Research
If you want to get rid of drugs in Tshwane stop trying to get rid of drugs
Over the past few years there has been a steady increase in harmful drug use in the city of Tshwane. Doctors, clinical associates and social workers from the University of Pretoria (UP) realised that there is a major shortage of...
UP does everything it can to kill one of the biggest killers in South Africa
Tuberculosis (TB) kills more people every year than HIV/AIDS or any other single infectious agent. This statistic seems criminal considering that if the disease is diagnosed and treated timeously, most patients can be cured. Diagnosis and treatment...
Be part of the Cape Town Hypothesis Test
The smallest floral kingdom in the world is a rather big deal – and it is only found in South Africa. Fynbos, the natural hard-leafed shrubland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces, makes up 80% of plant species in...
The Great Karoo – a refuge for the trapdoor spider
The Karoo stretches 400 000 square kilometres over the provinces of the Eastern, Northern and Western Cape. Its vast, open semi-desert landscapes offer a sense of escapism and nothingness, guaranteeing peace and tranquillity for anyone who visits.
Collaboration leads to breakthroughs in cancer therapy
The Faculty of Health Science’s Department of Nuclear Medicine has entered a collaboration with the European Commission’s science and knowledge service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), to develop a new breakthrough treatment for cancer...
Finding simple ways to maximise the strength of your bones
eedless to say, without bones in our bodies, we would not be able to survive. Bones provide support, give bodies shape, provide protection to other systems and organs, provide attachments for muscles, and contain the bone marrow where blood...
Literacy in SA surveyed in all 11 official languages
Researchers from the Centre for Evaluation & Assessment (CEA) at the University of Pretoria have completed the South African portion of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) to assess the state of numeracy and literacy levels...
Parents: read to your children
South African learners need a culture of reading at home to thrive in reading literacy and comprehension at school. According to researchers at the Centre for Evaluation & Assessment (CEA) at the University of Pretoria...
SA schools and classrooms need more books to ensure reading literacy
A lack of resources in South African schools is hampering early reading literacy, say University of Pretoria researchers. The recently released Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)...
Literacy is key to saving SA’s next generation
Professor Sarah Howie has worked in education research for more than 20 years, most of which were dedicated to the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS).
Ten-year study shows South African school reading literacy is slow to improve
The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2016 report paints a concerning picture of primary school-level reading literacy in South Africa, with no significant progress made since the last report in 2011...
Herding for Health
The Herding for Health Project initiated by the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Pretoria is a One Health, pro-poor, rural development project which aims to respond to pressing challenges at the livestock/wildlife interface.
Unravelling the mysteries of meerkat behaviour
Researchers at the University of Pretoria form part of the Kalahari Meerkat Project in the Northern Cape's Kuruman River Reserve, which has studied groups of wild meerkats for over 20 years.
UP launches new Centre for mother and child health
After 20 years of contributing in the lives of pregnant women, newborn babies and infants; the South African Medical Research Council's (MRC’s) Maternal and Infant Health Care Strategies Unit will finally become a fully fledged...
A lifelong quest to reduce infant deaths
For most doctors in training, obstetrics is hectic and too busy, but for Dr Felicia Molokoane it is a calling. Her bold career choice has led to her being part of groundbreaking research on the effects of HIV treatment on the growth of babies.
Locally made low-cost device reduces stillbirths by half
Researchers at the University of Pretoria (UP) have just finished testing a device that could prevent thousands of still births every year. The Umbiflow is a low-cost, low-tech device that detects problems with pregnancies...
Kangaroo Mother Care: UP’s low-tech solution is saving premature babies
Premature babies all over Africa and in developing countries around the world have a greater chance of survival today thanks to the work of University of Pretoria (UP) researchers. Drs Anne-Marie Bergh...
UP trains healthcare professionals to reduce maternal deaths
The newly launched Research Centre for Maternal, Fetal, Newborn and Child Health Care at the University of Pretoria (UP) has access to a treasure trove of expertise and data gathered over the last two decades.
From audits to action: UP data is saving moms and babies
UP researchers have been working with the South African government to collect data on mother, newborn and child deaths across the country since 1997. Now all this data is being put to good use as the Research Centre for Maternal, Fetal, Newborn and...
How giraffes keep it cool
The African landscape would be incomplete without the majestic silhouette of the giraffe to adorn the savannah sunset tableau. Researchers at the Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Studies at the University of Pretoria...