From 9-12 June 2009, the ACGT hosted visitors from the University of Malawi as part of the Southern African Biochemistry and Informatics for Natural Products (SABINA) network programme. The recently appointed SABINA Project Manager, Dr Frank Ngonda and Academic Director, Dr John Saka, were both in attendance.
The visit began with a dinner for SABINA participants that was held on 9 June. Dr Ngonda used the remainder of the four-day visit as an opportunity to meet with SABINA participants and students at the CSIR, Wits University and University of Pretoria. Two new calls for Masters and PhD, and post-doctoral SABINA scholarships were also announced, respectively.
Before joining SABINA, Frank Ngonda was responsible for the coordination and management of the HIV and AIDS programmes at district and community levels and as Programme Officer for Malawi Traditional Healers Umbrella Organization – a project under the Ministry of Health, Clinical Services. He was involved in the creation and strengthening of collaboration between Biomedical Health Practitioners and Traditional Health Practitioners, which included co-ordination of programmes such as the development of proposals, tools, protocols, guidelines and structures of the collaboration.