Illuminating presentations and thought provoking advice from the key speakers were just some of the highlights at the recent School of Public Health and Family Medicine research day. The jam packed programme was opened by Associate Professor Andrea Rother and a welcome from Interim Dean Professor Gregory Hussey. Ensuing presentations, delivered by academics from the School’s various divisions and research groupings, covered a broad spectrum of topics from TB diagnosis in health care workers, immunisation, to HIV and child disclosure in Cape Town. 

Dr Kisting implored researchers to persist in making a difference through research during her keynote speech. 

Dr Sophia Kisting, Executive Director of the National Institute for Occupational Health and National Cancer Registry, National Health Laboratory Service encouraged those present to be provocative in teaching and research during her keynote speech. To the students she entreated:  “May you continue to question, doubt and debate with consideration for all perspectives, everything you learn through your research and from your teachers.” In a climate where political power relations impede the provision of health and the protection of human rights Dr Kisting implored academics to speak out. With more than 9% of the GDP going to public health, Dr Kisting said it fell on the academy to advocate for a change in mindset from cure to prevention. She closed by saying that individual rights needed to take precedence, without an expectation that government should provide them, starting from day-to-day interactions and extending to methods of inquiry.

Associate Professor Chris Colvin from the Division of Health and Policy Systems presenting research on HIV and Child Disclosure in Cape Town 

Highlights of the programme included quick and informative posters and presentations delivered by students from the postgraduate degree programmes. 

Following the announcement of the student awards on these, Dr Krish Vallabhjee, Chief Director of Strategy and Health Support of the  Western Cape Government Department of Health, spoke briefly about research translation for the advancement of population health. Given that the public health discipline is cross cutting and a key enabler in advancing health, Dr Vallabhjee encouraged academics to make external stakeholders more aware of what research is taking place, its implications and to communicate this in succinct and user friendly ways.

(left to right) winners of the best student poster presentations: Adam Bertscher, Division of Health Policy and Systems; Emma Kalk, Centre for Infectious Diseases Epidemiology and Research (CIDER); Dorothy Ngajilo, Division of Occupational Medicine and (not in the picture) Nicola Foster, Health Economics Unit (HEU)