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15 October 2019 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Valentino Ndaba
Mental health awareness
The UFS joined the global community in commemorating World Mental Health Day.
“This is not a conversation that should wait until people have taken their own lives or have been diagnosed,” said Tshepang Mahlatsi, Founder of Next Chapter, a student organisation that advocates for mental health. In commemoration of World Mental Health Day, the organisation hosted a dialogue around this year’s theme of Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention on 10 October 2019.

Mahlatsi further said: “The conversation around mental health is not one that should be reserved for September or October when we commemorate suicide prevention and World Mental Health Day. We should build a culture and tradition of having and normalising these conversations. This notion becomes highly relevant at institutions of higher learning where most students are affected by various factors, such as finances and academic anxiety.”

Dealing with the dilemma

This open discussion took place on the Bloemfontein Campus between students and a panel comprising Dr Ntswaki Setlaba and Dr Melissa Barnaschone.

Dr Setlaba, a consultant psychiatrist at Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital, said one of the symptoms of major depressive disorder is suicide. She highly recommends that early detection of depression is essential in order to prevent it escalating to a loss of more lives.

Director of the Office for Student Counselling and Development, Dr Barnaschone, supported the concept of early detection, citing that there are plans put in place to support students, such as workshops and the Student Mental Health Toolkit.

Medicine of the mind

Dr Fanie Meyer, a private psychiatrist based in Bloemfontein, described to staff members the effects of depression and anxiety on the brain. He presented a talk titled: Pain vs Depression: ‘The chicken or the egg?’ which was hosted by the Organisational Development and Employee Wellness division in collaboration with the Faculty of Health Sciences.

He also stressed the importance of early detection. “If you leave your pain running for 10 years, it will get worse. The same goes for anxiety,” said Dr Meyer. 

According to Burneline Kaars, Head of the Division, they are committed to changing attitudes about mental health and reducing the stigma experienced by those who live with it. “The focus is on educating staff about mental illness and empowering them to take action and promote mental wellbeing while it is still early.”  

Recognising the early symptoms of a mental disorder is an essential part of tackling the pandemic. Having the mental health conversation throughout the year instead of in September and October ought to further this agenda. 

News Archive

New challenges for animal science discussed
2006-04-04

Some of the guests attending the congress were from the left Dr Heinz Meissner (honorary president of the South African Society for Animal Science (SASAS) and senior manager at the Animal Production Institute of the Agricultural Research Council), Mr Paul Bevan (President of SASAS) and Prof Magda Fourie (Vice-Rector:  Academic Planning at the UFS).
Photo: Lacea Loader

New challenges for animal science discussed  

The South African Society for Animal Science (SASAS) is presenting its 41st Congress at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Main Campus in Bloemfontein. 

The congress started yesterday and will run until Thursday 6 April 2006.  The theme is New challenges for the animal science industries.

It is one of the largest congresses in the 45 years since SASAS was founded in 1961.  Among the delegates 12 African countries are represented, with the biggest delegation from Kenya.  Delegates are also from the United States of America, Iran, Turkey, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal and African countries like Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana.

“Many of our members play an important role in the training of animal scientists at universities.  The congress is specifically industry orientated so that scientists can interact with farmers through the respective producer organisations,” said Prof HO de Waal, Chairperson of the organising committee and lecturer at the UFS Department of Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences.

According to Dr Heinz Meissner, honorary president of SASAS and a senior manager at the Animal Production Institute of the Agricultural Research Council, the National Livestock Strategy (NLS) Plan clarifies the role and responsibility of the livestock sector. 

“Through this strategy we need to focus on enhancing equitable access and participation in livestock agriculture, improve global competitiveness and profitability of the livestock sector and ensure that the ventures implemented do not over utilise our resources,” said Dr Meissner.

In her welcoming address, Prof Magda Fourie, Vice-Rector:  Academic Planning at the UFS highlighted the related challenges that the UFS will be focusing on specifically over the next five years.  “We have identified five strategic clusters that represent broad areas of excellence in research and post-graduate education.  Two of these are food production, quality and safety for Africa and sustainable development,” she said.

“The food safety and security cluster will focus on the production of food in all its varieties within the African context, encompassing the entire value chain – from production to consumption and nutrition related issues.  This would include a strong emphasis on sustainable production systems,” she said.

According to Prof Fourie the rural development cluster will engage in questions around the role of higher education in sustainable development.  “One of the focus areas in this strategic cluster pertains to sustainable livelihoods.  It refers to a way of approaching development that incorporates all aspects of human livelihoods and means by which people obtain them,” she said.

Prof Fourie said that the challenges we are facing such as food production can only be effectively addressed through collaborative efforts.  “That is why it is important that collaboration takes place between different scientific disciplines, researchers, institutions and countries who are confronted with similar difficulties,” she said.

According to Prof de Waal the congress will give key role players a unique opportunity to present a profile of what they perceive an animal scientist should be and state their specific requirement regarding the animal sciences and its applications. 

“In this way we can determine what the industry’s needs are and we can re-align our curriculum to suit these needs,” said Prof de Waal.

During the next two days, various areas of interest will be discussed.  This includes ruminant and monogastric nutrition, animal physiology, beef, dairy, sheep and ostrich breeding and sustainable farming covering the range from commercial to the small-scale farming level.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel:   (051) 401-2584
Cell:  083 645 2454
E-mail:  loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
4 April 2006

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