The University’s efforts at communicating the correct information about the dire effects of the changing climate have been given a massive boost lately. On 14 March 2025, the University’s Faculty of Applied and Health Sciences welcomed Professor Kalpana Balakrishnan, an ASSAf Distinguished Visiting Scholar, Dean: Research, Professor and Director WHO Collaborating Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, Sri Ramachandra Institute for Higher Education and Research (SRIHER) Chennai, India. Professor Balakrishnan was in the country to make presentations to MUT and several other HEIs. Her visit was hosted by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), UWC, and MUT. The opportunity to host Professor Balakrishnan was described by Professor Caradee Wright, a leading Chief Specialist Scientist: Environment and Health Research Unit at the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), as an “incredible opportunity”, and a “national activity”.
Professor Balakrishnan is a world expert on air pollution and health impacts, she leads numerous studies in India and around the world. Those that hosted her wanted to benefit from the knowledge and skills that she had to share.
At MUT, Professor Balakrishnan made two presentations to staff and students. Her presentation to the students was titled – Air Pollution and Health: What do we know and how far do we have to go? To MUT staff her presentation was titled – Creating long-term Climate and Health Observatories. Attendees included staff from ASSAf and eThekwini Metro. Others joined online. These included a representative from the Chinese Consulate General: Durban KZN; Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) from various district municipalities, as well as academics from the University of Northwest. Head of the Department of Environmental Health, Dr Thobile Poswa noted that a special message was sent to Professor Balakrishnan by the Consulate General of India in Durban, Dr Thelma David.
In her presentations, Professor Balakrishnan used colourful illustrations to drive the point home. The focus of her presentation was on the causes of pollution, and their dire effects on people. Pollution is mainly in the countries that are classified as ‘Third World’ countries, mainly in Africa and Asia. Air pollution is both at home levels, and at industrial level. At homes, people still need wood to make fire that they need to cook and keep warm during the cold winter months. Professor Balakrishnan said that this household air pollution from solid fuels killed over three million people in 2021 in India. Outside the household, the effects of pollution are equally dire. Professor Balakrishnan said that a large base of empirical measurements has made it possible to generate modelled estimates of exposure to ambient and household air pollution, and that cohort studies have led to pooled exposure-response functions for the global range of exposures. This problem affects people from 50 to 84 years of age, causing stroke, lung cancer, and diabetes.
Professor Balakrishnan referred to the World Health Organisation’s guidelines for pollution, which offer guidance about particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and carbon monoxide. These guidelines were updated in 2021.
Professor Balakrishnan’s lectures were commended by those who attended the presentations at the Faculty of Applied and Health Sciences, and online. The response to Professor Balakrishnan’s presentations clearly illustrated not only her effectiveness as a speaker, but how serious the climatic problem is, and that the response to the problem should be equally serious, if not more so. Ana Bigara, a Lecturer in the Department of Environmental Health at MUT, said they were excited to host Professor Balakrishnan, and that her input would influence their academic programme, research goals, and community engagement activities.
Dr Connie Israel, Executive Director: Institutional Advancement at MUT, described the presentations as a “truly valuable experience for MUT and its advancement. It furthers our internationalisation goals. Our students and staff gained not only important knowledge but momentum towards achieving the goals she talked about, which are linking environmental health to climate change, for one. We are truly grateful for this. Prof Balakrishnan was also, notably, very accessible and engaging; she connected so well with us all”.
Professor Balakrishnan’s presentations came highly recommended by Dr Tebogo Mabotha, National Liaison Officer (Strategic Partnerships): Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf). Dr Mabotha said Professor Balakrishnan “invested her precious time to share your knowledge with us. Most importantly, your agility to stay the course. Your knowledge, expertise and passion about Air Pollution is truly inspiring.”