University of Cape Town

Management and leadership competencies in Emergency Medicine specialist training: a review with implications for African programmes

Introduction Management and leadership are core competency domains in emergency medicine (EM) specialist training worldwide, yet they remain less clearly articulated and less consistently assessed than clinical skills, particularly in African and other low- and middle-income coun...

Power outages, firm performance and the gender-based productivity gap: empirical evidence from Senegal

Abstract This study addresses the empirical nexus between electricity unreliability, firm productivity and gender-based productivity for the case of Senegal. We analyse 437 small and medium enterprises from the World Bank’s Enterprise Surveys, using an instrumental variable (IV)...

The effect of drought on physiological and agronomic traits of tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter]

Increased intensity and duration of drought as a consequence of global warming is resulting in increased crop failure and food insecurity. This is particularly prevalent in regions where agriculture is rain fed, as the resultant water deficit in crop tissues as a consequence of i...

Exhaled breath aerosol sampling for detection of pulmonary tuberculosis in adults: a study protocol for an exploratory diagnostic accuracy study

Introduction Tuberculosis remains a major global health challenge, causing over one million deaths annually. Current diagnostic techniques depend on restrictive sputum sampling. Better sampling methods are needed to enable early detection and effective management. This study intr...

Cerebrospinal Fluid as a Window into Neuroimmune Responses During Brain Infection

Understanding neuroimmune responses during brain infections remains challenging because the site of disease (i.e., the brain) is difficult to access, immune responses within the central nervous system (CNS) are spatially and temporally compartmentalized, and peripheral immune cel...

Pneumococcal population structure influences the effects of air pollution on invasive disease risk in South Africa

Abstract Streptococcus pneumoniae is highly diverse, comprising over 100 serotypes and hundreds of genomic lineages amid widespread vaccination. While it can cause invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) which exhibits pronounced seasonal spikes, the interplay between pneumococcal di...

Centering equity, diversity and inclusion in environmental evidence synthesis: from awareness to action

Abstract Knowledge generated through evidence synthesis is an approach that decision-makers can take to inform policy and management decisions. Evidence syntheses, such as systematic reviews, provide quantitative and qualitative summaries of this evidence, using structured method...

Cyber diplomacy as networked securitisation: an empirically grounded framework

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop an empirically grounded framework of cyber diplomacy. In the modern era, conflicts have moved online, challenging the suitability of traditional diplomatic frameworks for this new context. While the dimensions and practices of tradi...

Informed consent for somatic gene editing for sickle cell disease in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review

Abstract Somatic gene editing targets non-reproductive cells to treat genetic diseases like sickle cell disease (SCD) without affecting future generations. However, there are challenges in obtaining informed consent in sub-Saharan Africa (sSA) due to language barriers, cultural d...

Influenza vaccine uptake, willingness, and reasons for non-vaccination among South African Hajj pilgrims in 2025

Influenza is a leading cause of morbidity at the annual Hajj pilgrimage, yet vaccination uptake among pilgrims varies across settings. This study assessed influenza vaccination uptake, willingness to accept vaccination before Hajj, and factors associated with vaccine hesitancy am...

Spot the difference: Turbidity‐driven plasticity and variation in spotted grunter ( Pomadasys commersonnii ) spot patterns

Animal body markings such as spots, stripes and patterns play important roles in camouflage and visual communication. This study investigated phenotypic plasticity in the spot patterns of spotted grunter Pomadasys commersonnii, an estuarine-dependent haemulid species. First, an a...

In search of social belonging: a qualitative study of drivers of alcohol use and barriers to alcohol reduction among pregnant women in South Africa

Abstract Background Alcohol use during pregnancy remains a major public health concern in South Africa, particularly in communities with entrenched historical, social, and structural drivers of harmful drinking. Saldanha Bay, a peri-urban fishing community in the Western Cape, ha...

Applying design thinking for innovative climate adaptation solutions: Building capacity for locally led adaptation

Efforts to translate climate risk understanding into actions with positive developmental outcomes remain limited. Calls for Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) emphasize the importance of enabling local actors to define, prioritise, and design their own solutions, but practical methodol...

Multimodal protective and susceptibility clusters in paediatric atopic dermatitis: A machine learning-based, data-driven observational study

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that typically develops in early childhood. Differences in AD prevalence and allergy sensitisation patterns have been observed in African populations, including the AmaXhosa population in South Africa, sugge...

Interpreting Seasonal Forecast Visualizations: Differences in Mental Models Between Experts and Users

Weather and climate forecasting tools are becoming indispensable in helping individuals and communities prepare and cope with future conditions. However, despite considerable improvements in the physics behind forecasting in recent decades, forecasting still comes with inherent u...

The Governance Gap: Democratizing Drug Development Through Decision Architecture

Drug development is most exposed to governance failure where it can least afford it, in global health. The field has more predictive power than at any point in its history and roughly the same failure rate it had a decade ago. We argue that this paradox persists because the field...

Using coaching to develop transversal skills in engineering education

Conference Key Areas: Building the capacity and strengthening the educational competences of engineering educators; Engineering skills, professional skills, and transversal skills Keywords: Academic coaching, transversal skills, coaching-informed pedagogy, student success, studen...

Immunohistochemical detection of high-risk human papillomavirus E6/E7 oncoproteins is associated with aggressive clinicopathological features in prostate cancer: a Sudanese cohort study

Abstract Background The role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in prostate cancer development remains uncertain, despite accumulating evidence of a potential link in certain populations. While HPV is a known cause of several epithelial cancers, its connection to prostate cancer (PCa)...

Air Pollution and Heat Impacts on Respiratory Morbidity and Mortality Outcomes in Africa: A Systematic Review Towards a Meta-analysis

Abstract Purpose of the review This review synthesised evidence on associations between air pollution and respiratory morbidity in Africa. Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched PubMed, ScienceDirect and Elicit for case-control studies published between 2015 and...

Global Efforts to Reduce Paediatric Cancer Care Disparities in Radiotherapy: A Decade Change

ABSTRACT Background We present an update on the status, needs and challenges faced by paediatric imaging and radiotherapy (RT) programmes globally after a previous survey conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 10 years prior. Methods We developed and distribut...