How are population patterns changing in South Africa? What role do our different environments play in contributing to our health? Are cities making us sick? Whose job is it to promote health and prevent disease?

As countries urbanise, we are seeing a changing pattern of disease from predominantly acute and infectious to chronic and non-infectious. But in countries like South Africa, this classification of diseases into acute or chronic has been turned upside down due to the high burden of HIV. With the provision of life-long treatment for HIV, this disease is not only chronic, but as people infected with HIV live longer, becomes associated with other chronic diseases.

In this episode of Science & Cocktails Johannesburg, Tolu Oni will cover what is driving these changing disease patterns, argue why their study is important, as well as why and how we need to re-think the concept of, and protect our collective health.



Event organised with the support of the Science & Cocktails Foundation.

Image: A Crowded House (jinterwas/Flickr).