Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
22 October 2021 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath | Photo Rhona Klopper
Donating masks to Rekopane Primary School, were from the left: Alfi Moolman (UFS Directorate: Community Engagement), Sonja Venter-Botes (Bloemshelter), Tina Moleko (Rankwe Primary School), and Michelle Engelbrecht (UFS Centre for Health Systems Research and Development).

The Centre for Health Systems Research and Development (CHSR&D) at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently donated 500 masks to Rekopane Primary School in Botshabelo. This initiative was part of its pledge to donate 100 cloth masks to a previously disadvantaged primary school for every 1 000 of the first 5 000 completed questionnaires that formed part of a study survey examining people’s understanding of information about COVID-19 vaccines. The results of the study will be shared with stakeholders who are responsible for providing information about COVID-19 vaccinations.

It is known that a large number of people globally and in South Africa prefer not to be vaccinated. “There are many reasons for this, and we would like to find out where people are getting information about the COVID-19 vaccination, and whether they are able to understand this information, so that they can make an informed choice about getting vaccinated. We did this by asking people about their own health and COVID-19, where they have heard about the vaccine, if they understood this information, and whether they have had/would have the vaccine or not, as well as the reasons for this,” said Prof Michelle Engelbrecht, Director of CHSR&D. 

While following guidelines such as wearing masks, sanitising hands, and social distancing are important to prevent the spread of COVID-19, a large percentage of the population will need to be vaccinated if we want to control the pandemic in the long term and prevent hospitalisation and severe illness. 

All persons in South Africa aged 18 and older were invited to complete an online survey regarding their perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines. The survey, which was available in the seven most spoken languages in the country, was advertised on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, and on the Moya app.  The survey was open from 1 to 31 September 2021, and the CHSR&D received 10 554 completed questionnaires.  No data was required to complete the survey.

The Department of Basic Education partners decided on the school that would benefit, and the study provided an opportunity to support Bloemshelter, a UFS flagship programme. Alfi Moolman of the Directorate: Community Engagement said that “NGOs are really struggling to make ends meet, and we are delighted that Bloemshelter could provide the masks as one of their income-generating projects.  So many lives are touched for the good. The university is indeed a caring organisation.”


News Archive

UV ken grade en diplomas toe tydens die jaarlikse lente-gradeplegtigheid
2004-09-07

The University of the Free State (UFS) will award a total of 423 degrees and 267 diplomas on Wednesday 22 September 2004 during this year’s spring graduation ceremony.

Altogether 25 doctorates and 3 honorary doctorates will also be awarded. The honorary doctorandi are D r Calvin Seerveld (D Phil (hc), Prof YK Seedat (MD (hc) and Dr Mary Seely (D Sc (hc). These doctorandi form part of the greater group of 18 doctorandi who will be awarded honorary doctorates during the UFS’s centenary year. The last group will be receiving their honorary doctorates in October 2004.

In the Faculty of Health Sciences 59 degrees, 29 diplomas and 1 doctorate will be awarded, in the Faculty of Humanities (excluding the School of Education ) 72 degrees and 6 doctorates will be awarded. In the School of Education 33 degrees, 212 diplomas and 4 doctorates will be awarded and in the Faculty of Law 7 degrees will be awarded.

In the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences 122 degrees, 2 diplomas and 8 doctorates will be awarded, in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences 118 degrees, 20 diplomas and 3 doctorates will be awarded and in the Faculty of Theology 12 degrees, 4 diplomas and 3 doctorates will be awarded.

The diploma ceremony will start at 08:30 and the graduation ceremony will start at 14:30 . Both ceremonies will take place in the Callie Human Centre.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
7 September 2004

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept