First Pan-African Summer School in Nanomedicine

The first Pan-African Summer School in Nanomedicine was held in November 2012 at the Farm Inn Hotel in Pretoria.

Mthuthuzeli Zamxaka (centre) receives a certificate of recognition for the role played by SAASTA in the Summer School. He is flanked by Dr Hulda Swai, host and the organiser of the Summer School (left) and Professor Ruth Duncan from Cardiff University in the UK.		Nanomedicine is a rapidly advancing area of biomedical research that has revolutionised treatments for diseases like cancer.

The event was hosted by the CSIR's Pan-African Centre of Excellence in Nanomedicine, one of the 32 ANDI (African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Innovation) Centres of Excellence in health innovation in Africa.

Bridging the gap

The aim of the Summer School was to bridge the gap between the sciences, health and development in Africa - by educating young African scientists on the relevance and application of nanomedicine.

The programme focused mainly on the application of nanomedicine in drug, vaccine and diagnostics development programmes for poverty related diseases (PRDs). The Summer School was organised on the recommendation by the first International Workshop on Nanomedicine for Infectious Diseases of Poverty, which was held in March 2011.

Public engagement

SAASTA's Nanotechnology Public Engagement Programme (NPEP) participated in the event by means of a presentation and a science communication workshop. NPEP moreover provided information resources as well as interactive exhibits such as National System of Innovation (NSI) and A Biotech World touch screens.

NPEP's presentation and discussions were well received, to such an extent that representatives from some African countries such Cameroon, Nigeria and Kenya have requested SAASTA's assistance in setting up science communication and public awareness structures in their countries.

It was encouraging that European delegates such as Professor Ruth Duncan from Cardiff University in the UK publicly voiced their appreciation of resources developed by NPEP, such as posters, fact sheets and educator manuals aimed at raising public awareness. It was even more encouraging to hear local delegates such as Professor Jan Verschoor from the University Pretoria applauding SAASTA for its sterling work in raising public awareness of nanotechnology in South Africa.

About 120 delegates from South Africa, Africa and Europe attended the Summer School. Faculty members included CEOs of companies, deans of university science faculties, heads of departments and senior researchers. Delegates included senior lecturers and postgraduate students from a range of disciplines such as biochemistry, chemistry, physics, microbiology and pharmacology, as well as science communicators working in nanotechnology and nanomedicine.

By Mthuthuzeli Zamxaka, SAASTA