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Improving maternal and child health in the Free State

18 May 2025 | Story André Damons | Photo André Damons

Research room — Prof Corinna Walsh from the UFS Department of Nutrition and Dietetics explains how the PEA POD® infant body composition analyser works. Dr Balekile Mzangwa, CEO of Universitas Academic Hospital, and Dr Grace London, Chief Director: District Health services at the Free State Department of Health, listens in.

In a significant stride toward improving maternal and child health in the Free State, the Universitas Academic Hospital, in collaboration with the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS), has launched an innovative Research Room which houses the PEA POD® infant body composition analyser and the Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) machine used to assess body composition and bone mineral density.

The initiative, which marks a new era in neonatal care and research, aims to integrate cutting-edge technology into routine clinical care. The PEA POD®, a non-invasive device that uses air displacement plethysmography, allows for precise measurement of fat and fat-free mass in newborns – offering a more accurate assessment of growth and nutritional status than traditional methods.

The research room is a newly renovated and dedicated space adjacent to the maternity and neonatal units, ensuring quick, safe access to the newborns in the hospital. Two full-time MSc Dietetics students have been trained to perform the PEAPOD® assessments and colleagues from Radiography will perform the DXA assessments. This work lays the foundation for an ongoing maternal and infant body composition database – a valuable resource for research, clinical care, and policy guidance.

Dr Balekile Mzangwa, CEO of Universitas Academic Hospital, Dr Grace London, Chief Director: District Health services at the Free State Department of Health; Prof Corlia Janse van Vuuren, Acting Dean for the Faculty of Health Sciences; Prof Nicholas Pearce, Head of the UFS School of Clinical Medicine; Dr Lizzy Tabane, Head of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Dr Lucia Meko, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics; and Prof Ray Maharaj, Head of Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, also attended the opening.

Aligned with national health priorities

According to Prof Corinna Walsh from the UFS Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, this initiative is the result of a multidisciplinary collaboration across Paediatrics and Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radiography, Nutrition and Dietetics, to mention just a few of the collaborators. They are optimistic about the dual impact of this project as it advances academic and clinical research in early-life nutrition and growth as well as enhancing patient care at Universitas Hospital – bringing measurable benefits to mothers and their babies, she said.

“This initiative is well aligned with national health priorities. According to the South African Early Childhood Review 2024, malnutrition in all its forms remains a significant challenge with short- and long-term consequences for mothers and their babies, especially during the first 1 000 days of life, from conception to the second birthday.

“We know from global and local evidence that growth patterns established during early life have profound and lasting effects on an individual’s health, development, and well-being. Our work at the University of the Free State has focused on the nutritional status of pregnant women and the early environments to which infants are exposed, both during and after pregnancy,” said Prof Walsh.

However, she continued, in previous studies, they faced a significant challenge: the lack of specialised equipment to accurately measure infant body composition. Traditional measures such as weight and length provide only part of the picture.

New possibilities in healthcare, science, and service

Dr Mzangwa said the day not only marks the unveiling of state-of-the-art technology, but the beginning of a new chapter in how they will care for and understand the youngest and most vulnerable patients. The PEA POD® and DXA, which is now housed just steps away from the maternity and neonatal wards, symbolise a shared vision between the hospital and the Faculty of Health Sciences at the UFS: a vision grounded in evidence-based care, cutting-edge research, and above all, compassion.

“We express our sincere appreciation to everyone who supported this initiative. We also acknowledge the dedication of all the collaborating departments – Paediatrics and Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radiography, Nutrition and Dietetics – and thank Prof Corinna Walsh and Dr Lizzy Tabane for their leadership and insight.”

Prof Janse van Vuuren, said: “Today, we do more than open a physical space. We open the door to new possibilities in healthcare, science, and service to the people of our province. It is a shining example of what can be achieved when government and academia come together, united by a common purpose – to improve lives through knowledge, innovation, and care.”

The technologies that will be used in this facility are more than just advanced instruments, they are tools that allow medical staff to better understand the human body in its earliest and most vulnerable stages, as well as throughout the lifespan. With this understanding comes the ability to make informed decisions, to intervene earlier, and to tailor care in ways that truly meet the needs of our patients, said Prof Janse van Vuuren.

“This space is more than a research centre. It is a testament to our commitment to evidence-based care. It is a place where data meets compassion, where science serves humanity. The work that will happen here will not be confined to the walls of academia – it has the potential to ripple outward into clinics, into hospitals, and into homes. It will shape guidelines, inform policy, and ultimately, improve outcomes for patients across our province and beyond.”

News Archive

Getting out of the dark

2015-04-28

Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

Since 2008, the University of the Free State has been busy with the planning and implementation of projects to reduce the impact of load shedding. To date, the cost of these projects has run to R6 million. They have been done primarily to ensure that the academic programme does not suffer damage as a result of the increasing interruptions in the power supply that are continuing this year.

The university’s greatest concern has been the provision of emergency power to the lecture halls and laboratories.

Thus far, 35 generators are servicing 55 buildings on the three campuses of the UFS. This includes 26 generators on the Bloemfontein Campus, eight on the Qwaqwa Campus in the Eastern Free State, and one generator on the South Campus in Bloemfontein. The generators are already in service, and are maintained in working order.

Since 2010, the university has also ensured that all newly-built academic buildings are equipped with emergency power supplies.

On the South Campus in Bloemfontein, the new lecture-hall building and the computer laboratory are equipped with emergency power, while the installation of emergency generators in other buildings is under way. The majority of the buildings on the Qwaqwa Campus in the Eastern Free State are equipped with emergency power supplies.

In the meantime, the UFS management has approved a further R11 million for the installation of additional generators on the three campuses. A further R1.5 million has also been approved for the purchase of two mobile generators.

To extend the work already done, the main task will be the installation of more generators on the Bloemfontein Campus to ensure that lecture halls with emergency power will be available for the centrally-arranged timetables, and to ensure that more of the critical laboratories will be provided with emergency power.

There are still some important buildings and halls on the Bloemfontein Campus that must be supplied with emergency power. However, it is a costly process and must be brought into operation gradually. The further implementation of emergency power depends on the delivery of equipment. The university is also investigating alternative solutions for power provisioning, including solar power.

Generators with spare capacity are optimally deployed to satisfy the lower needs of the campus, including the Odeion, the ANNEX at Microbiology, the Stabilis ANNEX, the Agriculture Building, the UV-Sasol library, and the Francois Retief Building.

In addition, the UFS is busy on all campuses, coupling area lighting, including

street lights and pedestrian walkways, to existing generators. Procedures for the operation of mechanical equipment, such as entrance gates, lifts, and so on, are currently being dealt with on all campuses. Continuous power sources for certain ICT equipment will be installed on all campuses to protect it against power surges.

Staff and students can also equip themselves with the necessary knowledge to manage load shedding in their specific areas of work and study. It is always helpful to know who to contact. The following list with guidelines and contact numbers has been compiled to assist you:

1. In an emergency, call Protection Services. This line will continue to operate, regardless of whether the power is on or off.
2. Avoid using lifts just before planned load shedding. Some lifts have emergency power packs which will bring the lift to the nearest floor and open the doors. If you still get stuck in a lift during a power outage, use your cellphone to call Protection Services. While you're waiting, stay calm and be patient.
3. If the access control systems in your building stop working after load shedding, contact Protection Services.
4. The students and staff members who are most at risk during load shedding are those in wheelchairs or with other mobility limitations. As far as possible, plan ahead to avoid being stuck on a floor or in a room that is difficult to access when load shedding is imminent. Please contact Protection Services if you need assistance.
5. During a fire, alarms WILL go off. Alarms are not power driven, but battery driven. For assistance, contact Protection Services.
6. The main UFS Switchboard (Bloemfontein Campus +27(0)51 401 9111 and Qwaqwa Campus +27(0)58 718 5000) will continue to operate during load shedding.

Contact details of Protection Services:

Bloemfontein Campus: +27(0)51 401 2634/2911
Qwaqwa Campus: +27(0)58 508 5460/5175
South Campus: +27(0)51 5051217

Communication and Brand Management will make information available on the UFS web, Facebook page, Twitter, Blackboard and the intranet. Get the load shedding schedule from Eskom’s webpage (http://loadshedding.eskom.co.za/). The Bloemfontein Campus falls in group 4 and the South Campus falls in group 2 in Centlec’s load shedding schedule.

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