KZN’S EXPERTS ON THE FRONT LINE
Ministerial Advisory Committee consists of 51 specialists who meet on a regular basis
NINE medical experts from Kwazulunatal are part of the high-level Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) which was formed to help steer government’s response to the global Covid-19 pandemic.
Chaired by Professor Salim Abdool Karim, the MAC consists of 51 distinguished epidemiologists, pathologists and other medical experts who meet regularly to discuss possible measures which they think government should take.
Each member acts in their individual capacity and without remuneration.
Abdool Karim said the MAC looked at best methods of controlling and mitigating the outbreak through physical distancing measures, testing strategies, contact tracing, business closures and the national lockdown.
The research sub-committee of MAC reviews pathogens, clinical modelling, disease modelling and public health interventions.
He said the MAC also conceptualised strategies to raise awareness and provide analysis of the economic impact of the virus on the health system.
Abdool Karim said being asked to chair the committee by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize came as a surprise but he took it in his stride.
Abdool Karim is widely respected and known as director of the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa (Caprisa).
He said since becoming part of the MAC having free time is like a distant dream.
“The whole world has changed. I long for the simple Saturdays where I could leisurely wake up, take a stroll to get fresh bread from the bakery and eat breakfast while watching sports. But now I can’t leisurely wake up, go for strolls or watch sports because of Covid-19,” he said.
Abdool Karim said in 1993 he chaired a committee that was established to combat a potential respiratory pandemic.
“We thought it would be similar to influenza and now over 20 years later we have Covid-19 but it, unfortunately did very little to prepare us. The coronavirus is a beast of its own and we know that we have made mistakes and history will judge us, but we are all learning,” he said.
Also on MAC is his wife, professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim, an infectious disease epidemiologist and associate scientific director of Caprisa.
Her research over the past 28 years has focused on HIV infection in adolescent girls and young women and her study into Tenofovir gel demonstrated for the first time that antiretrovirals could prevent HIV infection.
“It was an honour to be asked to be part of the team. We try to meet weekly or more frequently if we can. There are a lot of strong opinions but that leads to strong suggestions and solutions,” she said.
The MAC is further broken down into four sub-groups.
UCT’S Professor Marc Mendelson heads the clinicians group, Wits University’s Professor Shabir Madhi heads the public health group. With the president and chief executive of the South African Medical Research Council, Professor Glenda Gray, heading up the research group.
Professor Koleka Mlisana chairs the pathologists’ and laboratory group. She served as head of UKZN’S Department of Medical Microbiology for many years.
She currently serves as executive manager for academic affairs, research and quality assurance for the National Health Laboratory Service.
“We had to hit the ground running, there was no time to waste and the government’s swift action was one of the best things that could have ever been done to save us.”
Mlisana said their greatest challenge at the moment was the global demand for testing kits and the influx of tests.
“It is no lie that there has been a backlog but that was because those who were asymptomatic sent samples for testing. But to address the shortage of tests we are trying to innovate and are looking to be able to locally manufacture tests.”
Professor Nombulelo Magula, the head UKZN’S Department of Internal Medicine serves on the MAC as an internal medicine specialist and clinical researcher in the clinician’s and research committees.
Yunus Moosa is an associate professor, chief specialist and head of the department of infectious diseases at UKZN.
He serves on the clinicians sub-committee of the MAC. Moosa’s work focuses on the care of patients and outpatients with complex infectious disease issues. He is involved in bedside teaching and training of medical students, postgraduates at all levels and infectious diseases sub-specialists.
Professor Prakash Jeena is the head of the clinical Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital where they have set up services to care for seriously ill children and adults with Covid-19.
This includes intensive care and general ward space.
Chief specialist and head of UKZN’S Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Dr Dean Gopalan, serves on the clinician’s and research groups of the MAC. He is also president of the Critical Care Society of Southern Africa and president of the College of Anaesthetists of South Africa.
His current research interests are decision making in the Intensive Care Unit, medical education and training in low and middle-income countries.
Dr Moherndran Archary is a paediatric infectious disease specialist in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at King Edward VIII Hospital.
He also serves on the clinician’s and research sub-committee of the MAC and is actively involved with the management of children with HIV within South Africa.
His research interests include antiretroviral drug therapeutics, viral resistance and optimal timing of initiation of antiretroviral therapy in the developing world.
Dr Silingene Joyce Ngcobo is a community and primary healthcare nurse from UKZN’S Discipline of Nursing. She serves on the clinician’s sub-committee of the MAC.
Ngcobo has 21 years of experience in nursing and 14 of those have been devoted to nurse training programmes at various levels, with special focus on HIV and Aids training for nurses.
She was involved in development of HIV and Aids curriculum for the new nursing programmes in the country in partnership with Columbia University which was implemented in public nursing colleges in Mpumalanga, Kwazulu-natal and Free State. She currently serves as a board member of the Southern African HIV Clinicians society.