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Zar’s pulmonology work recognised
Professor Heather Zar, head of UCT’s department of paediatrics and child health at Red Cross Memorial Children’s Hospital, has been locally and internationally acknowledged. She has just received the prestigious World Lung Health Award and Public Health Award in San Diego in the US.
DAWN KOHALY
This is the first time a paediatrician is the recipient and has been hailed globally as a first for Africa.
The citation states: “Dr Zar, an internationally renowned paediatric pulmonologist, has dedicated her career to eliminating childhood health disparities in Africa and developing countries worldwide.
“Her research efforts, clinical care, and advocacy, have all focused on improving the pulmonary health of children from underdeveloped countries, including asthma, pneumonia, tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus-associated lung diseases.”
After qualifying as a medical doctor at Wits, Zar did postgraduate training in the US, specialising in paediatrics and pulmonology. On her return to South Africa, she took up a position at Red Cross Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, where she pioneered several groundbreaking innovations in child health pulmonary illnesses.
Among these are the use of a revolutionary asthma spacer, using an empty 500 ml cold drink bottle. This solution’s economic viability and efficacy, has had a far-reaching impact on the treatment of asthma in Third World countries. he WHO and Global initiative for asthma have recognised and endorsed this innovation which has made effective asthma treatment available worldwide for poor children.
Secondly, she pioneered ground-breaking work in tuberculosis diagnosis, using sputum induction for rapid TB testing. This has revolutionised the diagnostic process.
Among her numerous projects is the Drakenstein Lung Health Study in 2011, initiated and driven by her with an award of R52,9 million by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This innovative study is a landmark for developing new ways of preventing and addressing early health issues in children.
Furthermore, a state-of-the-art expanded clinical unit was opened at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital last year. The Research Centre for Adolescent and Child Health (REACH) is the first centre of its kind on the continent.
Her leadership in setting up new fellowship programmes under the African Fellowship programme umbrella, has been lauded. It has resulted in partnerships with 11 different countries in Africa and 22 academic institutions where already over 55 paediatricians have been trained and 22 trainees per year are being accepted.
Her training programmes and research projects have resulted in significant capacity building for the continent.
In being handed this coveted award, she has been acknowledged as having dedicated her career to eliminating lung diseases in children.