Marietjie Botes – The Conversation

Countries face the reality of co-existing with COVID-19. Charday Penn /GettyImages

May 1, 2022

South Africa is proposing plans to manage diseases like COVID. Why they’re flawed

Ignatius Michael Viljoen, University of Pretoria; Marietjie Botes, University of KwaZulu-Natal, and Michael Sean Pepper, University of Pretoria

Regulations that limit fundamental human rights should be accompanied by a transparent risk and benefit analysis.

Any man-made changes to the human genome must be carefully regulated. Billon Photos/Shutterstock

February 15, 2021

Five principles that should guide future DNA ‘editing’ in South Africa

Bonginkosi Shozi, University of KwaZulu-Natal and Marietjie Botes, University of KwaZulu-Natal

We propose five principles that could guide a proper ethical and legal framework for germline editing and similar technologies.

Many countries around the world have launched digital contact tracing apps. Sean Gallup/Getty Images

November 10, 2020

Unpacking the legal and ethical aspects of South Africa’s COVID‑19 track and trace app

Marietjie Botes, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Digital contact tracing apps can successfully contribute to the management of viral outbreaks. These apps can even be designed to protect privacy rights and to work across borders.

The French mobile phone application StopCovid, developed to trace people who test positive with COVID-19. Chesnot/Getty Images

June 24, 2020

Balancing privacy with public health: how well is South Africa doing?

Michael Sean Pepper, University of Pretoria; Marietjie Botes, University of Pretoria; Anne Pope, University of Cape Town; Camille Castelyn, University of Pretoria, and Ignatius Michael Viljoen

In a country marred by systematic discrimination and continued social marginalisation, particular consideration needs to be given to the measures being used to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Demonstrators dressed as embryos gather outside the French parliament to protest laws authorising research on embryonic stem cells. Across the world, countries are implementing additional laws to use treatments that are still in trial phases. Reuters/Benoit Tessier

August 20, 2015

Why the world needs to keep pace with breakthroughs in stem cell research

Marietjie Botes, University of Pretoria and Marco Alessandrini, University of Pretoria

Many countries are introducing legislation and allowing practitioners to use medication still undergoing trials but that show preliminary signs of being safe, including some stem cell treatments.

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