Nyaope Research Funding Grant holds prospects of changing lives of addicts

by Kegorapetse | Mar 28, 2018 | All News, Research

Prof Kebo Mokwena, the Head of the Department of Public Health has been awarded the prestigious Research Chair in Substance Abuse and Population Mental Health.

This grant bestows on Prof Mokwena the mantle of a pioneer, as the grant is the first at the SMU coming under the aegis of the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) of the National Research Foundation (NRF).

“The grant, which is a significant amount, will enable me, among others, to continue the work that I have been doing for the past few years. Although Nyaope is a significant social and health problem in the country, there is little research on it, even though families, communities and society are, on a daily basis, having to deal with the ruin the drug is causing in the lives of the users. Addicts mostly assemble in the streets, taxi ranks, shopping malls and municipal parks. They can be easily identified by their slow movements, slow speech and untidy appearance” Prof Mokwena explained.

Mokwena said the grant will cover the operational and student support costs of the research programme. Key among her plans is to develop a national nyaope prevention strategy, which will need cooperation and collaboration with a number of stakeholders, including NGOs. The funding will also enable her to continue multi- disciplinary collaborations which she has already established with a number of Clinical Departments at SMU, as well as other organisations outside of the University. Current projects include collaborations with the clinical departments of radiology, nuclear medicine, physiotherapy, general surgery, gynaecology and obstetrics, paediatrics and child health, community dentistry, urology, chemical pathology, pharmacology, to mention a few.

Each of these specialities will explore the impact of Nyaope on specific body organs and function of the users and contribute to the body of knowledge around Nyaope. Although mostly master and doctoral students in Public Health will benefit from the award, other students from identified disciplines will also benefit from collaborations with the professors in their respective departments.

The collaborative effort also extends to the communities who have to contend with the challenges emanating from the addicts, who are mostly Black. She will also extend collaborative networks to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working with the addicts. Families will also be provided with skills to cope with the trauma associated with having addicts in their midst.

“The work is massive. One hopes that the good coming out this project will place Nyaope under the national spotlight and scrutiny, and that it does not remain to be regarded as a problem of a few. For a number of years, nyaope required a national response and the funding will enable realisation of that goal and be regarded as a national crisis needing a national response” warned Mokwena.

At a personal level, the grant will go a long to instil in her a sense of achievement and pride in the knowledge that she will be changing the lives of the addicts, their families and the communities they belong to.

“The overall goal is to develop a community based Nyaope treatment model, which, currently does not exist. This will entail intervention that prepares the families and the communities, from behavioural and pharmacological points of view. At a personal level, I will have created a mark as an academic and a community development professional” she concluded.

Nyaope, also known as Whoonga, is wreaking havoc in the lives of addicts and among their families, in many townships across South Africa. It is a dangerous, highly addictive and cheap drug. It is a fine powder which is usually combined with dagga (Marijuana).

A cock-tail drug with Heroin as its main ingredient, it is smoked, snorted or even injected in the arm or in any other part of the body. Addicts are increasingly resorting to what they term “Bluetooth” method which means the use of a needle to extract blood from an addict who had just had a fix and injecting the blood into another with the intention of ‘sharing’ the effect. This method poses a number of health risks as the blood types may be incompatible. Other risks include spreading infections like hepatitis and HIV, as well as development of infections from using unsterile needles.

SMU making a mark in the Medical sphere

by Kegorapetse | Jul 11, 2017 | All News, Research

Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) surgical registrar, Dr Neima Kumar has put the institution on the mark by winning the best presentation prize at the 2017 Registrars Symposium. The event was hosted by the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Heath Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand from 4th – 5th July 2017.

Registrars from the following countries such as: Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi and Botswana, were also present at this annual event where senior surgical registrars of all medical schools in the country met to present a wide range of surgical topics

As an institution, we are very proud of this achievement as it is the first time in the history of SMU to win this prize
45th Meeting of the Surgical Research Society of Southern Africa
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) took part at the 45th Surgical Research Society of Southern Africa also hosted by the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Heath Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand from 6th – 7th July 2017.

The institution presented 9 research papers including two by the medical students, X Bekebu and P Abe to an audience of surgeons, registrars, scientists, medical students and other health care professionals.

Distinguished guests representing the UK (Society of Research and Academic Surgeons), the Europe (European Society of Surgical Research (ESSR)) and the USA (Society of University Surgeons) were also present.
After being nominated for the prestigious

Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) surgical registrar, Dr Neima Kumar has put the institution on the mark by winning the best presentation prize at the 2017 Registrars Symposium. The event was hosted by the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Heath Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand from 4^th – 5^th July 2017.

Registrars from the following countries such as: Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi and Botswana, were also present at this annual event where senior surgical registrars of all medical schools in the country met to present a wide range of surgical topics

As an institution, we are very proud of this achievement as it is the first time in the history of SMU to win this prize
45^th Meeting of the Surgical Research Society of Southern Africa

Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) took part at the 45^th Surgical Research Society of Southern Africa also hosted by the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Heath Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand from 6^th – 7^th July 2017.

The institution presented 9 research papers including two by the medical students, X Bekebu and P Abe to an audience of surgeons, registrars, scientists, medical students and other health care professionals.

Distinguished guests representing the UK (Society of Research and Academic Surgeons), the Europe (European Society of Surgical Research (ESSR)) and the USA (Society of University Surgeons) were also present.

After being nominated for the prestigious Bennie Argon prize for the best paper at the 45th annual Surgical Research Society of Southern Africa, Dr Imraan Sardiwalla won the overall best research prize for his paper entitled “laparoscopic lavage or Suction only in complicated appendix: A randomized control trial”

As an institution, we are proud of Dr Sardiwalla’s phenomenal achievements, as it has placed SMU amongst the top research intense Academic institution in South Africa
A big thank you to our doctors for a job well done in representing institution.

The abstracts for the SRS-SA Meeting are peer-reviewed and will be published in the South African Journal of Surgeryfor the best paper at the 45th annual Surgical Research Society of Southern Africa, Dr Imraan Sardiwalla won the overall best research prize for his paper entitled “laparoscopic lavage or Suction only in complicated appendix: A randomized control trial”

As an institution, we are proud of Dr Sardiwalla’s phenomenal achievements, as it has placed SMU amongst the top research intense Academic institution in South Africa
A big thank you to our doctors for a job well done in representing institution.

The abstracts for the SRS-SA Meeting are peer-reviewed and will be published in the South African Journal of Surgery