Paediatrics
Paediatric Immunology & Rheumatology
The division of Paediatric Rheumatology and Immunology:
- provide state of the art care to all children with rheumatic and immunology related disorders including caring for the severely critically ill children and providing patients and their families with confirmatory molecular genetics diagnosis.
- conduct well-funded cutting-edge research a) in the basic, clinical, and translational sciences as they relate to rheumatology and immunology and b) Inborn Errors of Immunity national registry
- educate the medical and lay communities in the Western Cape regarding diagnosis and management of pediatric rheumatic and immunology disorders.
- train Pediatric Rheumatologists nationally and Intra continentally to create awareness and provide services to the rest of South Africa and the African Continent at large.
- Clinical activities
We provide an outpatient and inpatient clinical care service at Tygerberg Academic hospital for patients from Cape Town and drainage areas.
- Paediatric Rheumatology- This incorporates children and adolescents with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and other musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases from Cape Town and its drainage areas.
- Paediatric Immunology- This incorporates children and adolescents with transient, primary and secondary immune-deficiencies and other immune dysregulation.
Our primary research areas currently include:
- Paediatric Rheumatology
- Paediatric Immunology
- Primary Immune deficiencies/Inborn errors of Immunity Childhood Arthritis
- Childhood auto immune and auto-inflammatory condition
- COVID 19 infections in childhood including post COVID conditions E.g., Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)
The Unit is accredited by the Health Professions Council of South Africa as a training unit for the Certificate in Paediatric Rheumatology.
