27 Oct 2013

University of Botswana vice chancellor - academic affairs, Professor Otlogetswe Totolo, has called on researchers to share information with the society rather than  write papers in order to be elevated to higher positions.

Speaking at a Botswana Institute for Clinical Laboratory Professionals scientific conference on Thursday, October 12, Prof. Totolo said individuals always became the only beneficiaries of their research whereas some of the data collected from the research could be used to benefit the society.

He said laboratory technicians contributed immensely to the development of the country as they put Botswana at par with other countries. “You should continue demonstrating the critical role of laboratories not only in the diagnosis of patients, but further share the findings with the public,” he noted.

Prof. Totolo advised the participants to break away from individual expertise, where knowledge was never shared or documented, indicating that knowledge should be passed on to the next generation.

Prof. Totolo advised the lab technicians to explore further the data they generate from the labs and learn new technologies. He said clinical laboratory is a critical institution, which the nation looks up to for guidance when it comes to laboratory medicine education in Botswana.

“Medical lab standards and education can be improved by you - and remember the tests carried out in the lab are for the benefit of the patient,” he said. Giving a presentation on the molecular characterisation of Multi Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) a researcher,Mr Lebotse Molefi said the emergence of MDR-TB presents a worldwide challenge to infection control.

Mr Molefi said TB remained a major threat to humans worldwide with new cases estimated at approximately 12 million in 2008. He said according to the World Health Organisation, one third of the world’s population could be infected with nearly two million deaths from the disease and potential to kill more than 40 million people over the next 25 years.

The researcher said some of the factors that contribute to the spread of the MDR-TB are failure of patients to adhere to medication, which results in the spreading the disease. He highlighted that this type of TB is dangerous because a patient might die if they do not access medical attention soon enough. ENDS