The Chief Specialist and Head of UKZN’s Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Dr Lindokuhle Andile Sibiya, congratulated two of her staff members who scooped awards at the College of Health Sciences Research Symposium.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr Tashlen Abel presented a paper titled: Juvenile Onset Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (JoRRP) – Insights into Natural History and Risk Factors for Aggressive Disease. He said the condition poses a significant healthcare burden in KZN, linked to younger age at onset and longer duration since diagnosis. ‘Early intervention and resource allocation are crucial. Future research should validate these findings and explore geographic variations,’ he said.
Also focussed on JoRRP, Dr Sarena Maistry’s paper was titled: Genotype Distribution of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in Juvenile Onset Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (RRP) in KwaZulu Natal. She said understanding the disease pattern and expectations associated with each genotype would assist with early interventional adjunctive therapies and disease monitoring, which would reduce morbidities and mortalities and increase quality of life.
‘Prevention of further infections will require the quadrivalent vaccine administered, which covers the low-risk HPV which cause RRP. Including the vaccine availability to males and females countrywide may eradicate the disease for future generations in South Africa,’ she said.
A total of 16 awards were issued to deserving research studies that were presented at the symposium.
