Thank you @NSTF_SA, @NRF_News and @UCT_Research!

𝐀𝐧 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐈 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐞 Congratulations to Dr Ruyobeza Barimwotubiri of BMERC/UCT MedTech on his article in the September 2026 issue of Technopolicy Africa, the ATPS newsletter. In "Pacing AI for Purpose", he makes the case that Africa should regulate AI by its purpose and impact. He calls for fast tracking AI that saves lives and livelihoods, and for care wherever citizens face real risk. Read the article on page 4 of Issue 31: drive.google.com/file/d/1w-R… #BMERC #UCTMedTech #ATPS #TechnopolicyAfrica #AIPolicy #ResponsibleAI #AfricanInnovation @SudeshSivarasu @UCT_news @NRF_News @UCTHealthSci @dstigovza

𝐏𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: 𝐁𝐌𝐄 𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 Eight researchers. Eight pitches. Watch the highlights, then read on for what each one presented. Moegamad Jack: repurposed drugs and melanoma cells. Benedict Mulindwa: teaching artificial hands to adapt. Queto Jenkins: noise-cancelled MRI. Prosper Magara: AI-enhanced telementoring for surgery. Philippa Braithwaite: choline and newborn brain development. Liam Truter: software that corrects MRI hardware imperfections. Raeesa Ismail: TB testing from breath. Gaby Lups: mobile screening for diabetic eye disease. Congratulations to our winners: • 𝗠𝗦𝗰 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿: Queto Jenkins. • 𝗠𝗦𝗰 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿: Gaby Lups. • 𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿: Prosper Magara. • 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵: Benedict Mulindwa. "𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘵'𝘴 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨."  – Prof Sudesh Sivarasu #BMEIgnite #BMERCUCTMedTech #BiomedicalEngineering #HealthInnovation #SciComm #UCT @SudeshSivarasu @UCT_news @NRF_News @UCTHealthSci @dstigovza

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐒𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐮 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐑𝐅 𝐁 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 Join BMERC/UCT MedTech as we celebrate a major milestone for Professor Sudesh Sivarasu, DSTI/NRF South African Research Chair (SARChI) in Biomedical Engineering & Innovation | Director & Head - Biomedical Engineering Division & Research Centre. The National Research Foundation has awarded him a B Rating. The rating recognises him as an internationally recognised researcher. It acknowledges the high quality and strong impact of his work in biomedical engineering and innovation. Prof Sivarasu leads BMERC/UCT MedTech at the University of Cape Town. His dedication to advancing healthcare technology continues to shape our research and our team. We thank the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation for its ongoing support of science and innovation in South Africa. We also thank the UCT Faculty of Health Sciences and all our partners for their continued backing. #BMERC #UCTMedTech #BiomedicalEngineering #NRFRating #ResearchExcellence #HealthTech #Innovation #UCT #UCTHealthSciences #MedicalDevices @SudeshSivarasu @UCT_news @NRF_News @UCTHealthSci @dstigovza

𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐈: 𝐃𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐇𝐒 𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐮𝐦 Dr Sudeshan Govender spoke at the UCT Faculty of Health Sciences Symposium on Tech-Enhanced Teaching and Research on 9 October 2026. His talk, From Clinic to Clinical Trials, explored how AI is transforming healthcare, research and innovation. BMERC/UCT MedTech works closely with Dr Govender through an ongoing partnership with The Innovation Hub at Mediclinic Victoria. His closing message captured the day. The future of healthcare is not human or artificial. It is human with AI. Thank you to the speakers and the EDUTech Division. #AIinHealthcare #HealthInnovation #BMERC #UCTMedTech #UCTHealthSciences @SudeshSivarasu @UCT_news @NRF_News @UCTHealthSci @dstigovza

𝐔𝐂𝐓 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐒 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐭𝐲 UCT is now part of a new partnership set to change how medical devices are developed across the Global South. The BRICS BioDesign Programme brings together UCT, India's Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone, Sechenov University and the Brazilian Society for Biomedical Engineering, with the goal of building local capacity for medical device innovation, manufacturing and certification across BRICS nations. Professor Sudesh Sivarasu, director of UCT's Biomedical Engineering Research Centre (BMERC), spoke to UCT News about why this matters. Around 90% of medical devices used in South Africa are currently imported. This programme is a step toward changing that, while creating local jobs and strengthening health systems. Fellows on the year long programme will train across all four partner institutions, with UCT contributing its expertise in FrugalBiodesign, an approach that treats resource constraints as design inputs rather than limitations. Read the full story: news.uct.ac.za/article/-2026… #BRICS #HealthSovereignty #ResearchAndInnovation @SudeshSivarasu @UCT_news @NRF_News @UCTHealthSci @dstigovza

𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐮𝐦 BMERC/UCT MedTech's Prof Sudesh Sivarasu took part in the panel "Solving the Commercialisation Conundrum" on Day 3 of the 2026 National Research Foundation (NRF) Next Generation and Emerging Researchers Symposium in Boksburg, Gauteng. He shared the stage with Mr Letlotlo Phohole of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and Prof Kanzumba Kusakana of the Central University of Technology (CUT). Dr Bathabile Ramalapa of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) facilitated the session. Prof Sivarasu spoke about designing affordable medical devices for local clinical needs. He urged emerging researchers to test their ideas against the market early by asking who the user is, who pays and who cares. For academics, he said, "Your first biggest challenge is your first sale." He also called for innovation fellowships and for innovation to count towards academic promotion. Spaces like this keep BMERC/UCT MedTech close to the funders, institutions and industry voices who shape the journey from research to impact. Thank you to the National Research Foundation for the invitation, and to Dr Ramalapa, Mr Phohole and Prof Kusakana for sharing the stage. #NGERsymposium2026 #ResearchForABetterSociety #Commercialisation #BiomedicalEngineering #UCTMedTech #UCT @SudeshSivarasu @UCT_news @NRF_News @UCTHealthSci @dstigovza

𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤? 𝐎𝐫 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧? Azrah Dick is back at BMERC/UCT MedTech. The final year Mechatronics Engineering student at UCT first joined for a month-long internship and has returned to take her work further. Her interests sit where engineering, healthcare and real-world impact meet. Her final year project is a wearable lip transcription system, designed for moments when audio speech recognition fails. Working here has changed how she judges engineering. "A good solution could work perfectly, but it could also be a bad solution," she says. The space to ask questions, try new things and learn from mistakes has also built her confidence. "I can push myself without having to know everything." Watch the video to hear her full story. #BMERC #UCTMedTech #BiomedicalEngineering #Mechatronics #AssistiveTechnology #InternLife @SudeshSivarasu @UCT_news @NRF_News @UCTHealthSci @dstigovza

𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫: 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. BMERC/UCT MedTech is hosting Prof Richard Hall, Professor of Biomedical and Oncological Engineering at the University of Birmingham. He will be presenting at the Wolfson Lecture Theatre. The session will be hybrid, so you can join in person or online. The title: 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘦𝘴: 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. This seminar will explore how clinically relevant testing can better predict how medical devices perform and fail. It will also look at how these methods can be developed for low- and middle-income countries. Highlights of the talk: • Clinical Realism: Why conventional methods can miss real clinical conditions. • Better Prediction: How experimental and computational methods improve forecasts of device performance, drawing on joint replacement and spinal implants. • Local Capacity: Building accessible, reproducible testing that meets local clinical needs. All those with an interest in the topic are welcome to join us. Date: Tuesday, 27 October 2026 Time: 11:00 a.m. SAST Place: Wolfson Lecture Theatre (hybrid session, in person and online) Register, in person or online: UCT BMERC/MedTech Special Seminar: Prof. Richard Hall | Join meeting in Teams | Microsoft Teams Photos may be taken at this event. Please tell a member of the team if you prefer not to be photographed. #BMERC #UCTMedTech #SpecialSeminar #PreclinicalTesting #MedicalEngineering #UniversityOfBirmingham #HybridEvent @SudeshSivarasu @UCT_news @NRF_News @UCTHealthSci @dstigovza

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐧: 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐣 𝐚𝐭 𝐁𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐂/𝐔𝐂𝐓 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 Shireen has completed her first month as Admin Officer at BMERC/UCT MedTech. She has been learning the ropes, setting up her own systems and getting to know the team. Her verdict? There really is never a dull moment. The days are fast paced, but there is always time for a coffee break and a good laugh. Shireen loves ticking things off her to do list, and she helped organise the Heritage Day and birthday celebrations along the way. She says the team has been supportive and respectful, and the banter makes hectic days much easier. Welcome again, Shireen! #UCTMedTech #BMERC #MeetTheTeam #TeamCulture #NewBeginnings @SudeshSivarasu @UCT_news @NRF_News @UCTHealthSci @dstigovza

𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐒𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐒𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐮 The Researcher Development Academy invites early career researchers to a practical session on building a research team, presented as part of the Emerging Researcher Programme and the People and Project Management skills development theme. Prof. Sudesh Sivarasu, SARChi Chair in Biomedical Engineering at BMERC/UCT MedTech, will share his practical guidance and experience on beginning to build a team. The session will cover key considerations for early career researchers, common challenges that arise, and practical strategies to address them. Date: 13 October 2026 Time: 12:30 to 14:00 Venue: Online via Microsoft Teams RSVP by 11 October 2026 to receive the Teams link.forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/… BMERC/UCT MedTech thanks the Researcher Development Academy at the UCT Research Office for the invitation to present this session. #EmergingResearcherProgramme #BuildingAResearchTeam #EarlyCareerResearchers #ResearcherDevelopment #UCT @SudeshSivarasu @UCT_news @NRF_News @UCTHealthSci @dstigovza

𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐞, 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 Prosper Magara, a final-year PhD candidate at BMERC/UCT MedTech, recently presented at the Telemedicine Masterclass led by Dr Bessie Malila. The session provided healthcare professionals, administrators, and policymakers with practical insights into implementing and sustaining telemedicine services. Prosper shared his research on LapTelementor, an AI-enhanced surgical telementoring system designed for laparoscopic surgery. The core goal is simple: to bring expert surgical guidance into any operating theatre, wherever it is, in real time. His talk sparked rich and practical discussions on how emerging technologies can broaden access to high-quality surgical care. Congratulations, Prosper! #Telemedicine #Telementoring #SurgicalInnovation #LaparoscopicSurgery #AIinHealthcare #BiomedicalEngineering #BMERC #UCTMedTech @SudeshSivarasu @UCT_news @NRF_News @UCTHealthSci @dstigovza

𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐂/𝐔𝐂𝐓 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫 Professor John Lazarus is the inaugural Desmond Tutu Research Chair of Urology, supported by the Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation. Professor Gladness Nethathe has attained the rank of full Professor. Both share in the supervision of our students. Professor Lazarus co supervised Phelisa Ntayiya and Liam McEvoy. Professor Nethathe co supervises Sarah Rusch. Congratulations from BMERC/UCT MedTech on these richly deserved appointments. #UCTMedTech #BMERC #Urology #AnaesthesiaAndPerioperativeMedicine #BiomedicalEngineering #UCT #Congratulations @SudeshSivarasu @UCT_news @NRF_News @UCTHealthSci @dstigovza

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 & 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩🔥🇿🇦 Boerewors on the fire, heritage dishes from home, and a best dressed line up that brought out cultures from across South Africa and beyond. 🏆 Best dressed: Emmanuel Okere and Azrah Dick 🍖 Assistant Braai masters: Samira Gholizadeh, Chibuike Mbanefo and Joel Philpott 🎉 First years brought the games 🎂 Celebrating every birthday from May to September in one go It was also Edmund Wessels' last day with the team, and he spent it exactly where he belongs, at the braai. We sent him off with a gift and a lot of love. Thank you also to Shireen Maharaj and Raeesa Ismail for organising the event. 34°C heat didn't slow anyone down. #HeritageDay #BMERC #UCTMedTech #SouthAfrica #HeritageDay2026 @SudeshSivarasu @UCT_news @NRF_News @UCTHealthSci @dstigovza

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐁𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐂/𝐔𝐂𝐓 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 BMERC/UCT MedTech MSc student Sarah Rusch took the stage on 29 September at the BME Showcase, presenting to fourth-year engineering students at UCT. Her talk was short and personal. Sarah shared her experience so far and why she chose to do her master's with BMERC/UCT MedTech. She holds a BEng in Mechatronic Engineering from Stellenbosch University. Her research focuses on developing a device to help midwives and nursing staff identify when obstetric patients are deteriorating, so care can be escalated at district-level facilities in South Africa. Sarah hopes her talk showed students that engineering has more than one path. For her, BMERC/UCT MedTech shows what that can look like: a research group doing work with real impact on the people who need it most. To find out more, email [email protected]. Thank you, Sarah, for taking the time to present and for sharing your journey with the students. #BMERCUCTMedTech #UCTMedTech #BiomedicalEngineering #MScBME #BMEShowcase #ObstetricHealthcare #WomenInSTEM #UCT @SudeshSivarasu @UCT_news @NRF_News @UCTHealthSci @dstigovza

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 2026 has been a year of milestones for BMERC/UCT MedTech, with five graduates completing their degrees across two ceremonies. In March, Ms Phelisa Ntayiya graduated with an MSc in Biomedical Engineering, and Dr Nkgaphe Tsebesebe completed his PhD in Biomedical Engineering. In September, Liam McEvoy and Saad Naveed graduated with MSc degrees with distinction, and Dr Alexandra Lancaster completed her PhD in Biomedical Engineering. Congratulations to all five on this achievement, and thank you to the supervisors, mentors and The National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF) and Department of Science, Technology and Innovation for their funding and support. #UCTMedTech #BiomedicalEngineering #Graduation2026 #ResearchAndInnovation @SudeshSivarasu @UCT_news @NRF_News @UCTHealthSci @dstigovza

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮, 𝐄𝐝𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐝: 𝐀 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐭 𝐁𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐂/𝐔𝐂𝐓 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 Since 2024, Dr Edmund Wessels has shaped the next generation of biomedical engineers at BMERC/UCT MedTech, lecturing in medical device design and guiding students through their research projects with the kind of patience that turns a good idea into a working prototype. As he leaves BMERC, the mark he has left is visible in every student he mentored and every device that made it from a sketch to a solution. Whether guiding postgraduate researchers through complex design iterations or encouraging students through their first device concepts, his hands-on leadership left a lasting impression on every cohort. Thank you, Edmund, for the years of teaching, the guidance, and the standard you set. #UCTMedTech #BMERC #MedicalDeviceDesign #ThankYouEdmund #BiomedicalEngineering @SudeshSivarasu @UCT_news @NRF_News @UCTHealthSci @dstigovza

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 | 𝟐𝟒 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 What shapes the way we heal? Heritage Day asks us to look at the knowledge, culture and community that South Africans carry with them, and how much of that still goes unrecognised in the systems meant to serve them. At UCT MedTech, we believe health technology cannot be designed apart from the people and places it serves. Our work in Frugal Biodesign starts with context, not assumption. It asks what a community already knows, what resources already exist, and what a device needs to look like to actually be used and trusted where it lands. That thinking runs through the ADL Arm, an open-source, 3D-printed prosthesis designed so it can be built and fitted using what's already available in the communities that need it, not shipped in from elsewhere. That is what heritage means for us. Not a single day of recognition, but a standing commitment to build health technology rooted in the realities of the people it is for. Happy Heritage Day, South Africa. 🇿🇦 #HeritageDay #UCTMedTech #SouthAfrica #FrugalBiodesign #HealthInnovation @SudeshSivarasu @UCT_news @NRF_News @UCTHealthSci @dstigovza