An autopsy programme by the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) Somkhele Research for KwaZulu-Natal, specifically in the Mtubatuba area, aims to pinpoint causes of death and understand how to improve public health care.
Pathologist specialist in forensics Professor Threnesan Naidoo said Somkhele Research established this free autopsy service to promote collaborative, tissue-based research into complex cause and effect around TB and HIV.
He said if they could develop good data on what is causing and contributing to deaths, it would inform changes in health policy in a community that needs it desperately.
“It might translate to interventions we can implement at the public health level,” said Naidoo.
He said Somkhele had a long-standing programme of clinical trials in KZN.
Naidoo, who is based in Durban, also works part-time for Mthatha’s Walter Sisulu University as acting head of department of forensic and legal medicine, part-time professor of anatomical pathology and laboratory medicine and pathology, said the intention was to give back to the community that had long contributed to researching TB and HIV.
He said implementation of the programme would begin immediately after the community and other stakeholders gave the go-ahead and that it would need the support of all.
He said they were engaging with the local community advisory board, the Department of Health, environmental services and the funeral undertakers. He said the funeral undertakers would play a critical role in assisting them to engage with families of people who had died.
“At the moment we’ve had a very good, ongoing interest from the community,” said Naidoo.
He said they wanted autopsies to be completely free and ensuring anyone can take up the offer, regardless of whether they wanted to be part of the research or not.
“Free autopsy service requires funding of the material of the staff. We would look at our research funds to be able to fund that, but we do need funding,” he said.
Naidoo’s extensive experience in diagnostic autopsy pathology, working across the public and private health sectors, has enabled the acquisition of an impressive tissue cohort for research at AHRI.