Two SA universities will receive part of a US government US130-million investment in African medical education, the US embassy said on Friday.
The universities of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and Stellenbosch would receive grants as part of a program by the US department of health and the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar) to donate funds to institutions in 12 African countries.
The amount to be donated to each university was not known yet.
“The program is designed to support Pepfar's goals to train and retain 140 000 new health care workers and improve the capacity of partner countries to deliver primary health care,” the embassy said in a statement.
Through one of Pepfar's partners, the Medical Education Partnership Initiative, grants were being awarded directly to African institutions in a dozen countries, working in partnership with US medical schools and universities.
The program would focus on the fight against HIV and Aids as well as non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular conditions, mental health disorders and preventable maternal-child health issues. -
Sapa