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UCT RESEARCH REPORT 2012
Department Of Paediatrics
And Child Health
Affiliated Disciplines
Poisons Centre
Head of Unit: Dr C. Roberts
Unit profile
The Poisons Information Centre maintains and distributes
the AfriTox poisons information database designed to
help clinicians in Southern Africa treat poisoned adults
and children. All types of potentially toxic substances are
included with a particular accent on local South African
trade names and natural toxins. The treatment protocols are
tailored for the South African situation. The database is used
at over 30 treatment centres countrywide and by both the
other Poisons Centres, to underpin poisons advice given to
health workers and the public. It is also distributed to centres
in Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.
The Poisons Emergency Telephone line is answered by
the staff of the Poisons Information Centre during office
hours on weekdays, and after hours in the Emergency
Department of the hospital, using the AfriTox database.
The Centre collects data on all children seen at Red Cross
Children’s Hospital with known or suspected poisoning.
Statistics
Permanent and Sessional Staff
Medical officers
2
Pharmacists
2
Total
4
Research Fields and Staff
All staff members are involved in data collection
Dr Kate Balme is responsible for case data on poisoning.
Contact Details
Postal Address: Poisons Information Centre, School of Child
and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Red Cross
Children’s Hospital, Klipfontein Rd, Rondebosch, 7700
Tel: +27 21 658 5308
Fax: +27 21 658 5331
Email poisonsinformation@uct.ac.za
Department Of Paediatrics
And Child Health
Affiliated Disciplines
SOUTH AFRICAN TUBERCULOSIS
VACCINE INITIATIVE (SATVI)
Head of Unit: Professor Willem Hanekom
Unit profile
SATVI’s vision is “A World Without TB”, while our mission is
“Innovative And High-Quality TB Vaccine Research In Africa,
To Impact The Global Epidemic”. To achieve its mission,
SATVI has been testing 6 new TB vaccine candidates in 15
completed or ongoing clinical trials. SATVI also addresses
other critical clinical, epidemiological, immunological and
human genetic questions in TB vaccine development. A
large focus of this research is on identification of markers in
blood to indicate whether a person is at risk of developing,
or protected against, TB disease (correlates or risk or of
protection).
SATVI is the largest dedicated TB vaccine research group
on the African continent, with a personnel complement of
>100 and an annual budget of ~R70 million. Its success
is evident from manuscripts published in high impact
journals, funding support from multiple international
funding agencies, invited presentations at international
conferences and representation on multiple international
policy bodies.
SATVI also has an active postgraduate academic training
programme, with multiple PhD and Master’s students.
Particular highlights from 2012 included the first successful
completion of an efficacy trial of a new TB vaccine, MVA85A,
in nearly 50 years has been a prominent achievement. The
group was also awarded a R41.6m grant from the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation to identify correlates of risk of
TB disease.
Divisional Statistics
Students and Postdoctoral Fellows
Master’s
4
PhD
5
Postdoctoral Fellows
4
Total
13