Dear Colleagues

The year 2021 started off unpredictable, but we forged ahead into the unweathered storms, and we survived the tides. Our theme for 2021 has been "Feed your Focus", which was a call to action for all of us to shut out the distractions and focus on our core mandate, which is to maintain health standards through quality education, research and community service. 

I am genuinely proud of how far we have come this year and the impact that all of you have had in making a difference within the Faculty and in the community at large. In this newsletter, we celebrate excellence and pay homage to some of the significant projects that our colleagues have initiated. The Faculty will also be broadcasting the 2021 Oath Taking/Declaration Ceremonies for the various schools on social media to celebrate and acknowledge the new cohort of graduates.

 
We are still in a pandemic, and I would like to encourage you all to get vaccinated. As you may be aware, the Faculty of Health Sciences was one of the first institutions in the higher education sector to open a vaccination site at the Faculty of Health Sciences' Prinshof Campus. We are still servicing students and staff to get vaccinated. Our vaccination site at UP (Prinshof South, Tswelopele Building) has also received approval from UP Ethics to be part of the Sisonke2 trial. 

As we approach the festive season, I want to remind you that you have weathered the storm. As Tony Robbins once said: "No one's life is a smooth sail; we all come into stormy weather. But it's this adversity - and more specifically our resilience - that makes us strong and successful."
Have a blessed Festive Season with your loved ones. Stay safe and continue to be #LifeChangers. 

Happy holidays!

Kind Regards,
Prof Tiaan de Jager