Dear colleagues and students,

We are proud to announce that the work of Professor Tiaan de Jager, Director of the University of Pretoria (UP) Institute for Sustainable Malaria, and Professor Lyn-Marie Birkholtz, South African Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and National Research Foundation (NRF) Research Chair (SARChi) in Sustainable Malaria Control at UP, together with their study teams and researchers across South Africa, has been featured in an online series, Unlocking Science, presented by the International Science Council and produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions.

Malaria affects half of the world’s population, killing more than 400 000 people a year. Almost all of these deaths occur in Africa, where a child dies every two minutes. “The challenge in Africa is how to get from controlling malaria to eliminating it,” Prof de Jager said. Prof Birkholtz added that the breakthrough of the large collaborative team, which has resulted in the discovery of potentially game-changing new antimalarial drugs, is the result of five years of technology establishment in Africa. “The hope is that this transdisciplinary approach will enable more discoveries in future,” she said.

Check out UP’s malaria research story, and browse through the many other compelling films, articles and podcasts in this new series, which uncovers the innovative global stories of scientists and how they are addressing inequalities, engaging policymakers and the public, and pioneering a more sustainable future. Additional content will be added to the site in early 2022.

www.unlockingscienceseries.com

Thank you,

Department of Institutional Advancement