Motivated by CPUT’s resolve to conduct research that seeks to address society’s challenges, CPUT academics are collaborating with herbalists to validate their work.

Prof Learnmore Kambizi, a lecturer in the Department of Horticultural Sciences, is leading a team of academics and postgraduate students that will help the herbalists establish and maintain herbal gardens as well as cultivate some medicinal plant species that would not ordinarily grow in the Western Cape.

They aim to do this done through hydroponics and tissue culture techniques available at CPUT.

Kambizi was invited recently to speak at a well-attended seminar convened by the Western Cape Inyanga Forum in Mfuleni, where areas of co-operation between Cape Nature, the Department of Health, academic researchers, local authorities and registered Traditional Medical Practitioners were discussed.

He says the academics decided to work with herbalists as they are custodians of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), which they, the academics, intend to document to ensure that such valuable knowledge is preserved for future generations.

To sustain this research project and support postgraduate training he has been awarded funding to the tune of R1.5 million for three years by the National Research Foundation (NRF).

“We conduct a wide array of bio-assays on various medicinal plants (both pure and crude extracts) to assess their curing potential and toxicity,” he adds.

Steven Mapfumo, a doctoral candidate involved in the project, says the link between academic work and IKS is very important. “Western medicine is marketed as the cleanest and most effective medicine, but previous generations, which relied on plants lived longer when compared to the current generation.”

Sibusiso Xego, another PhD candidate, says her passion for herbs was inspired by growing up in a home where there were traditional healers. “We are taking the knowledge from the community to the lab and from the lab back to the community.” 

Written by Kwanele Butana

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From 7 to 18 September 2009, the staff and Peer Educators of the HIV/AIDS Unit hosted the year’s second Voluntary Counseling and Testing Campus Drive.

For this VCT Drive, a new site was added to the campaign, namely Athlone Western Cape Nursing College. Other sites participating in the VCT drive included Cape Town, Bellville, Mowbray, Granger Bay and Tygerberg Campuses as well as various student residences.

VCT campus drives are done in collaboration with a service provider (in this case Action Against AIDS) who provides the nursing personnel, lay counselors and test kits.

They are funded by the Provincial Department of Health.

The HIV/AIDS Unit collaborated with the Campus Clinic to whom clients who tested positive were referred and the Student Counseling Service which provides interns and standby psychological services for crises situations.

A total 1,306 clients were counseled for the HIV test of which 1302 were tested for HIV (99.8%).

The recent VCT Drive showed a marked increase in the number of staff members who were tested for HIV. This staff increase for the HIV test can be attributed to the HIV/AIDS Unit’s initiative of introducing the workplace Peer Education Programme where the VCT campus drive was marketed by staff Peer Educators.

Dr Ashraf Mohammed, Director of the HIV/AIDS Unit, said: ""The success of this VCT Campus Drive if we would have received an extra bonus if there would have been an increase in male uptake for VCT.”

By Thando J. Moiloa and the HIV AIDS Unit

Photo: A student is tested, after receiving professional counseling, during the VCT campus drive at the Cape Town campus student centre

Written by CPUT News
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The HIV/AIDS Unit, in partnership with the Campus Health Clinic, the Department of Health and TB/HIV Care Association, has launched a Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision Campaign.

The campaign, which targets male students, is being piloted at the Cape Town Campus but will be rolled out to other campuses in due course. CPUT is the first university in the Western Cape to launch such a campaign.

With the primary objective of encouraging males to get circumcised, the campaign also aims to encourage males to lead a positive lifestyle that is governed by risk-free behaviour and physical fitness, as well as a positive mental attitude.

Addressing yesterday’s launch at the Cape Town Campus, Vice-Chancellor, Dr Prins Nevhutalu encouraged the audience to talk frankly about sex and not treat it as a taboo subject.

Nevhutalu warned the audience that HIV is prevalent and that prevention is its only cure.

Male staff members from the HIV/Aids Unit and its partners also addressed the audience and emphasized the benefits of medical male circumcision. They all agreed that while circumcision reduced the risk of contracting HIV it is no substitute for condom use.

“Circumcision does not mean that you don’t need to use a condom,” said SRC President Mbongiseni Mbatha

Endorsed by the Global Fund Project, Higher Education HIV/AIDS Programme (HEAIDS) and the Department of Health, the campaign will achieve its goals through emphasizing the benefits of medical male circumcision as well as the various structures and NGOs that are educating the targeted audience at their exhibition stalls.

The campaign will also be launched between 10:00-14:00 at the following campuses:

• Wellington Campus, in the CP Van Der Merwe Hall on 18 August
• Bellville Campus in the Student Centre on 4 September

Written by Kwanele Butana
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An ambulance bay, which is being developed in the Department of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), will provide valuable training opportunities for students.

Once the project is completed, CPUT will have an operational ambulance base, from which an ambulance and response vehicle would be able to respond to emergency incidents on campus, should there be a need.

Lloyd Christopher, head of the EMS Department, said the institution is registered and has licenced three emergency vehicles with the Department of Health to render emergency medical services.

These vehicles currently have to park at the Transport Department and would be relocated to the EMS Department once the ambulance bay is ready.

“It won’t just be an environment for us to do in-service training in but also for students to be directly involved in all aspects of operating an ambulance bay. They will be able to learn about stock control, record keeping, and about the storage, charging, servicing and maintenance of equipment,” said Christopher.

While the vehicles would be able to respond to incidents on campus involving the CPUT community and also emergencies in the greater Cape Town area, the intention is not to run a 24-hour ambulance operation.

As part of their training students are sent out to work with private or public ambulance services and, should students need further mentoring and support after this, they would be able to go out on one of the CPUT vehicles with a clinical instructor who could then provide the support they need.

“We also plan to use it for evaluations. All of this could then benefit students when they go out into the workplace.”

The main part of the project has been completed with a ramp and other features to be added before the bay can go into full operation.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Always aspire to create meaningful change.

This was the message to graduates from Dr Nonhlanhla Makhanya, Chief Nursing Officer in the Department of Health, during a graduation ceremony for nursing graduates as well graduates in the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences.

The ceremony was the 15th of 16 ceremonies in CPUT’s Autumn Graduation Series.

“Remember, if you can imagine it, you can achieve it, if you can dream it, you can become it. However, all dreams come true if you have courage to pursue them.”

She encouraged the graduates to have courage as they venture into the world of work.

“Give all you have in the service of mankind,” she told nursing graduates.

During a badge and lamp lighting ceremony held a day prior to the graduation ceremony new nursing graduates committed themselves to the profession by taking the nurses pledge of service.

The lighting of the lamps is a tradition that goes back for centuries and symbolises the lamp that was carried by Florence Nightingale who is considered to be pioneer of modern nursing.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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The Emergency Medical Sciences Department’s new state of the art ambulance bay will not only bolster student training but aid in providing emergency care in the city. 

The ramp of the new bay, which is situated on the Bellville Campus, was recently completed allowing the Department to take practical training to a new level.

“We can teach our students much more than we can teach them by sitting in a classroom. We can log in with Metro Ambulance Services and tell them we have a vehicle and students available. They then give us a call if they need us to go out to a scene,” said Clinical Practice Facilitator Louis Jordaan.

While the institution is registered and has three vehicles licenced with the Department of Health to render emergency medical services, the department is not running an ambulance service that can be contacted directly by members of the public.

“For us, it’s all about the students and ensuring that they get the best hands-on training. At the same time we serve as an extra resource to Metro Ambulance Services,” said clinical coordinator Llizane McDonald.

The students are learning about all aspects of operating an ambulance bay from stock control and record keeping to the charging, servicing and maintenance of equipment.

As part of their training students are sent out to work with private or public ambulance services and, should students need further mentoring and support after this, they can go out on one of the vehicles with a clinical instructor.

Fourth-year student Taryn Daley said the bay and experience students were getting on the road resulted in an “all round experience” which would ensure that they were well prepared for the world of work when they graduate in a few months.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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The Student Affairs Division and Services (DSA) will run the #WiseUp Healthy Living campaign from 19 July to 5 August.

Head of Department: Student Counselling, Leanie Brits, says the mandate of DSA is to educate and support students’ adjustment, development and wellness outside of the classroom through its various service portfolios.  “We strive to create opportunities for engagement and education to empower our students to grow. The prolonged lockdown and COVID-19 pandemic brought with it an increase in psychosocial challenges for students.

“The pandemic challenged people’s resilience and placed great strain on people’s general coping strategies,” says Brits.

The #WiseUp Healthy Living campaign emanated from the need to empower the CPUT community with information, tools, and resources to maintain the fundamental principles of a healthy body and mind.  “It also seeks to promote wellness, mental health, and amongst others, focus on depression and suicide awareness, substance use and abuse and gender-based violence (GBV) awareness,” emphasises Brits.

She adds that the campaign is supported by CPUT’s external partners, the Department of Social Development, the National Institute of Community Development and Management, and the Department of Health, exhibiting on campus on the 19th and 20th of July. The Department of Student Counselling and Campus Health clinic will also show these days.

Students are encouraged to attend the exhibitions’ stalls and the various activities that will run during the campaign. The organisers anticipate that more than 500 students will participate in the on-campus events that will run during this period. The campaign has to adhere to COVID-19 protocols, and therefore, certain activities will be limited per number of attendees to comply with venue capacity restrictions. The drama performance and exhibitions are open air/outside events, these activities will be regulated but limited.

The target audience is all CPUT students, especially students who seek to empower themselves with knowledge and those who want to learn how to live and maintain a healthy life. “This campaign allows students to learn the facts about general strategies to maintain wellness and mental health, substance use and abuse, depression and suicide, and GBV,” summarises Brits.

She also states that wellness and mental health should be a daily priority and that without proper self-care, one might find it challenging to focus on one’s academics and may even notice social and emotional problems such as depression, low motivation, isolation, high levels of stress and inability to deal with pressure.

“Students may end up engaging in unhealthy coping strategies such as increased alcohol use, unhealthy eating and sleeping habits, etc. We are holistic beings; wellness and mental health cannot be separated from our work and academics. We encourage the CPUT community to #BeWise and equip themselves with the knowledge to live healthily,” adds Brits.

To view the line-up, click this link:

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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Students are being encouraged to add more fruit and vegetables to their daily diet.

National Nutrition Week (NNW) runs from 9 to 15 October and Dr Mariska Lilly from the Applied Microbial and Health Biotechnology Institute and member of the National Nutrition Society of South Africa, said this year’s theme is: Eat more vegetables and fruit every day.

NNW is an initiative of the national Department of Health to improve the nutrition knowledge and nutrition intake behaviour of South African people.

According to The Nutrition Society of South Africa: Western Cape Branch, students should eat more fruits and vegetables every day because fruit and vegetables contain important nutrients that prevent malnutrition and diseases like constipation, cancer, high cholesterol and diabetes.

It states that research has shown that most South Africans do not eat five fruits and vegetables every day and consume too many ultra-processed foods like chips, chocolates, biscuits and sweets. By eating these ultra-processed foods instead of fruit and vegetables as snacks students are at an increased risk of becoming sick.

Planning meals and snacks can help students to reach their veg and fruit targets. Here’s what it could look like:

• Breakfast: Add a banana or a small handful of raisins to cereal, pap, oats or yoghurt.
• Snack: Grab a handful of baby tomatoes or chop up a carrot.
• Lunch: Add 1 cup (about 1 cupped hand) of salad ingredients to your sandwich or wrap or mix in last night’s leftover veggies or cooked spinach to pap or rice.
• Snack: Grab an apple or any fruit instead of ultra-processed chips/chocolates.
• Dinner: Aim for half a plate of veggies or be sure to add frozen or grated vegetables to stews, pasta dishes or other mixed meals.

For more information go to www.nutritionweek.co.za

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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