SESSION
In pursuit of high-quality evidence for health reporting: navigating the Cochrane Library
This interactive session addresses the theme of misinformation, disinformation and fake news. Participants will gain an understanding of the systematic review method, the flagship evidence-based healthcare approach for research across a range of health topics, with particular attention to how findings can be interpreted and communicated. The session offers insight into current research undertaken by the South African Medical Research Council and highlights the role of Cochrane South Africa in producing high quality, trusted evidence that informs policy and practice. It also introduces the resources available through the Cochrane Library, focusing on how to navigate its search tools to identify the most reliable evidence, and on how best to use these resources in reporting.
The Cochrane Library is a collection of databases in medicine and other healthcare fields provided by Cochrane and partner organisations. At its centre is the collection of Cochrane Reviews, a database of systematic reviews and meta analyses that summarise and interpret the results of medical research.
Tendani TseduSession proposer | South African Medical Research Council | South Africa
Tendani Tsedu is head of Corporate and Marketing Communications at the SAMRC. As an experienced science communicator he has nearly 20 years’ experience translating complex research into impactful stories. Having worked with leading institutions such as the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority and Rand Water, he specialises in strategic communication, media engagement and stakeholder relations, bridging the gap between science, innovation and society. He holds an MPhil degree on Science and Technology Studies from Stellenbosch University.
Ebrahim SamodienSpeaker | South African Medical Research Council South Africa
Dr Ebrahim Samodien is as research manager in the leadership office of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) involved in the portfolio of knowledge dissemination and research strategy. As the Research Translation portfolio lead within Cochrane South Africa, he assists with research dissemination, teaching and evidence-informed research. He previously worked as a science writer and editor within the SAMRC’s Corporate and Marketing Communications Division. He holds a PhD degree from Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and has a background in molecular biology and the genetic engineering of plants for industrial applications. As a postdoctoral researcher at the Division of Medical Physiology at Stellenbosch University and the Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform at the SAMRC he worked on chronic lifestyle-related diseases.
Lorenzo BennieSpeaker | South African Medical Research Council South Africa
As a research technologist at Cochrane South Africa Bennie supports the portfolio of knowledge dissemination and research strategy by supporting systematic reviewers, and assists with protocol development, search strategy development, data management and synthesis. He is currently completing his master’s degree in public health.
Kevin BrandtModerator | eNCA News | South Africa
Brandt has since 2023 reported on major national and international stories for eNCA, a South African 24-hour television news channel. Previously, he worked for the African News Network and the multiplatform news publisher Eyewitness News. He is passionate about science, healthcare, media relations and communications. In 2025, he successfully completed an Africa Health Communication Fellowship through Fray College. Science reporting has also taken Kevin abroad. He attended Berlin Science Week in 2019, joined a Doctors Without Borders field trip in 2017 to the Central African Republic, and participated in the Pre-COP 27 Media Training Conference in Kigali, Rwanda.