New study clarifies nature of genetic admixture in South Africa’s Afrikaner population

Posted on July 09, 2020

A collaboration between researchers from the University of Pretoria (UP) and Uppsala University in Sweden has found some unexpected patterns of genetic admixture in South Africa’s Afrikaner (white and Afrikaans-speaking) population.

We must protect children’s access to nutritious food during and beyond the pandemic, writes UP expert

Posted on July 08, 2020

Food insecurity and malnutrition are not new to the African continent. Millions of lives are lost each year because of hunger. Many of these are children. The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the sluggishness of African governments in addressing food insecurity and has also fuelled the demand to...

UP researchers draft new UN standards on use of force by police

Posted on July 08, 2020

The United Nations in Geneva has released global standards on the use of force by the police worldwide. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet welcomed the new United Nations Human Rights Guidance on the Use of Less-Lethal Weapons in Law Enforcement and urged all states to follow...

UP academics predict COVID-19 lockdown measures will become increasingly difficult to enforce

Posted on July 07, 2020

A study by a team led by academics at the University of Pretoria (UP) predicts that South Africans’ waning compliance with government lockdown regulations will limit their impact in curbing the COVID-19 pandemic.

ANALYSIS: Balancing privacy with public health during COVID-19: how well is South Africa doing?

Posted on July 03, 2020

COVID-19 spreads from person to person through droplet and contact transmission. That’s why contact tracing and quarantining have been included as one approach to control the spread of the virus.

LeadUP online series: “Africa cannot afford a situation where a food crisis outweighs a health crisis” – panellist on food security in Africa amid COVID-19

Posted on June 30, 2020

COVID-19 has had a severe effect on the supply and demand of food production, and could lead to a severe food security crisis unless Africa has the most appropriate policies in place.

University of Pretoria food safety expert warns food safety crisis now could be tipping point for health sector

Posted on June 29, 2020

One of South Africa’s top food safety experts, Professor Lise Korsten, has warned that the country cannot afford another food-borne outbreak like the listeriosis crisis of 2017/18 in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Men’s Health Month: What men need to know

Posted on June 29, 2020

Men tend not to want to know about or address male reproductive diseases or diseases of the urinary tract but it is really important that they do, as it can significantly improve their health – and even save their lives.