Staff and student volunteers from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) at Stellenbosch University (SU) have created daily briefings to keep experts and health professionals up to date with the latest Covid-19 information.
The Daily Briefing, a document sent to clinicians and medical experts, was started by professors in the Department of Global Health, and by student volunteers from the FMHS. The document provides the most recent and relevant research regarding Covid-19, said prof Taryn Young, head of the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the FMHS.
“The daily briefs present new research in a concise manner and provide a way for busy clinicians to be updated on research evidence,” said Young.
The Daily Briefing is an informative document which summarises the most recent research pertaining to Covid-19. PHOTO: An excerpt from one of the briefs, supplied by Sergio Alves.
Young also ran a training session with a group of student volunteers to prepare them to contribute to the briefs. It covered how to summarise research evidence and assess its validity and usefulness, she said.
According to prof René English, head of the Division of Health Systems and Public Health, this initiative highlights an opportunity for students to learn and get involved.
“Our students are our next generation and the incorporation of the students is also a way to transcend the teacher-student boundaries and to create opportunities to build their capacity,” said English.
Student support
Sergio Alves and Nonto Mponda are heading up the group of medical students involved in the research and the compiling of the daily briefs.
According to Alves, a list was sent out asking for various volunteers, and of this list, Mponda selected the most senior students who had the most exposure to conducting research.
Some of the individuals involved in the initiative. From left to right, top: Associate Prof René English, Mudiwa Llobell, Lutricia Ndou, Nontokozo Mponda, Olivia Laing, and Naadhira Mahomed. Bottom: Prof Taryn Young, Sergio Alves, Teresa Feng, Amokelani Mahungu, Carli Blignaut, and Sandile Ndlovu. COLLAGE: Individual images supplied by Sergio Alves and collage created by Savannah Bacon.
Alves and Mponda both stated that they wanted to assist with the fight against the pandemic somehow and that, as medical students, they knew their skills could be utilised during this global crisis.
“It was also an opportunity to work with public health experts and to learn about the disease behind the pandemic that brought the world to a sudden halt,” said Mponda.
Future-Proofing Public Health
The Daily Briefing has been a successful initiative and has received positive feedback, said English. The team has received reports that the briefs have reached the vice-rector’s office, the members of the Ministerial Advisory Committee, and clinicians working in the United States, she said.
Following the success of the Daily Briefing, English has started a further initiative called Future-proofing Public Health, which she says already has SU Social Impact funding. This expansion will see public health briefs being sent out a few times a month, which would include research on various public health issues, said Alves.
“We hope to release it in June, and it will most likely be released on a weekly basis. The students will also be drawn into this initiative,” said English.
Futureproofing Public Health is an initiative started by those at the FMHS at Stellenbosch University, which already has funding from SU Social Impact. GRAPHIC: Savannah Bacon.