Team HST@Work
The 82nd FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences took place at the Cape Town ICC this year, from 1 to 4 September, under the theme 'Innovating for the future of healthcare'. This global congress attracted more than 3 350 attendees from 97 countries, and allowed Pharmacy professionals to connect, exchange ideas and engage in stimulating conversations that will undoubtedly usher in new possibilities for Pharmacy globally.
The Health Systems Trust (HST) is proud to have been a part of this global showpiece where we showcased our work and participated in a poster presentation. We are extremely proud of the HST team who represented us and pulled off such a successful exhibition. The HST team comprised of a variety of expertise, including our Communications and Pharmacy colleagues. Throughout the conference, the exhibition team engaged with delegates – many of whom were hearing about us for the very first time, and shared information on our different programmes and the work we do in partnership with the Department of Health (DoH).
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HST's Director for Health Systems Strengthening, Ronel Visser showing off our Mobile Pick Up Point
HST's Director for Health Systems Strengthening, Ronel Visser, who was instrumental in us being at the congress, was also hands-on throughout. Other HST pharmacists who were actively engaged at the conference were Dr Vishen Jugathphal and Neeran "Max" Jooste.
The HST team was honoured to have Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi visit the stand
Amongst the highlights of the Congress was the honour of hosting the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, at our stand. The Minister was accompanied by other DoH officials and stopped to greet and chat with the HST team at the exhibition stand, followed by a picture before he departed. Our ongoing working relationship with the DoH continues to grow from strength to strength as is evident in the many areas where we support the government's health programmes.
The HST exhibition team interacting with conference delegates
As part of the conference, HST showcased the mobile pick-up point and the Pelebox. These two programmes fit perfectly under the conference theme of innovation. Our Pharmacy teams demonstrated how the mobile pick-up point operates, sharing information on which areas it currently services and even offering clients an opportunity to enter the bus. The Pelebox also attracted much attention, particularly the demonstrations, where a few lucky people walked away with special prizes. We were fortunate enough to have the award-winning inventor or the Pelebox, Neo Hutiri, with us at the congress.
Excitement as they received their lucky prizes inside the Pelebox
Technovera CEO and Pelebox inventor, Noe Hutiri engaging a delegate ahead of a demonstration
Roma Ramphal, our DMOC presented her poster on 'Revolutionalising chronic medicine access: Mobile Pick Up Points in KwaZulu-Natal'. Roma's abstract was amongst the 49 selected abstracts from submitted abstracts, and her poster amongst the 701 posters displayed. HST's CEO, Dr Themba Moeti shared a message of support to Roma prior to her presentation: "congratulations Roma on having your poster accepted for the 2024 FIP World Congress, and all the best with your presentation this afternoon! Thanks for flying the HST flag high!"
Commenting on her experience at the conference, Roma said: "One of the personal highlights was presenting my poster on Revolutionising Medicine Access, which showcased the exciting work we've been driving at HST. This project, which I have had the honour of leading, has focused on innovative approaches to improving medicine accessibility for patients, with a focus on sustainable and patient-centred healthcare. It was incredibly fulfilling to share this impactful work with an international audience, and the positive feedback and encouragement I received were truly rewarding. Being part of such an esteemed platform underscored the importance of collaboration, and I'm deeply grateful to HST and FIP for creating this opportunity.''
A proud Roma poses next her poster at the conference
Our HST Pharmacists had this to say about their experience at the conference:
''The most enjoyable aspect of being exhibitor at the 82nd FIP World Congress of Pharmacy in Cape Town in my experience, was getting to showcase our innovations and having face to face interactions with delegates. It was great to see people's curiosity about our mobile (PuP) van; almost all the provinces in South Africa were interested in this innovation. It was clear that this ground-breaking technology, which allows patients to obtain their chronic medication without inconvenience of lengthy lines, will significantly simplify their lives.'' – Vusi Cele, HST Pharmacy Driver Mobiliser
''Attending the globally recognised FIP World Congress of Pharmacy was a great experience. It has offered a dialogue engagement with international stakeholders operating at different sectors within the Pharmacy field. It also provided me with a wealth of knowledge knowing how other countries or provinces are operating, exchanging ideas, and sharing of their best practices and challenges.'' – Thandeka Mzulwini, HST Pharmacist
HST's Pharmacy team who did an excellent job at the conference