Not all superheroes wear capes

In the turbulent times in which we currently find ourselves, huge emphasis is being placed on the major role that healthcare workers play in our societies.

Nurses and midwives, among others, are the people who devote their lives to caring for mothers and children; giving life-saving immunisations and health advice; looking after…

Intervention creates hope for challenged families and children

The daily routines, activities, and socialisation of every family in South Africa are changing fast due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Parents suddenly have to balance working from home, minding children and ensuring hygiene practices to help fight the spreading of the virus.

Social media is showcasing the distress and coping strategies…

Focus your mind to keep sane during a lockdown period

With the recent announcement of a 21-day lockdown as a measure to tackle the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19), individuals will most certainly experience a pshycological impact due to limited social interaction.

According to Prof Ankebé Kruger, an associate professor and counselling psychologist at the North-West University (NWU…

NWU economist says lockdown comes at the right time

“President Cyril Ramaphosa’s lockdown of South Africa to combat the Covid-19 virus comes at the right time,” says an economist of the NWU Business School.

Prof Raymond Parsons says the decision follows the precedent set by some other countries in successfully dealing with the virus.

He believes the announcement of a drastic…

Psychological impact of COVID-19 and what to do about it

Two psychologists from the NWU say that, against the background of the current situation regarding COVID-19, it is evident that different individuals respond to this crisis in different ways.

Mr Rümando Kok and Prof Pieter Kruger, both senior clinical psychologists at the Institute of Psychology and Wellbeing (IPW) in the Centre for…

Modern equipment takes the NWU’s sport science to a new level

Have you ever wondered where the iconic Superman goes to maintain his excellent physique? It is quite probably to the sport science division of the new Centre for Health and Human Performance (CHHP) of the North-West University (NWU).

Especially now that they have acquired another ultramodern piece of exercise equipment that is the…

Cutting repo rate will help mitigate risks of Covid-19

“The decision by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to cut the repo rate by 100 basis points is the right one, and will help mitigate the risks of Covid-19 to the South African economy.”

This is according to Prof Raymond Parsons, a well-known economist and academic from the North-West University (NWU) Business School.

“The…

Stagflation continues amid the economic recession: SA economy caught in the “perfect storm”

Two economists of the North-West University (NWU) say that inflation is expected to continue on an upward trend this month, while the cost of production is also expected to continue to rise as a result of the global uncertainty and supply chain problems.

According to Prof Danie Meyer and Roan Neethling, a doctoral student at the NWU…

How SA could minimise heart disease deaths

Globally, heart disease remains the leading cause of death among middle-aged adults, accounting for 40% of all deaths. An alarming 80% of these deaths occur in low and middle-income countries such as South Africa.

This is one of the findings from the multinational Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study, in which the…

Coronavirus – breastfeed to protect your baby

With the current coronavirus pandemic creating hysteria as far as it spreads, scientists have recently established that this virus has not yet been found to be transferred in breast milk. This mainly because breast milk has protective agents against infections.

According to a recent study published in the medical journal The Lancet…