🦠 “AMR isn’t a future threat. It’s here — and growing.” 📄 A powerful new article from NICD lays out: ✴️The data we have ✴️The gaps we’re missing ✴️And what we must do next 🔗 Read the full piece: phbsa.ac.za/antimicrobia...
Larisse B
@boltonl.bsky.social
Applied mathematician | Health data scientist | Data analysis and visualization | Modelling for policy| Researcher at South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA) focused on data science applications to child and maternal health
💊 AMR isn’t just about superbugs. It’s about health systems that can’t respond. No labs → no detection No drugs → no treatment No water → infections spread 🧬 Resistance thrives where systems are weak. #AMRAwarenessWeek #GlobalHealth #StopAMR
Today on #WorldPrematurityDay we commit to better newborn & maternal care, everywhere. 📌 Follow us to see how evidence-based insights help strengthen systems. 🔁 Retweet to raise awareness.
📢One in 10 babies is born too soon. Prematurity is the #1 cause of preventable child deaths. In many countries, most very preterm babies die within days—yet three‑quarters of these deaths could be prevented with proven care (Source: WHO 2025).
New research alert! 📢 Reuben Moyo (Stellenbosch University, SACEMA) leads a major study on HIV treatment rollout in rural South Africa 📊 69K+ people ⚠️ TB & advanced HIV linked to slower access to Dolutegravir 📄 Read: doi.org/10.1186/s129...
🧬 How can genomics fight neonatal sepsis? Find out at our seminar on 26 Nov, 15:00 SAST! Hear experts share insights on: 🦠 K. pneumoniae transmission 🔬 Vaccine potential 🌍 Lab capacity in Africa 🔗 Register now: bit.ly/klebs_seminar
📢 Applications are now open for DAIDD 2025! 💰 Course fee: ZAR 28,000 (incl. meals and accommodation) 🗓️ Application deadline: 01 October 2025 👉 Apply here: lnkd.in/dAT5QX8X ⁉️Researchers in infectious disease modelling, epidemiology, public health, and related fields.
🚨 New at #DigitalHealthAfrica! 👶🏾 Neonatal sepsis is deadly. AMR makes it worse. We built a reproducible, scalable tool to match antibiotics to pathogens using Bayesian WISCA models. Faster, better, open-access. #NeonatalHealth #OpenScience #RStats #GlobalHealth #AMR #DataForGood
⚠️ Preeclampsia can be silent. Warning signs: 🧠 Severe headaches 🖐️ Swelling (face, hands, feet) 👀 Blurred/flashing vision 💔 Pain below ribs 🤢 Nausea after 1st trimester 😮💨 Breathlessness Early detection saves lives. #WomensMonth #PreeclampsiaAwareness #MaternalHealth
🤰🏽 Gestational Diabetes (GDM) often has no symptoms. When signs appear, they may look like: 💧 Constant thirst 🚽 Frequent urination 😴 Fatigue 👀 Blurred vision Screening at 24–28 weeks is vital. #WomensMonth #GestationalDiabetes #MaternalHealth
⚠️ Preeclampsia can be silent—but deadly. It’s a hypertensive disorder in pregnancy that can damage the brain, liver, kidneys, and more. Signs? Headaches, swelling, vision changes. Early detection = lives saved. #WomensMonth #PreeclampsiaAwareness #MaternalHealth
Gestational diabetes affects up to 13% of pregnancies globally — and even more in SA. It can be silent and deadly. Most women never see it coming. Better screening = better outcomes. #WomensMonth #GDM #MaternalHealthMatters
🛡️ FINAL EVENT! Join us for the last in the Neonatal Outbreaks in Africa series: 📣 Seminar 3: Outbreak control & prevention 📆 24 July | 🕒 14:00 SAST 🧼 Let’s talk action and impact in neonatal health. 🔗 Sign up: bit.ly/neonatal_con... #HealthInAfrica #InfectionPrevention #NeonatalCare
👶 Missed our 2nd #NeonatalOutbreaksInAfrica seminar? We covered real-world lessons on 🧬 WGS in NICU outbreaks; 🧪 Lab + clinical data = 🔑; 🧼 Smart sampling in tricky settings 🎯 NEXT: Control & prevention tips! 📅 24 July | 🕑 14:00–15:00 SAST 🔗 Register: bit.ly/neonatal_con... #NeonatalCare
🦠 From genomes to cleaning protocols — how do we detect & investigate neonatal outbreaks in Africa? Join us 19 June | 14:00 SAST for Seminar 2 of #NeoNET series: 🧬 Whole-genome sequencing 🧽 Infection control in low-resource settings 🔬 Lab-led responses 🔗 bit.ly/neonatal_det... #NeonatalCare #AMR
Look after patients with neonatal sepsis in sub-Saharan Africa? 🫵We want to hear from YOU! ❓Why❓ Exploring clinicians experiences of diagnostics, antibiotics + guidelines 📢 English, French or Portuguese 🔗 redcap.sun.ac.za/surveys/?s=N9A…
📢 Seminar 2 in the Neonatal Outbreaks in Africa series! 🦠 Outbreak Detection & Investigation 📅 19 June | 🕑 14:00–15:00 SAST 🎯 Tools, pathogens, and lessons from LMIC facilities 👶 Register: bit.ly/neonatal_det... #NeonatalCare #InfectiousDiseases #OutbreakDetection
39 attendees joined our recent seminar on neonatal outbreaks in Africa 🧼🦠 Key insights: — Hospital-acquired pathogens are more common than expected — Rare bugs like Pantoea are deadlier than Klebsiella — Standardised reporting + WGS = 🔑 to tackling future outbreaks #GlobalHealth #NeonatalCare
🚨 Meet the people shaping Africa’s vaccine policies: SACEMA’s Policy Modelling Fellows use local data to build tools for polio and measles in Africa. 🔗 www.sacema.org #HumanlyPossible #VaccinesWork
Cervical cancer is the top cause of cancer death among women in South Africa. 🧬 Women living with HIV face even greater risks. MSc student Kim Malloch (supervised by Dr Cari van Schalkwyk) is modelling how therapeutic HPV vaccines (TxVs) could turn the tide. 🌍 #HPV #CancerPrevention #Vaccines
🎯 Cervical cancer is vaccine-preventable. In South Africa, too many girls are missing their HPV shots. SACEMA’s models show that without better coverage, we won’t reach elimination targets. 📢 Let’s change that. HPV vaccines work and #ImmunizationForAll is #HumanlyPossible. #CervicalCancer #HPV
🚨 Happening 15 May! Join our free webinar on Outbreak Epidemiology in Neonatal Care 👶🏽🦠 📅 15 May | 🕒 14:00–15:00 SAST 🧠 Learn how outbreaks affect neonatal units across Africa & how to respond. 🔗 Sign up: bit.ly/outbreak_epi #NeonatalCare #Outbreaks #NeoNETAFRICA #KlebNET
🍼 Immunity should start from birth. The #IMPACTHB project is modelling real solutions: ✅ Maternal screening; ✅ Timely birth-dose vaccination 📍Focus: High-risk, high-HIV settings where gaps are widest. 🌍 Goal: Eliminate #HepB for good. 🧠 Dive into our work 👉 www.sacema.org/2024/07/29/w...
🧬 Vaccines save 6 lives a minute. This #WorldImmunizationWeek we’re highlighting how modelling + policy + people = vaccine access for all. Stay tuned as we spotlight HPV, hepatitis B, measles, and our Policy Modelling Fellows. #HumanlyPossible #VaccinesWork #SACEMAResearch #ResearchforImpact
📢 Healthcare workers across Africa — we want to hear from you! Together, we can improve newborn health in LMICs. 💪👶Don't forget to take our survey before 10 May 2025!📝 🔗 redcap.sun.ac.za/surveys/?s=N...
📢Watch this space! More to come from Dr Wilfred Otambo as Malaria Week approaches!😉🔥
Ever wonder what inspires someone to turn lived experience into impactful science? Wilfred Otambo opens up about his journey from malaria-endemic villages to health research across Africa 🌍📊 His story is thoughtful, grounded—and inspiring. 📄 Read more below! #PublicHealth #MalariaResearch
🧪 New research alert: The urgent challenge of #NeonatalSepsis in low-resource settings. ⚠️ High AMR ⚠️ Vulnerable newborns ⚠️ Limited diagnostic access. 🔗https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-024-10219-0 🔗https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-024-10406-z 🔗https://janeonatology.org/index.php/jan/article/view/105
🎉 Big news! Prof Angela Dramowski from @suhealthsci.bsky.social has WON an annual PHILA award at #PHASA2025 for her outstanding leadership in public health! 👏 So proud to celebrate her impact in paediatric infectious diseases & AMR. #PHASA2025 #WomenInSTEM #PublicHealth 🧬💡
🩸Our latest study in the SAMJ critically examines adult platelet product use across SA’s healthcare sectors (2014–2021). The results? Striking differences in utilisation patterns! 📄 Read the full article: www.samajournals.co.za/index.php/sa... #BloodTransfusion #UniversalHealthCoverage
🌍 Shining a light on #NeonatalSepsis in Africa—responsible for up to 29% of neonatal deaths. 🆕 Read our latest review (bit.ly/neonatal_sep... ) + take our short survey to improve care: 🔗 bit.ly/neonatal_sur... #GlobalHealth #AMR