Health Science Reviews

By Maboletso Letsoalo

Change is an inevitable aspect of existence. For most forms of life, it drives a process called evolution, leading to adaption and greater chances of survival. However, with the human experience, change can have a deeper impact. It carries the ability to radically transform perspectives, behaviours and attitudes that do the opposite – push us to resist adaptation, and in some cases, even be willing to sacrifice survival.

2024 has been a year of profound changes for me. A new city, university, degree, people, interests, achievements, and challenges have redefined my human experience. The overriding reflection from all these has been that change cascades into more change. This idea will be echoed throughout this text.

The BMed Honours Bioinformatics program opened my eyes to the incredible potential of modern technologies and science. Interestingly, it has also repeatedly underscored Africa’s position relative to the rest of the world. In most cases, Africa is in a position of lack and its people suffer greatly because of it. As scientists, we are encouraged to study the mechanisms responsible for phenomena and so this naturally sparked an interest to identify and analyse the mechanisms responsible for this disparity. Additionally, as bioinformaticians, we are taught to engage in data-driven hypothesis generation – letting the data guide our scientific inquiries rather than merely confirming preconceived notions.

Some of the questions that arise from analysing the poverty and instability that plague the continent are:

• What happens when a people’s entire social, political and natural ecosystem is disrupted?
• When brutal, oppressive and dispossessive change befalls a people, how do they reconcile the tragic loss of identity with the pressing need to forge a new one?
• What are the psychological effects of a people’s relegation to ‘have-nots’ in a land where the concept of grand ownership was once foreign?
• What evolutionary or revolutionary strategies do the subsequent generations of that population adopt to maneuver within a system designed to gatekeep wealth, resources and ultimately well-being?
• More importantly, is a mass revolt, as predicted by Karl Marx, inevitable given the coexistence of the exploited and the exploiters?

As a descendant of the dispossessed, I grapple with the stark contrast between the abundance experienced by the privileged and the lack endured by African people. It is quite a heart-wrenching experience to learn about the immaculate possibilities that genetic and bioinformatics studies offer, but ironically realise that those possibilities are reserved for the privileged – those who in fact have forced themselves into privilege through the mental, cultural and material immobilization of others.

Moreover, I find myself at a crossroads. On one hand, participating in this barbaric system of capitalism is inevitable and my skills will be used to further champion the interests of the aristocratic class. On the other hand, I am expected to forfeit my allegiance to those that have suffered and continue to suffer, to ignore the rage and pain encoded in my very DNA and ultimately to deny myself.

Change cascades into more change. The change in my life has reconciled me with the changes experienced by those that came before me. Furthermore, I refuse to choose adaptation to these changes. Instead, I draw strength from those who were willing to sacrifice survival – Steve Biko, Chris Hani, Patrice Lumumba, Thomas Sankara, Malcolm X and many others. My decision to continue the struggle is in fact less of a choice, but a predestined duty.  It takes small changes in individual perspective, behavior and attitude to ignite change in the greater system.