The Southern African Society for Human Genetics is a multi-disciplinary non-discriminatory society with the aims of advancing the practice in science of Human Genetics in Southern Africa, facilitating contact between the various disciplines involved with the field, maintaining the highest ethical and professional standards and providing a forum through which education and contact can be maintained.

Main aims

• To promote and advance the practice and science of human and medical genetics in Southern Africa
• To facilitate contact between persons in the different branches of human and medical genetics
• To maintain the highest ethical and professional standards in all its affairs and activities
• To arrange conferences and symposia
• To initiate contact with similar organizations in other parts of the world
• To practice its affairs in a non-profit making and non-discriminatory manner

Main plans for 2018
Our Society’s main plans for 2018 are to address some of the pertinent issues facing our members and South African society at the current time, for example 1) registrations with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and 2) Discovery Health Medical Scheme’s plans to offer whole-exome sequencing to its members. We also plan to conduct a survey amongst our members to determine whether we are meeting their needs and what else we should be doing.

History

In 1978 a cytogenetic study group was established at the initiative of Drs. Molly Nelson and Renée Bernstein. Their first meeting was held at the Department of Human Genetics, University of Cape Town and thereafter they met on an annual basis.

On 1 July 1986 an inaugural general meeting of the Southern African Society for Human Genetics was held at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

There were 55 people present at this meeting and Professor Trefor Jenkins was elected as chairman and Professor Renée Bernstein was appointed the first secretary/treasurer.

Activities

The Society does involve itself in numerous activities. The most important of these activities is the biennial SASHG congress. There have been 16 national congresses up until 2015, which have all been tremendously successful.

Each congress has had a number of invited international keynote speakers that has contributed towards our Society becoming known internationally and provided a forum for education of all our members.