Public Health for the People
2 min read
By Christopher Bendana
Johannesburg
African health scientists and researchers want a new approach to Public Health, one that is centered on improving livelihoods.
Speaking during the opening of the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) Conference 2023 several scientists from the continent suggested ways in which public health can be improved.
The conference held on the 14 and 15 September at the School of Public Health, University of Witwatersrand in South Africa brought in scientists, CARTA graduates, and fellows from CARTA partner universities from across the continent.
The scientists call resonated with the conference’s theme, “Building Bridges: Strengthening Research Capacity for Sustainable Development in Africa.
CARTA, a public health nonprofit organization based in Nairobi, Kenya has for the last 15 years partnered with nine African universities, and three research institutes to train multidisciplinary doctorate and postdoctoral students in public health and population.
It is a collaboration between the African Population and Health Research Center, and University of Witwatersrand.
They have so far graduated 145 doctorates since 2008, and another 225 fellows are on their way since.
The Executive Director at the African Population and Health Research Center, and CARTA co-director Catherine Kobutungi said their philosophy was to train multidisciplinary research leaders whose skills would change the health system.
Lindelani Mnguni, deputy dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand called upon the researchers to leverage technology to improve the community’s lives.
Salome Maswime, head, of Global Surgery at the University of Cape Town called for a holistic approach to public health as a system rather than a medical issue for doctors.
“I was taught to treat sick people, no one taught me on how to treat a sick health system,” she said. “We need to move from service to systems.”’
There was a general call for more investment in the training of doctorate and postdoc researchers who answer societal challenges.
Adamson Muula, professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Science, Malawi said public health is a political issue and he called upon scientists to participate in politics.
The CARTA universities include Makerere University in Uganda, Moi and Nairobi Universities in Kenya, the University of Rwanda, and Dar-es-Salaam University in Tanzania.
Others are Kamuzu University of Health Science in Malawi, the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo in Nigeria, and the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.
The research institutes are the African Population and Health Research Center, Ifakara Health Institute, and AGINCOURT, a health and social demographic surveillance system operating in north South Africa.
