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13 September 2022 | Story Andrè Damons | Photo Andrè Damons
Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa
This week, Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa, will give a keynote speech on Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and Health during a session at the eighth edition of the UNGA77 Science Summit around the 77th United Nations General Assembly (SSUNGA77).

Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa, Director of Pharmacology at the University of the Free State (UFS), has been invited to give a keynote speech on Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and Health during a session at the eighth edition of the UNGA77 Science Summit around the 77th United Nations General Assembly (SSUNGA77).

While in New York, Prof Matsabisa will also meet with officials from the Wellcome Trust – a global charitable foundation – where he will present a strong and compelling motivation for the Wellcome Trust to invest in traditional medicines. Says Prof Matsabisa: “I will deliver a compelling message for investment to be made in scientific research and development around traditional medicines. This development will be piloted in a hub-and-spoke model based on the African economic blocks, with the hub being in South Africa. The returns on the investment put in this initiative will be massive for the African continent, both socially and economically, and I believe it will lead to self-sustainability and Africa being a supplier of innovations based on the science of traditional medicines.” 

SSUNGA77 is organised by Intelligence in Science and will take place from 13 to 30 September 2022. It will bring together thought leaders, scientists, technologists, innovators, policy makers, decision makers, regulators, financiers, philanthropists, journalists and editors, and community leaders to increase health science and citizen collaboration across a broad spectrum of themes, including ICT, nutrition, agriculture, health, IKS, and the environment.

Prof Matsabisa, an expert in African traditional medicine (ATM) and Chairperson of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Regional Expert Advisory Committee on Traditional Medicines for COVID-19 (REACT), is also the convener of this session, following his successful proposal for such a session. The session will take place in person on 20 September at the UN headquarters in New York. It is an official side event of the UN General Assembly’s 77th anniversary and will be co-sponsored by the permanent missions of Ireland, Spain, South Africa, Brazil, and Bangladesh to the UN.

His message at Science Summit

“At the end of the summit, we are to make recommendations to the UN, EU, and AU on IKS and health developmental matters. This is exciting and nerve-wracking for me, but I will remain calm knowing that I have a message to deliver to the highest global decision-making body. There can be nothing greater than presenting my talk and proposals for consideration to such a body.” 

“I will convey three simple messages, namely the importance of traditional medicines in contributing to universal health coverage, the need for Africa – through the heads of state and governments – to take seriously the local manufacturing of traditional medicines for industrialisation, economic emancipation, and responding to poverty and inequality. The third message is the need for sustained and adequate financial support by African ministries of health for the development, commercialisation, and market access to quality and well-researched, safe, and effective traditional medicines in order to contribute to priority diseases as well as responding to pandemics,” says Prof Matsabisa. 

According to him, this address at SSUNGA77 is a chance to correctly position the story on IKS with arguments based on good scientific evidence. “It means we are getting much closer to the institutionalisation and formal economic contribution of IKS to health, and that the African IKS health system is getting international recognition and acceptance,” he says.
Prof Matsabisa says he hopes the message will emerge clearly from his talk that Africa has the resources for raw materials and that the science, as well as the infrastructure, exists to develop IKS and to contribute to new health products. The spin-off is the industrialisation, job creation, and wealth generation that Africa can offer to the rest of the world.

Overall information on the summit is available here

News Archive

UFS focuses on human rights and anti-racism
2017-03-20

Description: "Bongani Majola Tags: Bongani Majola
Prof Bongani Majola and Prof Leon Wessels at
the launch of the FSHRC.
Photo: Supplied

Human rights are part of the dominant moral and political language of our time, and demand a multi-layered scholarly engagement. These discussions influence national and international relations, and set standards for political and democratic practice.

New Centre for Human Rights launched

Since the academic space is a microcosm of society at large, it is crucial that the University of the Free State (UFS) takes part in such scholarly discussions, drawing lessons and crafting solutions from these dialogues.

To this end, the new Free State Centre for Human Rights (FSCHR) was officially launched on 14 March 2017 at the Bloemfontein Campus of the UFS. Professor Bongani Majola, the newly elected chairperson of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), was the guest speaker at the event. The FSCHR began operating on 1 January 2016, under the leadership of Prof Leon Wessels, founding member of the SAHRC, as the acting director of the centre. 

A priority on the centre’s agenda will be to uphold the February 2011 post-Reitz agreement between the SAHRC and UFS, which was subsequently made an order of the Equality Court. This order compelled the UFS to establish such a centre. The centre presents new opportunities for cooperation between the UFS and SAHRC and other stakeholders to benefit the UFS and the broader community.

Anti-Racism Week marked by IRSJ

The Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice (IRSJ), in conjunction with the newly-launched FSCHR, the Anti-Racism Network of South Africa (ARNSA), and the Arts and Culture office of Student Affairs presented an event on Friday 17 March 2017 to mark Anti-Racism Week (14-21 March) and Human Rights Day (21 March).

This second annual Anti-Racism Week sees seven days observed for all institutions, organisations, and individuals to fight racism, with each day having an assigned theme, such as ‘Be Aware’ (14 March) and ‘BeCome’ (21 March).

“Battling racism
is a life-long
commitment”
—JC van der Merwe,
Acting Director, IRSJ

JC van der Merwe, Acting Director of the IRSJ, said, “Battling racism is a life-long commitment. It is time for us to tackle the problem head-on. Anti-Racism Week gives us the platform to communicate within the university, within our communities, but also at grassroots level. The idea this year is that we all BeCome champions against racism, not just during this week, but that it will become part of everyday life on our campuses.”



Talented UFS students perform a flash mob dance prior to a collaborative event to mark Anti-Racism Week and Human Rights Day.
Video: UFS Instagram

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