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UCT Research Report '11
314
Develop, evaluate and implement an economic model to
assess the cost-effectiveness of interventions. This project
aims to develop a CVD Prevention and Management Model
that would allow us to predict CVD events accurately and
be used in cost-effectiveness analyses comparing the use
of different screening and intervention strategies.
Develop the capacity of community health workers,
primary care facilities and managers in the area of chronic
diseases. This project aims, in collaboration with the
provincial DOH to define the role of a community health
worker in caring for patients with NCDs and to develop
suitable NCD training materials and tools for this group.
Develop, evaluate and implement lifestyle tools for the
general public and patients.“Putting Prevention into
Practice” This project aims to produce and pilot a resource
package for primary health care providers and community
health workers to enable them to offer brief, best practice,
behavioural change counselling in a variety of settings, on
the topics of smoking; poor diet; obesity and overweight
and lack of physical activity.
Develop, evaluate and implement new models for health
education, communication and empowerment of patients
The evaluation, by means of a pragmatic cluster
randomized controlled trial, the effectiveness of a group
diabetes education programme delivered by health
promoters with a guiding (motivational interviewing) style,
in community health centres in Cape Town.
Divisional Statistics
CDIA/UCT Permanent and Long-term Contract
Staff
Professor
1
Professor (Visiting)
1
Social Scientist
1
Administrative and Clerical Staff
2
Total
5
UCT Network Members
Professor
5
Professor (Hon)
Senior Lecturer
1
Other (Senior Researcher)
1
Total
7
NON-UCT Network Members
Professor
5
Professor (Hon)
Senior Lecturer
1
Senior Clinical Research Fellow
Senior Registrar in Training
Medical Officer (sessional)
Diabetes Specialist Nurse
Other
2
Total
8
Contact Details
Postal Address: J47 Floor, Old Main Building, Groote
Schuur Hospital
Telephone: +27 21 406 6572
Fax: +27 21 406 6513
E-mail: Carmelita.Sylvester@uct.ac.za
Division of Endocrinology and
Diabetic Medicine
Head of Division: Professor N.S. Levitt
Divisional Profile
The Division provides an inpatient and outpatient clinical
service and sub-speciality training in adult endocrinology
and diabetes. It has close clinical links with Paediatric
Endocrinology and Diabetes, Reproductive Endocrinology
and Chemical pathology. We are currently training our first
endocrinology senior registrar from Zambia, Dr Brown who
has come to us as an experienced physician.
Research
The Division is involved in a wide range of research
activities, interacts with a number of international and local
collaborators and is a member of the recently established
Chronic Disease Initiative in Africa. The primary areas of
research are:
• Metabolic consequences of antiretroviral therapy
in HIV+ patients:
Cross-sectional and longitudinal
studies examining the metabolic consequences of
HAART are underway. These are being funded by
the World Diabetes Foundation and Department of
Health.
• Burden of disease:
The contribution of diabetes
and other chronic diseases to the overall burden of
disease pattern in the South African context is been
studied in collaboration with Dr Debbie Bradshaw,
BOD Group, MRC. A cross sectional survey of
diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors in the
Black African community in Cape Town has been
completed.
• Obesity
: In collaboration with the Department of
Human Biology, a number of studies are in progress.
These examine the mechanisms underlying the