Academy of Science of South Africa
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Finding the balance: public health and social measures for COVID-19 in the DRC and South Africa
Get PDFMP4 Video; Size: 434MB; Duration: 2:12Please cite as: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2021). Finding the balance: public health and social measures for COVID-19 in the DRC and South Africa. [Online] Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/207United States National Academies of Science
How do we know if and when science makes a difference?
Get PDFMP4 Video, Size: 1.58GB; Duration: 52:57Please cite as: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2021). How do we know if and when science makes a difference?. [Online] Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/210Authors of research published in the South African Journal of Science, ASSAf’s flagship journal funded through the South African Department of Science and Innovation, discuss how research in their respective fields makes a difference to society. This webinar formed part of the ASSAf National Science Week 2021 programme, and was presented on 4 August 2021
Essential facts about Covid-19: the disease, the responses, and an uncertain future. For South African learners, teachers, and the general public
No full textCite as: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), Bucher M (ed), Mall AS (ed), (2021). Essential facts about Covid-19: the disease, the responses, and an uncertain future. For South African learners, teachers, and the general public. [Online] Available at: DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf.2021/0072The first cases of a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) were identified toward the end of 2019 in Wuhan, China. Over the following months, this virus spread to everywhere in the world. By now no country has been spared the devastation from the loss of lives from the disease (Covid-19) and the economic and social impacts of responses to mitigate the impact of the virus. Our lives
in South Africa have been turned upside down as we try to make the best of this bad situation.
The 2020 school year was disrupted with closure and then reopening in a phased approach, as
stipulated by the Department of Education.
This booklet is a collective effort by academics who are Members of the Academy of Science
of South Africa (ASSAf) and other invited scholars to help you appreciate some of the basic
scientific facts that you need to know in order to understand the present crisis and the various
options available to respond to it. We emphasise that the threat of infectious diseases is not an
entirely new phenomenon that has sprung onto the stage out of nowhere. Infectious diseases
and pandemics have been with us for centuries, in fact much longer. Scientists have warned us
for years of the need to prepare for the next pandemic.
Progress in medicine in the course of the 20th century has been formidable. Childhood mortality
has greatly decreased almost everywhere in the world, thanks mainly, but not only, to the many
vaccines that have been developed. Effective drugs now exist for many deadly diseases for
which there were once no cures.
For many of us, this progress has generated a false sense of security. It has caused us to believe
that the likes of the 1918 ‘Spanish flu’ pandemic, which caused some 50 million deaths around
the world within a span of a few months, could not be repeated in some form in today’s modern
world.
The Covid-19 pandemic reminds us that as new cures for old diseases are discovered, new
diseases come along for which we are unprepared. And every hundred or so years one of these
diseases wreaks havoc on the world and interferes severely with our usual ways of going about
our lives. Today’s world has become increasingly interconnected and interdependent, through
trade, migrations, and rapid air travel. This globalisation makes it easier for epidemics to spread,
somewhat offsetting the power of modern medicine.
In this booklet we have endeavoured to provide an historical perspective, and to enrich
your knowledge with some of the basics of medicine, viruses, and epidemiology. Beyond the
immediate Covid-19 crisis, South Africa faces a number of other major health challenges: highly
unequal access to quality healthcare, widespread tuberculosis, HIV infection causing AIDS, a
high prevalence of mental illness, and a low life expectancy, compared to what is possible with
today’s medicine. It is essential that you, as young people, also learn about the nature of these
new challenges, so that you may contribute to finding future solutions.I-coronavirus entsha (i-SARS-CoV-2) ikhonjwa ngasekupheleni kuka-2019 endaweni
yase Wuhan, China. Ezinyangeni ezilandelayo, leli gciwane lasakazeleeka kuyo
yonke indawo emhlabeni. Okwamanje alikho izwe elisindile ekufenikwabantu
ngenxa yalesi sifo (Covid-19), kanye nemithelela kwezomnotho, nakwezenhlalo
ukunciphisa umthelela wegciwane . Izimpilo zethu eNingizimu Afrika zibebucayi
njengoba sizama ukwenza okusemandleni kulesi simo esibi. Unyaka wesikole ka2020 waphazanyiswa ukuvalwa wabe uvulwa ngaphansi kwemigomo enezigaba,
njengokusho koMnyango Wezemfundo. Le ncwajana iwumzamo ohlanganyelwe
wezifundiswa ezingamalungu e-Academy of Science ENingizimu Afrika (ASSAf)
nezinye izifundiswa ezimenyiwe ukukusiza ukuthi wazi ezinye zezinto eziyisisekelo,
namaqiniso esayensi odinga ukuwazi ukuze uqonde ubunzima obukhona
njengamanje.
Siyakugcizelela ukuthi usongo lwezifo ezithathelanayo akusiyo into entsha
ngokuphelele eye yavela kungazelelwe. Izifo ezithathelanayo nezifo eziwubhubhane
bezinathi emakhulwini eminyaka edlule. Ososayensi basixwayisile iminyaka eminingi
ngesidingo sokulungiselela ubhubhane olungalandela. Intuthuko kwezokwelapha
kwiminyaka engaba yikhulu-namashumi amabili ibe nkulu kakhulu. Ukufa
kwezingane kwehle kakhulu cishe yonke indawo emhlabeni, sibonga ikakhulukazi
imithi yokugoma ekhiqiziwe. Imishanguzo esebenzayo manje kukhona izifo eziningi
ezibulalayo. Kwabaningi bethu, lenqubekela phambili idale umuzwa ongewona
wokuphepha. Kusenze sakholwa ukuthi kwakunjani ngobhubhane ‘lomkhuhlane
waseSpain’ lwango-1918, olwabangela ukufa kwabantu abangaba yizigidi
ezingama-50 umhlaba kungakapheli isikhathi sezinyanga ezimbalwa, ubungeke
uphindwe ngendlela ethile esimweni sanamuhla umhlaba. Ubhubhane lweCovid-19
lusikhumbuza ukuthi njengoba kutholakala ukwelashwa okusha kwezifo ezindala,
okusha izifo ziza lapho esingazilungiselele. Futhi njalo eminyakeni eyikhulu noma
ngaphezulu eyodwa yalezi izifo zizolimaza umhlaba futhi ziphazamisa kakhulu
izindlela zethu ezijwayelekile zezimpilo.
Izwe lanamuhla seliya ngokuya lixhuma futhi lincikene, ngokusebenzisa ukuhweba,
ukufuduka, nokuhamba emoyeni okusheshayo. Lokhu kubumbana kwembulunga
yonke kwenza kube lula ukuthi ubhubhane lusabalale, ngandlela thile ukucisha
amandla ezokwelapha zesimanje. Kule ncwajana sizame ukunikeza umbono
womlando, nokunothisa ulwazi lwakho ngezinye izisekelo zemithi, amagciwane,
kanye nezifo ezithathelanayo. Ngaphandle kwenkinga esheshayo ye-Covid-19,
iNingizimu Afrika ibhekene nezinye izinselelo ezinkulu zezempilo: kakhulu ukufinyelela
ngokungalingani ekunakekelweni kwezempilo okusezingeni, isifo sofuba esandile,
ukutheleleka ngegciwane lenculazi, Kanye nokwanda kakhulu kwezifo zengqondo.
Kubalulekile ukuthi nina, njengabantu abasha, nifunde ngemvelo nezinselelo
ezintsha, ukuze nibambe iqhaza ekutholeni izixazululo ngezikhathi ezizayo.Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf
Neonicotinoid Insecticides: Use and Effects in African Agriculture: A Review and Recommendations to Policymakers
Get PDFProceedings Report from a virtual event on Neonicotinoid Insecticides, held on 18 November 2020.Agriculture is critically important for African societies and economies but ensuring food security for Africa’s growing population is a major challenge. One particular concern are pesticides called ‘neonicotinoids’, which render all parts of a plant toxic to all insects and contaminate the soil and water bodies. By exposing all organisms to the toxins, neonicotinoids also harm beneficial insects that provide many important ‘ecosystem services’, such as pollination, soil development, and natural pest control, which are an integral part of sustainable agriculture. Neonicotinoids have contributed to the loss of ecosystem services from pollinators and other insects in Europe and elsewhere, and several of them have been banned in the (European Union) EU and other countries due to their harmful effect on beneficial insects. Africa, with its rich biodiversity and heavy reliance on agricultural production, is one of the fastest-growing pesticide markets in the world, so protecting it from the harmful effects of neonicotinoids is vital to ensuring a sustainable agriculture that provides food security.
The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), in collaboration with the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC) has recently completed a project exploring the use and effects of neonicotinoids in African agriculture. This project brought together experts from 17 African countries, reviewed the relevant African scientific literature, and analysed the state of knowledge on neonicotinoids and their impact on ecosystem services for agriculture and on biodiversity in Africa. The resultant report ‘Neonicotinoid insecticides: use and effects in African agriculture. A review and recommendations to policy makers’ (NASAC, 2019) has collated an unprecedented amount of information, identified gaps in scientific knowledge and research relating to neonicotinoids in Africa, and developed key recommendations from science to policy-makers to ensure the sustainability of African agriculture and thus food security.
One year after the launch of the NASAC report, the purpose of this virtual event was to introduce the report, including an update on recent global scientific and African policy developments regarding neonicotinoids, and to discuss its implications with a wide range of stakeholders, with the aim of stimulating policy and research action on this important issue. The target audience and participants included South African and Southern African Development Community (SADC) policymakers, regulatory agencies, government departments, agricultural associations, extension-service providers, research institutes, international development agencies, representatives of embassies, and other interested stakeholders.German Government through the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF
Provider core competencies for improved Mental health care of the nation
Get PDFCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2021). Provider core competencies for improved Mental health care of the nation. [Available online] DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf.2019/0067.This report is a comprehensive document reviewing current training programmes for various cadres of service providers who provide (or could provide) care for people with mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders in South Africa. The review used national mental health and disability policies to develop a vision of contextually-appropriate services using a task-shifting disability-inclusive approach as a framework for the review.
The report consists of the following sections:
• An introductory section including the executive summary, background to, and methodology of the study.
• The body of the report consists of separate chapters for each category of service provider, with a detailed
examination of current curricula measured against the core competencies identified by the researchers.
Key findings are highlighted at the start of each chapter, as well in the concluding section of the report.
• The concluding section of the report summarises key findings, discusses limitations of the study and makes
recommendations regarding the use of the report as well as for further research.Janssen Pharmaceutic
Quest Volume 17 Number 1 2021
Get PDFCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2021). Quest: Science for South Africa, 17(1). [Online] Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/180Whale song Fannie Shabangu tells us about the underwater melodies of ocean giants - Whistlers of the waves Tess Gridley reports on her team’s research on dolphin communication - Deep-sea drumming Dave Japp and Kerry Sink explain whether something fishy is going on - Tracking inshore fish Rebecca Vuyolwethu Mxo uses sound to understand the movements of coastal fish - Sound science for counting fish Janet Coetzee explains the role of hydroacoustics in fishery surveys - Listening to the seafloor Andy Green tells us about the use of sound in marine geological mapping - Ocean noise at full blast Jean Purdon explains how seismic surveys could impact marine life - Seabirds and infrasound Jeff Zeyl shares his research on low frequency hearing in birds - What meteorites can tell us about Mars Ambre Nicolson finds out from UCT geologist Geoffrey Howarth - Mars Perseverance Quest reports on the rover’s landing on the ‘red planet’ -Tackling the PSHB beetle Student and historic estate managers join forces to save the trees – Tracing ancient human diseases Primarashni Gower profiles bioarchaeologist Riaan Rifkin - COVID-19 vaccines Edina Amponsah-Dacosta answers some frequently asked questions - Traditional healers discuss sustainable use of medicinal plants - Maths Professor makes his mark.Department of Science and Innovation; Academy of Science of South Afric
Origins and destinations known: learning from the tracer study of international African doctoral graduates
Get PDFMP4 Video; Size: 566MB; Duration: 1:06Please cite as: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2021). Origins and destinations known: learning from the tracer study of international African doctoral graduates. [Online] Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/222South Africa’s universities host a large considerable number of international doctoral students, of whom international Africans make up close to 40% of the eventual PhD graduates. Immigration policy requires the graduates to return ‘home’ upon completion, raising the question - where do they go to? The conventional wisdom is these highly-skilled graduates will leave the continent for opportunities in the North. This lack of information presents a serious gap in evidence for policy making. With NRF support a tracer study of International African doctoral graduates of the five research universities was carried out over the period 2012- 2016. Performing the tracer study called for dealing with severe informational obstacles. The online survey achieved a 42% return rate and provides robust, and quite surprising insights
Writing for a scholarly journal
Get PDFMP4 Video; Size: 1.45GB; Duration: 04:51Please cite as: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2021). Writing for a scholarly journal. [Online] Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/211Recording of an interactive workshop hosted by the South African Journal of Science aimed at postgraduate students and early career researchers with little or no experience in writing and publishing journal articles. This workshop was presented on 10 June 2021
Webinar Three of a Three-part Series: What must be done if the state is to be capable of poverty and inequality reduction?
Get PDFMP4 video, Size: 1.36GB; Duration: 1:48Please cite as: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2021). Webinar Three of a Three-part Series: What must be done if the state is to be capable of poverty and inequality reduction?. [Online] Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/193The Standing Committee on the Science for the Reduction of Poverty and Inequality (SCSfRPI) is a committee of the acclaimed Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf). In July 2020, the ASSAf Council mandated the committee to focus on poverty and inequality concerning the pandemic and consult interdisciplinary science on reducing poverty and inequality. In response, the SCSfRPI conceptualised a webinar series that will delve into the following themes:1. What to do to reduce poverty and inequality?
2. How to fund interventions to reduce poverty?
3. What must be done if the state is to be capable of poverty and inequality reduction?This third webinar of the series, conceptualised by the Standing Committee on the Science for the Reduction of Poverty and Inequality (SCSfRPI), is concerned with addressing the state’s capacity to reduce poverty and inequality in South Africa. Historically, evidence suggests that left to its own devices, the process of economic development and growth generates increased inequality, the “trickle up” effect. The moderation of income inequality involved significant public interventions in a progressive system of taxation, and economic and social policy instruments that engender fairer redistribution of the proceeds of economic activities.Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf