| "Using
community based research towards solving scientific challenges in
the 21st century"
It
is our privilege to welcome you to the 38th Congress
of the Physiological Society of Southern Africa in East London,
the 2nd economic hub of the province. The Eastern Cape
is the second largest Province in South Africa, covering approximately
14% of the South African. The Province is divided into 6 District
Municipalities and one Metro Municipality. The Physiology Department
is based at the Walter Sisulu Mthatha campus in the OR Tambo District,
the most north easterly part of the Province. Challenges in accessibility
of Mthatha made us host the conference in East London, also called
eMonte.
The EC is mostly undeveloped, however, farming is
significant and the natural beauty contributes to making tourism
a key economic driver of this area. East London is the dedicated
producer and exporter of some of Mercedes Benz models worldwide
while Uitenhage just outside Port Elizabeth boasts a similar
status in relation with the VW models.
You arrive in a province rich of history, 2 of
the 3 democratic South African presidents come from this region.
We boast the longest stretch of undisturbed coastline making the
province a home to one of the rare plants and bird species, a
tourist pinnacle for those who are in search for quite places
for resting, meditating and the best hiking trails in the world.
It is our hope that even if you don’t get to see all these areas
during this time around, you may later have an appetitive to
come and holiday with your families.
Particularly exciting in us is to host you
to the Eastern Cape, the province of the rising sun during this
unique year when South Africa had a chance to be at centre stage
of the world through the soccer extravaganza. On the crest of the
focus on South Africa from the whole world, it is our hope that
our research exchanges in this year’s conference will broaden and
deepen our search for health solutions to our communities like never
before. Hoping the impetus will enhance the development of the Physiological
Sciences even further.
|