The nanomedicine landscape of South Africa

Abstract

Nanomedicine is one of the most exciting applications of nanotechnology and promises to address several of mankind's healthcare needs. South Africa is one of the countries engaged in nanomedicine research and product development on the African continent. In this article, we provide a top-level description of the policy, infrastructure, and human capital development programs supported by the South African government. We also highlight the nanomedicine outputs (publications, patents, and products) that have emanated from South Africa. This description of a "newly industrialized" country engagement in nanomedicine is important within the global context of nanomedicine development.Keywords: nanomedicine; nanoparticle drug delivery; nanotechnology in South Africa; nanotechnology policy Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content. Please, subscribe or login to access all content.

Oral health in children and adolescents with special healthcare needs in South Africa: A narrative review

“…59 SA has been successful in creating an enabling environment for policy development work in the field of disability. 60 However, policy implementation has faced challenges of capacity constraints, low resource allocation and lack of government commitment. In a review of the National Oral Health Policy in SA, Mukhari-Baloyi et al 58 noted that the policy goals were clear but strategies for implementation were not well understood.…”

Nanomedicine drug delivery in South Africa: a retrospective study on research, funding and collaboration

“…Manipulating materials at nanoscale through characterizing the molecular components inside cells at a level of precision is challenging and requires funding for procurement of the needed resources (McGoron, 2020). South Africa is one of the African countries that has made extensive investments toward creating a critical mass of infrastructure, equipment, and human capital for research in the application of nanomedicine (Dube and Ebrahim, 2017). The results of funding sources from the articles shows different funding streams.…”

“…The country is emerging as one of the leaders in nanomedicine research and product development on the African continent (Mufamadi, 2019). In Africa, South Africa stands out as a country with better infrastructure for healthcare services and dedicated biomedical research, hence it is a significant player in nanomedicine research and product development on the continent (Dube and Ebrahim, 2017). The South African government has mobilized resources and investment towards the development of a critical mass of infrastructure, equipment, and human capital for the exploitation of nanotechnology (Dube and Ebrahim, 2017) and there is a need to assess the progress that the country has made so far.…”

“…In Africa, South Africa stands out as a country with better infrastructure for healthcare services and dedicated biomedical research, hence it is a significant player in nanomedicine research and product development on the continent (Dube and Ebrahim, 2017). The South African government has mobilized resources and investment towards the development of a critical mass of infrastructure, equipment, and human capital for the exploitation of nanotechnology (Dube and Ebrahim, 2017) and there is a need to assess the progress that the country has made so far. Approaching nanotechnology from its broad context encompassing fields as diverse as energy storage, water purification and molecular engineering can be overwhelming, and it poses the risk of missing the finer details that emerge from an in-depth analysis.…”