Improving the health of children
Dr Anell Meyer
Fellow in Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Clinical Nutrition.
Sub-specialty: Paediatric Gastroenterology, University of Pretoria
Under the microscope
Dr Anell Meyer was born and raised in Pretoria and will return to the capital city once her Australian studies are complete. This mom to a three-year-old boy is a keen photographer who loves to experience new locations and different cultures with her husband, Monré. “I knew medicine was right for me when, during my third year as a medical student, we interacted with patients for the first time. Standing there in my white coat armed with my brand new stethoscope, knowing that I have the tools and that I am acquiring the knowledge to make a difference in the lives of these patients, gave me a sense of belonging. I knew I made the right career choice.”
The acute shortage of specialist paediatricians in South Africa is impacting the mortality rates of children suffering diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and disorders of nutrition. Dr Anell Meyer hopes to change that.
South Africa sits with a unique disease profile. Diseases common to developed countries like inflammatory bowel disease, cystic fibrosis, celiac disease and biliary atresia are frequently encountered as are the those diseases related to infectious illnesses like HIV and tuberculosis, and malnutrition related to poverty. “There is not only the obligation to treat these diseases optimally, but also the opportunity to lead in research around these diseases,” says Dr Anell Meyer. Dr Meyer, who is currently working as a fellow in Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Clinical Nutrition at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, is pursuing a subspecialty in gastroenterology. “My aim is to stay actively involved in clinical research, thereby striving to find better ways of treating and caring for this population of patients while advocating equal access to care for all,” she says.
The care and treatment of children with gastrointestinal and liver disease differs vastly from that of adults due to the dramatic physiological and anatomical changes that occur from birth and
infancy into adolescence and adulthood. “Children present a different spectrum of disease and also a different response to illness and to treatment,” Dr Meyer says.
Paediatricians trained in this field can make an important contribution to the specialised care of these children. Optimal management of these conditions requires specialised knowledge
of the specific disease processes and treatment options available, as well as diagnostic and interventional skills. “In view of the paucity of paediatric gastroenterologists in South
Africa relative to the enormous number of patients requiring service in this field, it is imperative to train more specialists,” says Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist at the University of Pretoria, Dr Alta Terblanche. Dr Terblanche was the first candidate to complete a Fellowship in Paediatric Gastroenterology in South Africa thanks to funding from the Discovery Foundation.
“Dr Meyer was recently awarded a scholarship from the Nestle Nutrition Institute to complete one year of her Fellowship in Australia. This is an excellent opportunity but she still has to complete the remainder of her training in South Africa. With help from the Discovery Foundation she may be able to do this. This would encourage a step towards service delivery towards a group of patients in dire need,” says Dr Terblanche.