden (Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science)

Prof. Deborah Blaine (Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering) received a Teaching Excellence Award in the category 'Distinguished Teacher'. Prof. Blaine's portfolio demonstrated not only in-depth reflection on her approach to teaching and her professional growth, but also the underpinning of her teaching practice by the scholarship of teaching and learning. She engages in numerous educational leadership activities, research projects and scholarly communities of practice, also beyond SU.

Five SU Teaching Fellows also received certificates of recognition. Profs. Elmarie Costandius, Ian Nell, Dana Niehaus, Nicola Plastow and Geo Quinot completed their fellowships between 2011 and 2017. The fellowship scheme provides the opportunity for excellent teachers and scholars of teaching and learning to spend more consistent periods of time, with various forms of support, to focus on aspects of renewal, exploration and dissemination of good practice in departments and faculties. Current holders of a teaching fellowship are:

• Prof. Ingrid Rewitzky (Vice-Dean: Teaching and Learning, Faculty of Science)
• Dr Elize Archer (Centre for Health Professions Education, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
• Dr Berna Gerber (Division of Speech-Language and Hearing Therapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
• Ms Marianne McKay (Department of Viticulture and Oenology, Faculty of AgriSciences)
• Dr Michael Schmeisser (Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of AgriSciences)
• Dr Marianne Unger (Division of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)

More information about the Teaching Excellence Awards and the Teaching Fellowships is available from Dr Karin Cattell-Holden, kcattell@sun.ac.za or X 3074.    

Grade R learners whose mother tongue isn't English perform just as well as their English-speaking peers when it comes to storing and processing small amounts of information needed for, among others, learning, problem solving and performing calculations. What does hold them back, however, is their lack of proficiency in English and with a few extra lessons their English language development as well as their academic performance could be improved.

“These children only lack the necessary English skills to perform well academically because their working memory or short-term memory skills for holding information that can be processed quickly are on par with that of their peers," says Dr Michelle White, a part-time lecturer in the Department of General Linguistics at Stellenbosch University (SU). She recently obtained her doctorate in General Linguistics at SU.

White wanted to find out what the cognitive and linguistic development of a typical Grade R learner looks like who is in the process of learning English through the language of instruction, i.e. English, which is the preferred language of learning and teaching in many of our schools.

“Many South African children are English language learners who have little English proficiency upon entering school. They are being taught in a language that is mostly unfamiliar to them."

As part of her study, White investigated the development of Grade R learners' English language skills and the cognitive processes that underlie these skills in a multicultural classroom in an English-medium school.

Thirty-four Grade R learners at a culturally and linguistically diverse school in the greater Cape Town area participated in her study. One group had English as home language, whereas the other group spoke nine different home languages and had little proficiency in English. These learners were tested three times over the course of one school year with a complete English language assessment, an English vocabulary test and four tests of working memory.

“The tests on working memory, in particular, were crucial as this part of our short-term memory is very important in our daily lives and also a key cognitive process that underlies language learning and performing well at school in mathematics and reading, among others," says White.

She adds that the learners performed tasks that required them to remember block sequences, to identify and remember the location of different shapes and to repeat made-up words. A block sequence is a computer based task where learners see blocks light up in various sequences; once the sequence is completed the children must reproduce the sequence by pointing at the blocks.

In addition to the language assessment and tests, White interviewed the learners' parents to find out more about their language habits at home.

“My study showed that learners with English as home language and their second language peers scored comparably on the working memory tasks throughout the year, which means that their working memory ability is independent of how much English they know.

“Even though the English home language children were better on all English measures, i.e. the language assessment and vocabulary test, those with different home languages caught up well and by the end of the year a couple of the children had almost caught up with the English home language children.

“As expected, the English home language children outperformed their peers on all language measures consistently across the school year. They had bigger vocabularies and were also better at using and understanding grammar."

White points out that the route that the development of English skills and working memory skills follow over the year was the same for both groups.

“This means that, regardless of the knowledge that non-English speaking children start off with, the route or trajectory that their cognitive and language development follows is the same as that of their English monolingual peers," she adds.

White says that looking at working memory offered valuable insights because it does not seem to be affected by how much English a child knows. Therefore, if we see a child's working memory scores are low, we need to consider sending him/her to be assessed for a possible delay or disorder, she adds

“Now that we know that the trajectory of the cognitive and language development looks the same in both groups, we can see if they are developing without the presence of a learning disorder and if they are not, we know to send them to a professional for proper assessment."

“We also need to be screening these children if they fall behind academically to rule out the possibility of a learning or language disorder."

White says working memory tasks and the training thereof can also be something that the parents or caregivers do with the child.

Given how crucial early intervention is for academic success, it is important that Grade R learners who don't speak English at home, are more exposed to the language at school, she adds.

• Main Photo: Grade Rs in a classroom (Credit: Pixabay).
  
• Photo 1: Dr Michelle White
  

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES ONLY

Dr Michelle White

Department of General Linguistics

Stellenbosch University

Email: m.white40@gmail.com

         ISSUED BY

Martin Viljoen

Manager: Media

Corporate Communication

Stellenbosch University

Tel: 021 808 4921

Email: viljoenm@sun.ac.ac

Years ago, when she was still a child – and queuing in the early hours outside a Soweto clinic for medical attention for her grandmother's hypertension – Boitumelo Theepe made a silent promise to herself that she would be a doctor one day.​

“One of my earliest memories was standing with my granny in the dark, so that we could be seen by the doctor that day. I thought, even then, that there must be a way to make a difference. If only there were more doctors, people wouldn't have to wait so long! It inspired me to become a doctor."

​Theepe (24) attended the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls and went on to graduate as a medical doctor in December last year at Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

She is passionate about looking at ways to improve the structural functioning of South Africa's health system. “I am really interested in working out how we can put systems in place to release the burden on the healthcare system," she says.

She is also fascinated by science and “how the body works" and is currently working as a medical intern at Groote Schuur Hospital, practising general internal medicine. At the time of the interview, she was one week into her internship and “loving the work".

“I've been thrown right in the deep end, but it has encouraged me to learn to swim faster!

“We work with all the chronic lifestyle diseases – including TB, HIV and all infectious diseases requiring long-term management and a holistic medical approach, as well as collaboration with a range of specialists. It basically includes a little bit of everything in medicine.

“I love it, because we are the first people patients encounter when they arrive at the emergency department. For me, it is like solving a mystery. First, we have to calm them and make sure they are stable, and then make a diagnosis. We get to see a lot of the textbook conditions we studied in medical school. We see people when they are really seriously ill and try to get them back to baseline. Then we follow up, so they don't end up back here," says Theepe.

“What is also fascinating, is that a lot of the registrars and consultants are doing research, so the hospital is very up to date with a lot of information about diseases. There is just so much we can learn.

“I am so enjoying helping my patients, knowing that this is somebody's mother, somebody's father or somebody's granny who doesn't have to wait for medical attention."

Theepe was born in Soweto and raised there by her grandmother, Lydia Nonyana, because both her parents needed to go away to find work. Her father, Tahleho, is a mineworker and her mother, Arcilia, works as a merchandiser.

“My grandmother, who retired this year, raised my cousins and me on her salary working as a tea lady and running errands. She always encouraged me to work hard, never let me miss school and always helped us with homework where she could."

While she was in secondary school in Soweto, she was nominated by her teachers to apply for the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. “I'd given a passionate presentation at school about the effects of HIV on society, and I think my teachers thought I should apply.

“We had to ask our neighbours to help us complete the forms, because my grandmother has a limited education. We did the best we could. Then the school called me and I went through several rounds of interviews. The final interview was with Oprah Winfrey herself. She handpicked us. In fact, we were the academy's first intake of girls – in 2007.

“I'd watched her show a few times, but I didn't know much about her. When I met her, I was struck by her beauty. She looked as if she had just jumped out of TV! She has a very warm, relaxed and funny presence."

Theepe will never forget the day she was told she'd been accepted by the academy. “Parents were crying tears of joy … We all hugged each other."

She ascribes much of her success to the academy, from which she matriculated with five distinctions. “Besides a strong focus on a good education, the school's core vision is servant leadership. We were encouraged to lead by example and give back to society. That was ingrained in us. The teachers were so dedicated. We were also privileged to have access to many extracurricular activities, as well as community service opportunities. The school allowed me to find out what I am good at."

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation also assisted Theepe financially with her tertiary studies. Rebecca Miller Sykes, President of the Foundation, expressed delight about Theepe's success. “We are so proud of Boitumelo," she said.

“Everyone connected to the school and to the foundation is ecstatic for Boitumelo's graduation, because becoming a doctor will benefit her, her family, her community and the school.  Many young girls imagine themselves as doctors and Boitumelo proves that this dream seem more achievable to younger OWLAG students."

Sykes said Theepe's special qualities of persistence, patience, and eagerness to learn are good qualities to have as a doctor.

Asked what role she believes the academy played in Theepe's achievement, she said: “OWLAG students are selected for their intellect and leadership potential, so from the start Boitumelo was well poised to succeed.  The school then provides young women with the resources, opportunity and access to meet their goals.

“I have faith that Boitumelo will be able to make a positive impact on the lives of her patients.  As a doctor she will provide treatment that saves or improves the quality of their lives, and as a young South African woman she will stand as a reminder to everyone she encounters of the transformative power of education," Sykes added.

Asked about her future goals in medicine, Theepe said: “For the moment I'll focus on my internship, which offers hands-on experience in every discipline. After that, I'll pick a specialty.

“At the moment I'm interested in psychiatry and paediatrics. Beyond that I will continue being a health advocate, as a doctor and as someone who hopes to help implement systems to make the health system function better."

Theepe's interests include singing. She conducted Stellenbosch University's gospel choir last year. “I also like public speaking, reading, spending time with friends and exploring Cape Town."

Looking back on her life, Theepe can't help believing in destiny. “My life has been a series of events far beyond my imagination. One thing I've learnt is the importance and power of kindness."

Besides her parents, her role models are her grandmother – “she epitomes a quiet strength" – and Oprah Winfrey. “She basically changed the trajectory of my life. I not only admire her from a distance, but see her as a mother figure. Her love touches so many people. I hope I can be like that through my work in medicine."

Caption: Boitumelo Theepe (right), with Rebecca Sykes, president of the Oprah Winfrey Foundation (left) and FMHS Dean, Prof Jimmy Volmink (middle) at the MB,ChB Oath Taking ceremony in December last year.

Insert 1: Recently graduated medical doctor, Boitumelo Theepe.

Insert 2: Boitumelo Theepe (middle), with her grandmother, Lydia Nonyana (left) and mother, Relebohile Theepe (right) on graduation day.

Stellenbosch University (SU) is involved in a long-term initiative championed by the UK Research and Innovation Council (UKRI) that aims to significantly improve the health and life prospects of a generation of Africa's youth.

The project is being led by Professor Lucie Cluver of Oxford University, and consists of 12 individual studies taking place as part of the new UKRI Global Research Hubs. Prof Mark Tomlinson, a professor in Global Health at SU's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences is a co-investigator of the initiative. Together with Dr Sarah Skeen, also from SU's Department of Global Health, Tomlinson will be involved in one part of the larger initiative - the “Child Community Care Study", which involves following up cohorts of children in Zambia, Malawi and South Africa in partnership with University College London.

The initiative is financially supported through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), which has allocated nearly £200 million investment to the initiative - the largest single investment ever by UKRI. The GCRF funding pot is a key strand of the UK's AID strategy, helping to put British research at the heart of efforts to tackle the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The UKRI GCRF Accelerating Achievement for Africa's Adolescents Hub is led by an interdisciplinary team at Oxford University and the University of Cape Town, with University partners across Africa from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo to Lesotho and Tanzania. It takes the UN Development Programme's core concept of 'accelerators' – policies or programs which improve multiple SDG goals or targets – one step further.

By 2050 Africa will be home to half a billion teenagers. Despite the incredible opportunity that such a vibrant pool of young potential presents, many of these teens will already be trapped in a cycle of poverty, violence, low education and poor health, by the time they reach adolescence. This new Hub aims to help them achieve their goals and aspirations.

Researchers from Oxford's departments of Social Policy and Intervention, Tropical Medicine, the Blavatnik School of Government, English, Economics and Psychiatry will work alongside international partners including UNDP, UNICEF and the World Health Organisation, governments across Africa, donors such as the Global Fund and PEPFAR, NGOs and young people themselves, to identify and test a range of 'accelerator synergy' service combinations, from across health, education, social and economic sectors. In doing so, they will determine which combinations, such as malaria prevention, business skills and violence prevention, offer teenagers across Africa the best opportunities to lead better, safer lives.

Professor Lucie Cluver, Professor of Child and Family Social Work in Oxford's Department of Social Policy and Intervention, said: 'We have been lucky to work for many years with governments across Africa, UN agencies and donors. They want to help their adolescents to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, but this is a major challenge with fiscal resources and shrinking global aid. This Hub aims to meet their needs: to identify what simple combinations of services are cost-effective to improve health, education, employment and safety.

The team's previous work includes 'cash plus care programmes' which now reach over two million children across Africa, and the open access 'Parenting for Lifelong Health' programmes with UNICEF and the WHO, which are being delivered in 20 countries across the Global South.

Over the next five years the UKRI Global Research Hubs will work with governments, international agencies, NGOs and community groups within the developing world. These regions include the African continent, South America, South-East Asia and the Caribbean, where they will work to tackle and provide creative and sustainable solutions to each region's specific societal problems.

The Hubs will focus on some of the world's greatest challenges from improving human health and promoting gender equality and social justice to fortifying ecological systems and biodiversity on land and sea. Other project themes include generating agricultural sustainability and fostering greater resilience to natural disasters. The overall goal of this work is to make the world safer, healthier and more prosperous.  

UKRI Chief Executive Sir Mark Walport said: “From tackling climate change to preventing and treating infectious diseases, the search for knowledge is a global endeavour that requires collaboration between the world's best minds.

“The Fund for International Collaboration and the creation of twelve global research hubs demonstrate the commitment of the UK to ensuring our researchers and innovators can work with their counterparts across the world to address important questions."

Caption: Teen Advisory Group Sierra Leone.

Photo: Inge Wessels

Fifty-three participants of the Extended Education Practitioner Training Programme (EEPTP) received their short-course certificates at their course graduation ceremony at the Adam Small Theatre Complex, Stellenbosch University (SU), on Saturday 12 January 2019. The short course, coordinated by the SU Centre for Pedagogy (SUNCEP), was developed in partnership with various industry partners, including the Western Cape departments of Cultural Affairs and Sport, and Education, the Community Chest of the Western Cape, Rutgers University and SU.
 
The short course is the first of its kind in South Africa and it is foreseen that it will be a game changer in the after-school environment, as it enhances the programme development, evaluation, assessment and outcomes-based skills of after-school practitioners.
 
In her keynote address delivered as part of the ceremony, SU's Prof Nuraan Davids affirmed the role that all South Africans should play in enhancing our education system: “Given the challenges faced in various communities, the After School Programme in the Western Cape should be seen as fully part of the education of our learners. It should thus focus on creating citizens that can shape our country's future."

The graduation event was attended by officials from the mentioned Western Cape government departments, including the minister of Education, Debby Schäfer, as well as representatives from the Community Chest of the Western Cape and SU.

However, the day belonged to the group of practitioners who successfully completed a 15-month training course and who will now invest the acquired skills in their communities. Some of the focus areas of the course included Personal leadership, Leading in a complex environment, Creating a pathway for our youth and Building effective After School Programmes, and it concluded its final module with a focus on building partnerships and stakeholder relations.

Janelle Fielies, a participant representing the NGO Go for Gold, said:
“Not only has the EEPTP course equipped me with invaluable skills and tools, but it took me on a deep journey of self-discovery and growth beyond what I could ever imagine. The graduation was a highlight in my life and a very special one […] I have been blessed with an amazing opportunity and feel honoured to be part of this movement."

The practitioners were selected based on their experience and involvement in the after-school space and were endorsed by their respective organisations. The skills obtained in the course will not only provide the practitioners with the opportunity to enhance their after-school programmes, but will also allow for the development of a critical mass of practitioners in the environment that can jointly invest in the curriculum, planning, implementation and evaluation of after-school programmes.

The second cohort of after-school practitioners will start their course in February 2019. As representatives of their respective organisations, they will have the opportunities to link their residence periods with practical engagements in various communities around the Western Cape.

SU, through its Division for Social Impact, will coordinate the programme. The short course will further be enhanced by a think tank of education experts as well as a steering committee consisting of industry partners, academics and practitioners.