World Cancer Day, which is commemorated globally on 4 February, aims to raise attention and inspire action for a cancer-free future. According to Professor Jennifer Moodley, the director of the Cancer Research Initiative at the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), the burden of cancer is rising worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries like South Africa.
“The rising burden [of cancer] relates to the growing and ageing population, life circumstances and ways of living, and ongoing infections such as the human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis,” said Professor Moodley.
UCT’s collective response to cancer is complex and multifaceted, bringing together experts from various fields. A few of them give insights below into how their work is contributing towards creating a cancer-free future.
South Africa: Body Donor Programme Fit and Well Despite Covid-19 allafrica.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from allafrica.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
News
Author: Engela Duvenage
Published: 10/12/2020
Earlier this year, surgeon Prof Karin Baatjes made headlines by successfully demonstrating that portable GoPro cameras, a favourite among outdoor enthusiasts, can be used equally well to train students in surgical procedures. It provides students with a view on how things are being done, from the exact vantage point of a surgeon.
GoPros provide high-definition videos shot at a wide-angle. It allows surgeons to easily record procedures in the theatre, or even smaller procedures that they perform in their consulting rooms. Because the camera can be mounted on a surgeon s head, the video displays everything that the surgeon sees and does.