New research shows that iron from supplements and fortified foods is well-absorbed in children living with virally suppressed HIV. Administering iron supplements with prebiotics may enhance their effectiveness and improve their safety. The work provides the most comprehensive analysis to date of iron metabolism in children living with virally suppressed HIV.

A team of orthopaedic surgeons at Tygerberg Hospital recently achieved a South African first when they performed an innovative limb reconstruction surgery that has only been done a handful of times in the world. The team of surgeons, also affiliated with Stellenbosch University’s Limb Reconstruction Unit, implanted a Fitbone Transport Nail (Fitbone TLN) on a 64-year old former police officer who sustained a gunshot injury to his right femur in 2018. The surgical team was headed by Professor Nando Ferreira, Head Clinical Unit: Tumour, Sepsis and Reconstruction, and also included Dr Edward Fuzy, Dr Jayesh Haribhai, and Dr Tino-Vito Orlandi.

Infectious disease specialist Prof Jean B Nachega has been appointed full professor of Infectious Diseases and part-time Director of the Biomedical Research Institute (BMRI). Nachega previously served as the founding director of the Faculty’s Centre for Infectious Diseases from 2008 to 2018. As Director, his role will centre on shaping the BMRI’s long-term vision, promoting collaboration across disciplines and building partnerships that expand the institute’s scientific and societal impact.

Paediatrics and Child Health Associate Professor Marieke van der Zalm of the Desmond Tutu Tuberculosis Centre is this year’s recipient of the Female Scientific Leadership Prize for sub-Saharan Africa. The prize is awarded by the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership. In 2017, she also received an early career fellowship from the EDCTP to investigate the short-term impact of TB on lung health in children.

Speech therapist and Stellenbosch University (SU) alumna, Qhawekazi Mazelani, was recently crowned as the new Miss South Africa. Now she is on a mission to be an agent of change in tackling some of South Africa’s biggest challenges.

The ‘HeartWorks: Science Meets Art’ exhibition was held in September at the Medical Morphology Learning Centre at SU's Tygerberg Campus. The exhibition, which was organised by the Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa, called on Fine Arts and Biomedical students to work together to “creatively reconsider” the heart in all its forms and functions. Key to the exercise was the invitation to reflect on the heart “both scientifically and emotionally”.

The E2D collaboration aims to support and build capacity for health and social care decision-making. It will deliver timely and responsive evidence production and translation for efficient, effective and equitable health services and systems.

Societal stigma around mental illnesses remains deeply entrenched. Individuals living with mental health conditions continue to face misunderstanding, marginalisation, and exclusion. Discrimination carries real world consequences for people living with a mental illness

Last week, partners from government, universities, and the public and private sectors descended on the Theewaterskloof sub-district to deliver health, wellness, and essential services to rural communities. The three-day InReach, held from 25 to 27 September, brought together healthcare professionals, academics, and non-governmental organisations to provide essential health services, education, and infrastructure support across Caledon, Grabouw, and Knoflokskraal. Led by Stellenbosch University (SU) in partnership with Western Cape Government: Health and Wellness, the initiative included health sciences and engineering students from SU, dental health experts and students from the University of the Western Cape (UWC), and students from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).

It's a well-known fact that foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in children is caused by mothers who drink during pregnancy. A team of international researchers — including contributors from Stellenbosch University (SU) — found that a father's alcohol use may have a small but direct negative impact on a child's development by the age of seven. A father's drinking contributes to the harm caused by alcohol use during pregnancy.