Giving to UniSA
This provided a topical backdrop for a fascinating Chancellor's Circle Tour on 3 May 2011, where participants heard from a leading authority on mosquitoes, Dr Craig Williams, about the public health danger these insects pose. Dr Williams heads UniSA's Mosquitoes and Public Health Research Group, South Australia's only provider of mosquito-borne disease consulting services and part of the Health Sciences Division at the City East campus.
His presentation was poignant given the death, the previous night, of a South Australian man who contracted Murray Valley Encephalitis in March after being bitten by a mosquito. Dr Williams discussed a range of issues associated with mosquitoes, and outlined how he and his unit collaborate with clients to reduce the public health risk posed by them.
"If you look at the diseases which cause the most harm to humanity - the ones that kill the most people, or cut short or ruin the quality of the most number of lives - seven of those ten are spread by insects. And of those, six are spread by mosquitoes," he said.
The tour also included a visit to the new facilities that house the Dietetics and Food Science Laboratory where Dr Karma Pearce from the School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences conducted a practical demonstration.
Chancellor's Circle events exist to express gratitude to people who have demonstrated enduring support to the UniSA; Chancellor's Club members and regular donors. The tours allow the University to showcase new facilities, provide information updates and give patrons the opportunity of becoming more involved in the UniSA community.
