Ms Carnita Ernest

BA, BSocSc (Hons) (UCT)

Project Manager
E: cernest@uwc.ac.za

Carnita Ernest re-joined SOPH to manage the Projects Unit in August 2016, having occupied this post when it was first established in 2008. As Senior Project Manager she oversees all grant funded projects, providing assistance to academics, monitoring the progress of projects, and supporting due diligence and reporting. She also assists in the development of grant applications.

Carnita works closely with Prof Asha George in co-ordinating the SOPH Research Domain, which is a collegial space for sharing of information on SOPH research and for capacity development on identified areas (thematic, methodological, broader research culture of SOPH).

Carnita Ernest re-joined SOPH to manage the Projects Unit in August 2016, having occupied this post when it was first established in 2008. As Senior Project Manager she oversees all grant funded projects, providing assistance to academics, monitoring the progress of projects, and supporting due diligence and reporting. She also assists in the development of grant applications. Carnita works closely with Prof Asha George in co-ordinating the SOPH Research Domain, which is a collegial space for sharing of information on SOPH research and for capacity development on identified areas (thematic, methodological, broader research culture of SOPH).

Carnita is a development practitioner with more than 20 years’ experience working in the civil society sector (NGO, academic) in South Africa and more broadly on the African continent, focusing on issues of governance, peace-building, health and development. She has worked for the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), and the Centre for Citizens’ Participation in the African Union (CCPAU) – as well as as an independent consultant. Carnita has conceptualised and led complex multi-country projects, undertaken fundraising for project and institutional needs, and overseen end-of-cycle evaluations of programmes, working with a diverse range of individuals and stakeholders. Her work is underpinned by her personal commitment to human rights, gender equity and social justice.

Projects

Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance via Community-based Responsive Dialogues

This project, funded by ICARS (International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions) through a grant from Wellcome from February to December 2023, developed guidelines to facilitate Responsive Dialogues to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in LMIC settings.

South African higher education institutions as drivers of change for health and wellbeing

This project seeks to address the twin challenges of developing capacity for training and research in pharmaceutical public health and doctoral education, and contributing to the goal of strengthening health and pharmaceutical systems capable of sustainably addressing key threats to health.

SPaRCS Launches CHW Training Materials on Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting

Despite the important roles Community Health Workers (CHWs) play in monitoring TB and HIV treatment, they have almost no training in adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and little material is available on this topic for this level of health worker. The SPaRCS project worked collaboratively between 2020 and 2023 to develop training materials to address this gap. The materials are open source and aim to increase awareness and facilitate initiatives to increase adverse drug reaction reporting by health care workers, including community health workers.

Strengthening Pharmacovigilance and Regulatory Capacities in four Southern African countries (SPaRCS)

SPaRCS is a 3-year project which commenced in April 2020 funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP)

SPaRCS Strengthening Clinical Trials Oversight Workshop

The SPARCS Project hosted a workshop to support increased collaboration and networking between national regulatory authorities (NRAs) and national ethical committees (NECs) on the regulation of clinical trials in Southern Africa and identify priority areas for a framework for effective clinical trial oversight in the region.

SPaRCS Pharmacovigilance Systems Strengthening Workshop

The SPaRCS Project hosted a Pharmacovigilance (PV) Systems Strengthening Workshop, 9-11 July 2023 in Windhoek, Namibia. The workshop marked the final in a series of capacity strengthening and mutual learning workshops in the Pharmacovigilance Systems Strengthening thematic area, and was attended by fifteen participants from seven countries (Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, and Belgium)

Workshop Series on Strengthening Pharmacovigilance Systems

In 2021 the SPARCS Project held a series of three virtual workshops aimed at strengthening the Pharmacovigilance (PV) Systems in the four countries in Southern Africa, based on an assessment of needs.

by Star Khoza, Carnita Ernest and Hazel Bradley