#bioinformatics at @SANBI_SA, building bioinformatics workflows for (Pan-)African PH. health & justice! married to @rebecca_mep @pvanheus@mstdn.science
Cape Town, South Africa
Joined April 2009
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I'm a scientist with an agenda: Improving life for the people of the world, especially Africans. If you follow me expect science (bioinformatics, pathogens) *and* politics (pan-African, intersectional - I'm the commie they warned you about!) . And the occasional (dad) joke.
Peter van Heusden (he/him) ๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฟ retweeted
I'm very sorry to report that Dr. Omar Selik, cited in our earlier story about the siege of El Fasher, was killed alongside dozens of others in a strike on a crowded mosque this morning.
In the besieged Sudanese city of El Fasher, starving children eat animal feed, doctors shelters in foxholes and drones fire on approaching U.N. food convoys.
nytimes.com/2025/09/15/worldโฆ
Peter van Heusden (he/him) ๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฟ retweeted
โ ๏ธWe are seeing a worrying resurgence of chikungunya, with trends similar to those seen in the 2004-05 outbreak, when nearly half a million people were affected.
@WHO has published a new Q&A for the public to inform & protect themselves.
โฌ๏ธ
who.int/news-room/questions-โฆ
Peter van Heusden (he/him) ๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฟ retweeted
A new @NIH policy means most of the NIH funding for research groups in SA will be cancelled. groundup.org.za/article/how-โฆ
Peter van Heusden (he/him) ๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฟ retweeted
This gets harder and harder everyday. How can we live in a world that allows this. ๐ฅ
We've reached an awful and grim moment in #Gaza.
@WFP food supplies inside the Strip have run out, even though there is enough food to feed a million people positioned in aid corridors but cannot reach those in need.
The situation is the same with medical supplies. They are running out, while 16 @WHO trucks wait to enter.
This aid blockade must end. Lives depend on it.
Peter van Heusden (he/him) ๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฟ retweeted
Incredible stuff, well done @pvanheus and @alangchris!
African scientists set genomics โworld speed recordโ in confirming Ebola outbreak in Uganda doi.org/10.1038/d44148-025-0โฆ
Peter van Heusden (he/him) ๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฟ retweeted
Every single person who was killed during the anti-finance bill protests in Kenya was killed by the police. The last confirmed death toll was 72, but several people remain unaccounted for.
Peter van Heusden (he/him) ๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฟ retweeted
Trump's new executive order targeting South Africa & calling Afrikaners "refugees" feels far from funny after speaking to the most vulnerable - HIV+ women who will struggle to get the help they need.
Our report produced by the glorious @ZikhonaTshona
youtu.be/6xvKAOGzifM?si=fL13โฆ
Peter van Heusden (he/him) ๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฟ retweeted
Horrifying and also expected. Almost every single day for 14 months there was info trickling out of Gezira that the RSF killed at least a few people in a new village.
Sometimes, they would kill dozens or go on a killing spree.
The Al Jazeera Conference said on Thursday that 8,000 people were killed and tens of thousands injured in Sudan's Al Jazeera state during the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) control of the area.
sudantribune.com/article2970โฆ
Peter van Heusden (he/him) ๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฟ retweeted
#Sudan 's army is on the cusp of retaking Khartoum, bringing hope that renewed stability will return to the capital.
But local relief workers are terrified of being targeted in a new wave of army reprisal killings, a trend throughout the war.
My latest
aljazeera.com/features/2025/โฆ
Peter van Heusden (he/him) ๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฟ retweeted
We Successfully concluded project planning with the @AfricaCDC pathogen team and @ASLM_News. Role out of Pathogen genomics projects including computational infrastructure for national public health labs. @pha4ge @MRCza
Peter van Heusden (he/him) ๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฟ retweeted
A very cool colleague has launched a grassroots effort to support @WHO. It's called 1 Dollar, 1 World. Give what you can afford. I've donated. ๐ whofoundation.donorsupport.cโฆ #HealthForAll
Peter van Heusden (he/him) ๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฟ retweeted
This could be by far the bloodiest battle where killing could extent across ethnic lines.
There is also some fear that the army could effectively abandon the joint forces in Darfur if it thinks it could quickly wrestle away the entirety of Khartoum state.
๐จ๐จThe paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced in a statement that it has given all armed individuals and fighters within the city of El Fasher a 48-hour ultimatum to surrender and leave the city. The RSF pledged to ensure their humane treatment and immediate release upon compliance.
#KeepEyesOnSudan
Peter van Heusden (he/him) ๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฟ retweeted
Media sources reported that the (RSF) executed teacher Nadia Bilal early this morning in her village, located north of #Khartoum. She was hanged on accusations of collaborating with the #Sudanese army.
(Alhadath.Alsudani)
#Sudan
#KeepEyesOnSudan
Peter van Heusden (he/him) ๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฟ retweeted
#SudanArmedForces issues rare condemnation of 'excesses' committed 'individually' in Al Gezira state, after a spate of lynchings, targeting people from Kanabi - villages where Darfurian farmworkers live. What lies behind this horror? /
๐ดุจุณู
ุงููู ุงูุฑุญู
ู ุงูุฑุญูู
*ุงูููุงุฏุฉ ุงูุนุงู
ุฉ ููููุงุช ุงูู
ุณูุญุฉ*
*ุชุนู
ูู
ุตุญูู*
ุงูุซูุงุซุงุก ูกูค ููุงูุฑ ูขู ูขูฅู
ุชุฏูู ุงูููุงุช ุงูู
ุณูุญุฉ ุงูุชุฌุงูุฒุงุช ุงููุฑุฏูุฉ ุงูุชู ุฌุฑุช ู
ุคุฎุฑุงู ุจุจุนุถ ุงูู
ูุงุทู ุจููุงูุฉ ุงูุฌุฒูุฑุฉ ุนูุจ ุชุทููุฑ ู
ุฏููุฉ ูุฏ ู
ุฏููุ ูุชุคูุฏ ูู ุฐุงุช ุงูููุช ุชููุฏูุง ุงูุตุงุฑู
ุจุงููุงููู ุงูุฏููู ูุญุฑุตูุง ุนูู ู
ุญุงุณุจุฉ ูู ู
ู ูุชูุฑุท ูู ุฃู ุชุฌุงูุฒุงุช ุชุทุงู ุฃู ุดุฎุต ุจููุงุจู ููุฑู ุงูููุงูุฉ ุทุจูุงู ูููุงููู.
ูู
ุง ูุดูุฑ ุฅูู ู
ุชุงุจุนุชูุง ุงููุตููุฉ ููุญุงูุฉ ุงูุฃู
ููุฉ ุจุงูู
ูุทูุฉ ุจุงูุชูุณูู ู
ุน ูุฌูุฉ ุฃู
ู ููุงูุฉ ุงูุฌุฒูุฑุฉุ ูุฐูู ูุชุฃู
ูู ูุงูุฉ ุงูู
ูุงุทู ูุชูููุช ุงููุฑุตุฉ ุนูู ุงูุฌูุงุช ุงูู
ุชุฑุจุตุฉ ุจุงูุจูุงุฏ ุงูุชู ุชุญุงูู ุงุณุชุบูุงู ุฃู ุชุฌุงูุฒุงุช ูุฑุฏูุฉ ูุฅูุตุงููุง ุจุงูููุงุช ุงูู
ุณูุญุฉ ูุงูููุงุช ุงูู
ุณุงูุฏุฉ ููุง ูู ุงูููุช ุงูุฐู ุชููุฐ ููู ุจุงูุตู
ุช ุญูุงู ุฌุฑุงุฆู
ุงูุญุฑุจ ุงูู
ุณุชู
ุฑุฉ ูุงูู
ุฑูุนุฉ ุงูุชู ุชุฑุชูุจูุง ู
ููุดูุง ุขู ุฏููู ุงูุฅุฑูุงุจูุฉ ุญูุงู ุงูู
ุฏูููู.
(ูุตุฑ ู
ู ุงููู ููุชุญ ูุฑูุจ)
*ู
ูุชุจ ุงููุงุทู ุงูุฑุณู
ู ุจุงุณู
ุงูููุงุช ุงูู
ุณูุญุฉ*
Peter van Heusden (he/him) ๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฟ retweeted
1. In todayโs @sundaytimes_za I wrote about how political leaders and GBVโฆ
Unfortunately, because of space considerations, I reduced my comment about George Matanzima to two sentences. For now, I just want to share some of what I cut out. Please read whatโs in 2 photographs. ๐งต
Peter van Heusden (he/him) ๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฟ retweeted
From Syria, to Sudan, to Palestine and elsewhere.
May all colonised and oppressed people be free.
Peter van Heusden (he/him) ๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฟ retweeted
-THREAD-
@geordinhl and @CarlPophaim_ZA constantly claim that the 2017 occupation of Woodstock Hospital is the biggest barrier to providing social housing in the area. Why then did the site sit vacant for 9 years after it was first committed for affordable housing in 2008? 1/8
Peter van Heusden (he/him) ๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฟ retweeted
The Savanna consumed by Kenyans has a lower alcohol by volume than the one we drink here. They also don't have the 500ml bottle. Beers in many other African countries have a lower abv than ours.
The alcohol industry in this country is deeply problematic!
Peter van Heusden (he/him) ๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฟ retweeted
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