|
Delegates of the IBSA joint workshop on nanotechnology, drug delivery and poverty-related diseases at the CSIR Knowledge Commons |
The CSIR hosted an India Brazil South Africa (IBSA) joint workshop on nanotechnology, drug delivery and poverty-related diseases that cemented excellent relationships and paved the way for further collaboration. IBSA is a trilateral, developmental initiative between India, Brazil and South Africa, started in 2006, to promote South-South cooperation and exchange in science and technology.
The workshop was funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) through the National Research Foundation. It was supported by IBSA, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNAIDS, Mintek, BioPAD and the North-West University, and attended by about 50 delegates from across South Africa and mainly Brazil.
"While day one of the workshop concentrated mostly on tuberculosis (TB) and nano-particles, day two was divided between discussions on malaria, HIV and nano delivery and biophotonics," says Dr Hulda Swai, research group leader of encapsulation and drug delivery at the CSIR and the head of IBSA's nanodrug delivery initiative. Swai was also the motivator for the workshop to take place.
During his opening address the DST's Dr Daniel Adams, general manager of emerging research areas and infrastructure, said that HIV, tuberculosis and malaria are serious problems in the three IBSA countries and that only scientists from these countries can truly work on finding solutions for them.
The workshop was attended by distinguished researchers and role players in the area of poverty-related diseases. These included Dr Rahevar Kalpesh, the WHO representative for TB in South Africa; Professor Jan Verschoor, head of biochemistry at the University of Pretoria; Mary-Anne Groepe, the WHO's representative for malaria in South Africa; Anne Grobler from North-West University; Professor Mayr Gulumian from the National Institute of Health; Dr Rehevar Kalpesh, WHO Medical Officer on Tuberculosis and Professor Jane Morris, director for the African Centre for Gene Technologies. The Brazilian team included Professors Silvia Guterres, Adriana Pohlmann and Teresa Dalla Costa from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sol, Brazil.
According to Swai, the WHO's representatives contributed immensely to the workshop by setting the scene of where South Africa and the world are in terms of research and solutions. "From there we could plot a way forward, which will be the intention of upcoming workshops."
The international workshop delegates also spent time on tours to the National Centre for Nano-structured Materials, laboratories at CSIR Biosciences and CSIR Materials Science and Manufacturing, the CSIR National Laser Centre, the University of Pretoria's TB labs, Mintek and the North-West University.
Enquiries: CSIR Communication
|
