Academy of Science of South Africa
The World Academy of Sciences - Regional Office for Sub-Saharan Africa (TWAS-ROSSA)Not a member yet
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Preventing a Tobacco Epidemic in Africa
Get PDFCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2014). Preventing a Tobacco Epidemic in Africa. [Online] Available from: DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf/0027In April 2013, the Network of African Science Academies convened a committee of experts to discuss the evidence, obstacles, and opportunities for implementing and enforcing tobacco use prevention and control policies in Africa. The committee, consisting of 16 experts drawn from 8 countries in Africa, met for 3 days in Kampala, Uganda, with funding administered by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. Each distinguished committee member was selected for his or her in-depth tobacco-specific knowledge in areas including agriculture, policy, economics, social science, health, and the environment.
The committee reviewed and assessed the evidence on the state of tobacco use and tobacco production and their detrimental health, economic, and environmental effects in Africa. The committee also reviewed efforts currently under way to prevent and control tobacco use, including the status of adoption and ratification of the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Based on this evidence, the committee reached consensus on actions that African leaders and other stakeholders should take to combat this growing threat. This report presents the committee’s evidence-based recommendations for tobacco control in Africa.
It outlines strategies that should place tobacco control policy on the African leadership agenda, and also calls upon other groups, such as civil society organizations, to share in the responsibility of protecting those most vulnerable to misleading and deceitful messaging by the tobacco industry.Campaign for Tobacco Free Kid
Quest Volume 10 Number 4
No full textClimate-smart urban agriculture in eThekwini: Jacob Knegtel and Sershen Naidoo look at ways that urban farmers can outsmart climate change; Aerial explosions: Genevieve Langdon tells all; Obsessive-compulsive disorder: when once is never enough Christine Lochner and Elsie Breet explain how care can become compulsion; Tuberculosis (TB) control in an era of emerging non-communicable diseases: Tolu Oni looks at the interaction between tuberculosis and diabetes; The transient universe: Patrick Woudt and Vanessa McBride look at the search for 'new' objects in the universe; The Taung Child: Casting new light on human evolution: QUEST looks at how the latest research is shaping the way we think about our evolution; Earlier Stone Age Artefacts found in Northern Cape: QUEST looks at the link between archaeological research and heritage conservation; Capacity development in aquatic biodiversity Penny Haworth shows how SAIAB is training the next generation of aquatic scientists; It all started with diamonds: Lucy Stone describes the importance of the largest 'microscope' in Europe; When seeing is not believing Lize Joubert shows us how insects can look completely different - or nearly the same - in different stages of their life cycle.Academy of Science of South Africa: Department of Science and Innovatio
Report on Grouped Peer Review of Scholarly Journals in Law and Related Legal Fields
No full textCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2014). Report on Grouped Peer Review of Scholarly Journals in Law and Related Legal Fields. [Online] Available at: DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf/0023The peer review report entitled Report on Grouped Peer Review of Scholarly Journals in Law and Related Legal Fields is the fifth in a series of discipline-grouped evaluations of South African scholarly journals. This is part of a scholarly assurance process initiated by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf). The process is centred on multi-perspective, discipline-based evaluation panels appointed by the Academy Council on the recommendation of the Academy’s Committee on Scholarly Publishing in South Africa (CSPiSA). This detailed report presents the peer review panel’s consolidated consensus reports on each journal and provides the panel’s recommendations in respect of DHET accreditation, inclusion on the SciELO SA platform and suggestions for improvement in general. The main purpose of the ASSAf review process for journals is to improve the scholarly publication in the country that is consonant with traditional scholarly practices.Academy of Science of South Afric
Proceedings of a Workshop on the Implementation of Core Competencies for Mental, Neurological and Substance Use Disorders
Get PDFCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2014). Proceedings of a Workshop on the Implementation of Core Competencies for Mental, Neurological and Substance Use Disorders. [Online] Available at: DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf/0007According to the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), one in six South Africans suffers from disorders such as anxiety, depression or substance use; this excludes disorders such as bipolar or schizophrenia. Due to inadequate resources in managing this burden, less than 16% of patients receive treatment (South African College of Applied Psychology, 2013). The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) has a strong focus on health issues of the nation and through its convening influence, hosted a workshop on The Implementation of Core Competencies for Mental, Neurological and Substance Use Disorders on 27 –28 May 2014 in Johannesburg. The workshop was attended by stakeholders from government (national and provincial), academia, non-government organisations (NGOs), civil society organisations (CSOs) and professional association/council representatives. This ASSAf workshop follows a series of workshops initiated by the United States’ Institute of Medicine (IOM) aimed at contributing towards addressing the burden of mental, neurological, substance use (MNS) disorders in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This included a workshop (August 2009) titled Reducing the Treatment Gap, Improving Quality of Care that was held in Uganda (in collaboration with the Ugandan National Academy of Sciences). In September 2012, a second workshop titled Strengthening Human Resources through Development of Core Competencies for MNS Disorders in SSA was also held in Uganda. It was at this 2012 workshop that the candidate core competencies for providers across all MNS disorders were developed, and the output from that workshop forms the basis for the ASSAf workshop. The core competencies enable screening, identification, formal diagnosis, referral, treatment and care of MNS disorders.
The objectives of the ASSAf workshop were to:
1. Identify and discuss the key challenges in the implementation of the MNS disorders core competencies within the South African health system context.
2. Explore the best strategies and opportunities that could be adopted by the different stakeholders for effective implementation of MNS disorders core competencies.
Workshop participants and speakers identified and discussed a number of overarching key challenges and gaps when it comes to addressing MNS disorders adequately in South Africa.Institute of Medicine (IOM
Proceedings of a Symposium on Our Nuclear Future: Delay or Demise?
Get PDFCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2014). Proceedings of a Symposium on Our Nuclear Future: Delay or Demise? [Online] Available at: DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf/0006The purpose of the symposium was to bring together a diverse range of stakeholders and invite engagement in a rigorous, evidence-based, scholarly debate on the issue of nuclear energy. Participants and presenters were drawn from various backgrounds: academia, government, private and public sectors, and civil society. South Africa is not alone in the world in grappling with issues related to nuclear energy. International perspectives on costs of nuclear energy were also presented.Academy of Science of South Afric
Review of the State of the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) System in South Africa
No full textCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2013). The State of the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) System in South Africa. [Online] Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/79This Report follows a request from the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) for an independent, critical appraisal of The State of the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) System in South Africa.Department of Science and Technology (DST
Proceedings report Changing patterns of Non-Communicable Diseases
No full textCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2013). Proceedings report Changing patterns of Non-Communicable Diseases. [Online] Available at: DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf/0008The theme of this conference was a superb example of the various activities in which the academies had been involved. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) constituted one of the most critical set of health challenges that faced the global community. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), NCDs constituted some 60% of all mortality at the present time, and more worrying was the upward trend. It was clear that there was urgent work to be done in this area.
The timing and appropriateness of the conference theme were of unquestionable pertinence. NCDs provided a set of challenges that could not be successfully addressed through the isolated actions of various institutions and academies, but required collective wisdom, in this case of the group of medical academies.1. Department of Health (DoH)
2. Department of Science and Technology (DST)
3. TIDES
4. Unilever
5. South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC)
6. Network of African Science Academies (NASAC)
7. Crowne Plaza
8. Leopoldina (Natinale Akademie der Wissenschaften)
9. National Research Foundation (NRF)
10. International Council for Science (ICSU)
11. Discovery Vitality
12. Vitality Institute
13. South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS)
14. The global network of science academies (IAP)
15. The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS
Improved Nutritional Assessment of Micronutrients
No full textCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2013). Improved Nutritional Assessment of Micronutrients. [Online] Available at: DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf/0029The purpose of this consensus study on improved nutritional assessment of micronutrients was to optimise our approach to the assessment of nutritional status of individuals, specific groups of people and the population in all settings. Information on nutritional status is necessary for recommendations to be used in the design and implementation of research and interventions that will address malnutrition in order to improve human well-being and performance.
The study selected the six micronutrients, viz. vitamins A, D, and folate; and the inorganic elements or minerals, selenium, iron and zinc that have been shown in a previous consensus study1 by ASSAf to have a potential impact on the major epidemics of malnutrition, HIV/AIDS and TB in South Africa. Because the bowel microflora are currently under intense scrutiny as co-determinants of the whole-body physiology and pathophysiology of micronutrients, a further chapter on this topic is included. It is, however, acknowledged that other micronutrient deficiencies are prevalent in South Africa, and that these should also be addressed.1. Department of Science and Technology (DST)
2. United States National Academies (USNA) through their African Science Academy Development Initiative (ASADI) programme
Quest Volume 9 Number 2
No full textA cosmic perspective: Multi-wavelength astrophysics Tom Jarrett and Michelle Cluver discuss the importance of the electromagnetic spectrum; Shedding light on dark matter: Claude Carignan explains how the SKA will help to unravel one of the most important mysteries of the Universe; The accelerating Universe Roy Maartens shows how the SKA will be a 'giant machine' for probing deep into time; The Square Kilometre Array: A path to unveil the unknown Sergio Colafrancesco explains how the SKA will help us provide answers to some of cosmology's fundamental questions SANSA at the forefront: The South African National Space Agency shows how important space science is to South African research Australopithecus sediba: A mosaic of ancient and modern QUEST discusses the latest analyses of this most important of fossil finds; 'Seeing' radio waves: Andre Young and David Davidson discuss the electrical engineering behind interpreting radio telescope signals; Young science communicators Morgan Trimble and Leon van Eck, winners of the Young Science Communicator's competition, showcase their entries: Working towards SunSmart schools in South Africa; Caradee Wright and Patricia Albers discuss how schools can become SunSmart.Academy of Science of South Africa: Department of Science and Innovatio