The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) first reported in Wuhan China in December 2019, is a global pandemic that is threatening the health and wellbeing of people worldwide. To date there have been more than 274 million reported cases and 5.3 million deaths (World Health Organisation 2021). South Africa has borne the brunt of COVID-19 on the African continent, registering in excess of 3 million cases and 90 000 officially reported deaths (National Department of Health 2021).

As South Africa concludes the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children Campaign, three early-career scientists from the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) are already rolling up their sleeves to turn the spotlight on sexual violence and mental health interventions in higher education institutions (HEIs).

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of alcohol has been a key feature in the trauma setting and has since become particularly prominent during the lockdown. However, there remains a lack of routine and reliable injury surveillance and specifically alcohol-related harm data in South Africa to respond to the related trauma burden. Additionally, research to develop systems or reliable mechanisms to test alcohol-relatedness of trauma and to monitor the impact of interventions, is also lacking.

According to the World Health Organization, climate change is considered to be “the biggest health threat facing humanity” – with experts projecting that it may cause as many as 250,000 additional health-related deaths each year between 2030 and 2050.

Separate analysis showed Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine booster generated 41-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies and a 5-fold increase in T-cells against Omicron