EN - Educational (Strategic Plan) - Flipbook - Page 14
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UNCOVERING THE EXPANSIVE
AFRICAN GENOME
An estimated three million novel genetic variants in over 300
genomes have been discovered through a new, large-scale
African collaboration involving UCT researchers.
The Human Heredity and Health
in Africa (H3Africa) consortium –
which includes academics from UCT
– participated in the study, which
explored the breadth of genomic
diversity across Africa.
Whole genome sequencing was
carried out on 426 individuals from 13
African countries, of which 314 were
analysed in depth. Findings revealed
extensive genomic diversity among
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these genomes, even within countries
and regions, with unique variants
identified in each ethnolinguistic group.
“This reflects the long history and
rich genomic diversity across Africa,”
said Professor Nicola Mulder from the
H3ABioNet.
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ANALYSING COVID-19
FROM AN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE
Paper identifies contextual features to consider in ongoing efforts to
limit the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its impacts on the continent.
“It seemed to me that there was
precious little analysis of COVID-19 in
African contexts, and especially
from a broader social science
perspective rather than an
epidemiological or public
health perspective,” said
Professor Ralph Hamann from
the UCT Graduate School of
Business (GSB).
In work published in the journal
Environment: Science and Policy for
Sustainable Development, Hamann and
colleagues from Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria
and South Africa identified five contextual
features to consider.
These included a specific focus on the
ability of people living in informal settlements
to adhere to ‘shelter-in-place’ rules,
consideration of poverty and food insecurity
on the continent, and the lack of fiscal and
organisational resources.
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