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UFS expert to attend the WHO Traditional Medicine G20 Health Ministers Global Summit

04 May 2023 | Story Andre Damons | Photo Supplied

Prof Matsabisa Motlalepula, an African traditional medicine expert from the University of the Free State (UFS), will attend the first World Health Organisation (WHO) Traditional Medicine Global Summit in India in August after being invited to serve as a member of the Summit External Advisory Group for the WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit (“Advisory Group”).

As chairperson of the WHO Regional Expert Advisory Committee on Traditional Medicine (REACT), Prof Motlalepula, the Director of the UFS Department of Pharmacology, has been nominated to serve as the Global Summit Advisory Group expert from the WHO to provide advice on themes, content, and format of sessions, and to provide reviews and recommendations to the Summit session coordinators and speakers at the Summit.

Summit will highlight success stories

The Advisory Group is comprised of nine members nominated across the six WHO regions and globally, with recognised expertise in traditional medicines as well as expertise on the Summit focus areas that include leadership and partnership, evidence and learning, data and regulation, biodiversity and sustainability, innovation and technology.

WHO will hold its Traditional Medicine Global Summit from August 17-18, 2023, in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India, alongside the G20 health ministerial meeting. The Summit will be organised by the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine collaborating closely with all WHO major offices.

The Summit will highlight success stories in countries using traditional medicine across universal health coverage, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Health for All. It will showcase game-changing advances in evidence, data, biodiversity and innovations that enable the safe, effective and equitable use of traditional medicine. The Summit will be a platform for all stakeholders of traditional medicine, including policymakers, practitioners, academics, private sector, civil society, community representatives, and others will discuss health and traditional medicines issues.

WHO expert

“It is always an honour and privilege for me to be asked to avail myself to the activities of such high-level United Nations bodies. I am humbled to be identified and nominated by WHO to be amongst the nine experts in the six WHO regions and globally.

“I am very honoured and will do my utmost to deliver on the global mandate as well as stick to the terms of reference of my appointment to such a prestigious global summit. This shows the trust the WHO has in my capabilities, and this is good for the institution, the continent as well as the traditional health practitioners and scientists in this field of research,” says Prof Motlalepula.

Endorsing well-researched traditional medicines

He says each time he sees the involvement of Africa in these international gatherings on traditional medicines, it marks another step toward the institutionalisation and global acceptance of African traditional medicines and medical practices in health systems. It further shows the growing role UFS is beginning to play in the global arena around traditional medicines.

According to him, he will, as always, push for WHO to be an example in support of traditional medicines and the participation of traditional health practitioners in its activities.

“I would seek from WHO to look into endorsing well-researched traditional medicine products and making them available in our health systems. Secondly, making recommendations for review of medicines regulatory authorities to reform and look favourably at traditional medicines product registration systems. I would advise on supporting continuous research into traditional medicines but more importantly for those products to be registered and put on the market.”

Prof Motlalepula says he has a few expectations, always working hard, dedicating his time and efforts to delivering what is expected, being part of a team and contributing to the overall team efforts. He expects positive resolutions moving forward the development and institutionalisation of traditional medicines, as well as a commitment to see the acceptance that the contribution of traditional medicines plays in the well-being of people and its formal contributions to universal health coverage and SDGs acknowledged.

“I expect to hear about improved financial and political support for research and fast-tracking the manufacturing of well-researched, quality, safe and effective traditional medicines and their inclusion in national health systems. I expect to hear talk about integrated health that incorporates the application of traditional medicines in national health systems. I expect indeed a few positive things around the development of traditional medicine and serious commitment to supporting it.

“Given the scope of the work of the Advisory Group, it is very clear that the work is huge for the organisation, but I am ready for this,” says Prof Motlalepula.

The scope of work for the Advisory Group has been prepared and includes:

Providing expert advice to WHO on the technical content and format of the sessions and exhibition for the WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit;
Agreeing on technical review criteria with respect to thematic coherence across the Summit, strength of evidence and data, methodologies, global relevance and other considerations;
Reviewing the proposed content of the Summit sessions and exhibitions using the technical review criteria and providing expert recommendations to ensure high-quality sessions;
Advising on the development of a journal series of papers related to the Global Summit using the agreed technical criteria to select the papers;
Providing expert inputs to Summit organisation meetings and multistakeholder consultations, as agreed with WHO;
Developing and sharing recommendations of the Summit advisory group with WHO and partners in a timely manner to inform the organisation of the Summit, as appropriate in alignment with the WHO conflict-of-interest declaration and Framework for Engagement with Non-State Actors (FENSA); and
Developing an Advisory Group report advising WHO on key lessons and priority actions following the first WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit.

News Archive

A new dawn for student governance

2011-09-02

Our SRC presidents: Richard Chemaly (Bloemfontein Campus) and Bongani Ncgaca (Qwaqwa Campus)
Photo: Hannes Pieterse

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The successful and peaceful completion of the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Student Representative (SRC) elections 2011 herals a new dawn for student governance with the announcement of the results today (1 September 2011).

The SRC elections at the Qwaqwa Campus were completed on 25 August 2011, while the elections at our Bloemfontein Campus took place on 29 and 30 August 2011.

“A new dawn heralds a new day when Richard Chemaly, the son of Lebanese immigrants becomes President of an SRC, as elected by students from all racial backgrounds and from across the student body at large. A new day has arrived when candidates could have won voter support across racial lines; a new day is here when all SRC members are now recognised leaders on the basis of academic accountability,” the Dean of Student Affairs, Mr Rudi Buys, says.

A new dawn has arrived; firstly, insofar as student elections for the choice of student leaders at the UFS now proceed according to a non-racial and a non-party political basis.

Not only did the SRC elections at both the Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa Campuses achieve its required quorum, with 31% (4 729 votes) and 50% (2 112 votes) voter turnout, respectively, but the SRC elected by students at the Bloemfontein Campus is 55% black and 45% white, and 60% female and 40% male. The numbers of votes gained by successful candidates also indicate that voters from all racial backgrounds have voted for their candidates of choice.

Secondly, a new dawn has arrived insofar as student governance occupied by only some student groups claiming to speak on behalf of all students has made way for direct voting for candidates by the broad student body and the threefold increase of student governance structures on campus.

Not only did all students at our Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa Campuses (a total of 15 173 and 4 257, respectively) have the opportunity to participate in voting directly, but nine additional Student Councils were established at our Bloemfontein Campus that each holds an ex officio seat on the SRC and allows for student governance in all the major student sectors of the student body, such as for postgraduate students, international students and all categories of student associations.

The various councils now established include the Student Academic Affairs Council, the Student Associations Council, the Postgraduate Student Council, the International Student Council, the Student Media Council, the Residences Student Council, the Commuter Student Council and the Rag Community Service Fundraising and Service Councils. In addition, all faculties also introduced student representative structures at departmental and faculty level in 2011 to ensure student participation in faculty management and governance.

The SRC members at the Bloemfontein Campus are:

Elective portfolios:
President: Mr Richard Chemaly
Vice-President: Mr Lefata David Maklein
Secretary: Ms Matshepo Ramokgadi
Treasurer: Mr Werner Pretorius
Arts & Culture: Ms Alta Grobelaar
Accessibility & Student Support: Mr William Clayton
First-generation Students: Ms Petre du Plessis
Media, Marketing & Liaison: Ms Biejanka Calitz
Sport: Mr Bonolo Thebe
Student Development & Environmental Affairs: Ms Busisiwe Madikizela
Transformation: Ms Qaqamba Mhlauli

Ex officio portfolios:
Dialogue & Ex officio: Associations Student Council: Mr Anesu Ruswa
Academic Affairs & Ex officio: Academic Affairs Student Council: Mr Jean Vermaas
Residence Affairs & Ex officio: Campus Residences Student Council: Ms Mpho Mokaleng
City student Affairs & Ex officio: Commuter Student Council: Ms Annemieke Plekker
Postgraduate Affairs & Ex officio: Postgraduate Student Council: Ms Glancina Mokone
International Affairs & Ex officio: International Student Council: Mr Pitso Ramokoatsi
Student Media Affairs & Ex officio: Student Media Council: Ms Nicole Heyns
RAG Community Service & Ex officio: RAG Fundraising Council: Ms Iselma Parker
RAG Community Service & Ex officio: RAG Community Service Council: Ms Motheo Pooe

In the Qwaqwa elections, SASCO achieved 36,84% of the vote, with SADESMO, PASMA and NASMO each achieving 29,73% and 18,56% and 12,74%, respectively .

Mr Bongani Ncgaca was elected as the President of the SRC at our Qwaqwa Campus, while the names of the SRC members at the campus will be announced on 7 September 2011.

The Central SRC will be established on 8 September 2011 by a joint sitting of the two SRCs.

The successful completion of the SRC elections at the Bloemfontein Campus follows a yearlong review process of student governance by a Broad Student Transformation Forum (BSTF) that consists of 59 delegations from student organisations and residences. The BSTF adopted independent candidacy for elective portfolios and additional student councils to provide ex officio seats on the SRC as the template for student governance, following the consideration of a series of benchmarking reports on student governance nationally and internationally.

The UFS Council adopted the new SRC Constitution, as drafted and submitted by the BSTF, on 3 June 2011.

Media Release
1 September 2011
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

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