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14 January 2019 | Story Thabo Kessah | Photo Thabo Kessah
Dr Lisa Komoreng
Dr Lisa Komoreng’s research highlights traditional medicinal plant qualities used to deal with diseases like TB and elephantiasis.

The burden that diseases like tuberculosis (TB), lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), sexually transmitted infections (STIs), skin infections, and ear, nose and throat (ENT) infections bring to the country, mainly poverty-stricken communities, has prompted Dr Lisa Komoreng to focus her research on traditional medicinal plants.

 

South Africa, says Dr Komoreng, has the third highest number of reported cases and the fifth highest number of estimated prevalent cases, with the second highest burden of drug-resistant TB cases in the world amongst the 22 high-burden countries.

South Africa is burdened
by elephantiasis and treating
it remains a huge problem,
says Dr Lisa Komoreng.

 

“According to the Free State Provincial Strategic Plan (2012-2016), HIV and TB are the leading causes of death in the Province, with TB being the second most leading cause. Our country is also burdened by elephantiasis and treating it remains a huge problem. Patients are often turned away from some of the public hospitals, reasons being that there is no treatment in the country or that the disease needs specialist care. It with this in mind that my research focuses on providing treatment that is cheaper than western medicine, easily accessible, with fewer or no side effects,” she said.

 

“People suffering from elephantiasis are not only physically disabled, but they suffer mental, social and financial losses contributing to stigma and poverty. Some of the drugs used to treat the disease are ineffective against adult parasitic worms, which are the ones that cause the disease, and they also have side effects. Our research in dealing with these diseases enables us to work hand-in-hand with herbalists, traditional healers and people who have indigenous knowledge about the use of traditional medicine. We consult with them in order to acquire information about the medicinal plants that are used to treat and manage those diseases. Once they provide us with information, we collect the plant species together, which we subsequently take to the University herbarium for proper identification of their scientific names and to the laboratory for experiments,” she added.

 

Dr Komoreng is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Plant Sciences at the Qwaqwa Campus. She has authored and co-authored over 15 research articles and has presented her research at various national and international conferences.  Her research team comprises of 5 MSc and 4 PhD students.

 

The Thuthuka NRF Rating Track (2015 – 2017 and 2018 – 2020) funds the research project on elephantiasis.

News Archive

Universities now public spaces to exercise citizenship
2016-08-30

Description: Prof Lis Lange critical conversation Tags: Prof Lis Lange critical conversation

Prof Lis Lange believes universities have a critical
role to play in advancing democracy.
Photo: Thabo Kessah

In an attempt to promote common understanding on governance, leadership, and management processes at the University of the Free State (UFS), the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice (IRSJ) recently hosted a critical conversation on the Qwaqwa Campus that was facilitated by Vice-Rector: Academic, Prof Lis Lange.

Prof Lange’s presentation firstly focused on the role that universities play, and the expectations thereof.

“From ancient history, universities have always had a critical role to play in the broader society,” she said. “They have always been characterised by the circulation of knowledge and ideas at a global level. They have always ensured that students’ skills and knowledge are properly certified.”

According to her, universities have changed quite a bit over the centuries.

“Historically, universities used to cater for the chosen few, but they now allow multitudes to have access as well. In the early 20th century, women and foreigners, for example, were excluded. How they relate to the society has also changed. They also used to create certain types of knowledge – at one stage this knowledge was influenced by the church. Research is now produced across a large spectrum of human and scientific knowledge,” she said.

Prof Lange also added that universities now even have a responsibility to advance democracy and to respond to societal needs.

“Despite the various tensions and contradictions between management and academic staff, between management and students, and between academic staff and students, universities are now public spaces to exercise citizenship. They provide space for all to have the right to speak and to be heard. They provide space for all to have similar rights and responsibilities,’ she said, while breaking down all the governance, leadership and management structures of the UFS.

The conversation was concluded with a question and answer session, with students mainly asking about internal UFS processes.

The session was well received by students.

“I really loved the conversation, which to me, was about breaking the walls between the management and students so as to achieve the goal of an effective university. We need more of these dialogues,” said Noxola Tshabalala, a BA Psychology student.

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