Just a few drops of oil and water may be enough to change how the world treats tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/Aids – the “big three infectious diseases”, also known as BTIDs.
This was the central message delivered by Prof Joe Viljoen during her inaugural lecture at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Potchefstroom Campus on 13 June 2025.
The School of Nursing at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University (NWU) is making significant strides in community engagement, bringing life-saving skills to primary school teachers in and around Potchefstroom. Their First Aid for School Teachers (FAST) initiative is a registered community engagement project that started with great enthusiasm this year.
· African nations must build their own research capacity, rather than relying solely on Western institutions and donors.
· Africa remains largely overlooked in HIV sequencing research, despite bearing the greatest burden.
· It is time for Africa to reclaim agency over its health future.
· Global HIV research is biased towards the West: 54% of studies focus on just 12% of the virus.
· Ignoring HIV diversity could trigger the next pandemic, scientists warn.
Prof Rose Hayeshi, director of the Preclinical Drug Development Platform (PCDDP) at the North-West University (NWU), has been accepted into the Calestous Juma Science Leadership Fellowship of the Gates Foundation. The Calestous Juma Science Leadership Fellowship focuses on bringing together accomplished innovators to form a community of global health opinion shapers and influencers.
When Mongezi Prince Mbamba walked across the graduation stage at the Vanderbijlpark Campus of the North-West University (NWU) on 21 May 2025, it was not just a degree he carried – it was the weight of years of sacrifice, resilience and unyielding faith.
South Africa should invest more in nuclear research if it wishes to remain globally competitive and fulfil its responsibility to meet the diverse needs of its communities. This was Professor Machaba Michael “Mike” Sathekge’s message when he received his honorary doctorate in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Philosophiae Doctor, Honoris Causa) from the North-West University (NWU) on Wednesday 4 June.
The countdown has begun. On Tuesday afternoon at precisely 12:46, Prof Bismark Tyobeka, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the North-West University (NWU), turned the first sod at the Potchefstroom Campus construction site of the NWU Desmond Tutu School of Medicine.
This ceremonial gesture marked the official commencement of construction of South Africa’s 11th medical school, with the first cohort of students expected to enrol in 2028.
In a country where the number of female academics specialising in occupational hygiene is exceptionally small, the North-West University (NWU) stands out as a national and continental leader.
Of the only eight known female academics in South Africa with a specialised focus in this field, an astounding five are based at the NWU. This speaks volumes about the university’s commitment to advancing occupational hygiene and promoting female academic leadership in a historically male-dominated discipline.
High blood pressure is a silent killer that can lead to a fatal heart attack. Without treatment, it can also profoundly impact a person’s quality of life, causing heart disease, kidney damage, memory loss or even disability or a stroke. Many people at risk might not even know it, as hypertension operates as a secret agent, often lurking in a person’s body without symptoms as it wears out one’s arteries.
When the night shift begins at Life Peglerae Hospital in Rustenburg, Hudson Mothupi is already at work, not just supervising 16 hospital units, but also ensuring systems hold firm through medical emergencies, power outages and the other demands of overnight care.
This behind-the-scenes leadership has earned the North-West University (NWU) alumnus a place among Life Healthcare’s Great 100 Nurses for 2025.