South African Medical Research Council Who we are The SAMRC was established in 1969 and is dedicated to improving the health of people in South Africa, through research, innovation, development, and technology transfer. The scope of research includes laboratory investigations, clinical research, and public health studies. We conduct research on South Africa’s quadruple burden of disease: maternal, newborn and child health, HIV/AIDS and TB, non-communicable diseases, and interpersonal violence. Our work is to acquire evidencebased information to inform health policy and practice and improve the quality and health status of people in South Africa. We are the largest local funder of health research, medical diagnostics, medical devices, and therapeutics. We are pioneers in cutting-edge medical innovations focusing on genomic research, the development of novel treatment regimens, vaccine development, diagnostic tools, and developing new drugs and devices. Transformation remains an integral part of building sustainable health research capacity in South Africa. Through Self-Initiated Research (SIR) grants, the MidCareer Scientist programme, the Bongani Mayosi National Health Scholars Programme, and other programmes and platforms, the SAMRC will continue to address gender, racial, institutional, and geographic parity, and strengthen our capacity to flourish in the 21 st century. As a custodian of health research, the SAMRC is building a healthy nation through research and innovation.
mRNA technology transfer hub 23 students trained in sampling of viral RNA fragments
75% Black African trainees
50% female trainees
R50 million programme worth over 4 years
The objective of the mRNA technology transfer hub is to build capacity in low- and middle-income countries to produce mRNA vaccines through a centre of excellence and training. The mRNA Hub will share technology and technical know-how with local and global producers. The mRNA Hub and its partners creates a global common good for the benefit of all by providing a range of services along the entire vaccine value chain. The mRNA Hub is located at Afrigen, Cape Town, South Africa, and works with a network of technology recipients in low- and middle-income countries. The initiative is supported by the WHO, the Medicines Patent Pool and the Act-Accelerator/ COVAX. The South African mRNA hub comprises Afrigen Biologics, the SAMRC and Biovac, a South African vaccine producer. Within this consortium, Afrigen will establish the mRNA vaccine production technology, SAMRC is providing the research and Biovac is the first manufacturing spoke. The Hub essentially has the following key objectives: • mRNA technology transfer to South Africa and establishment of capacity to produce clinical batches of mRNA candidate vaccines for clinical trials • Manufacturing readiness at Biovac for commercial production, Tech Transfer to international partners and training • Establishment and advancement of a vaccine development pipeline through local innovation and expertise.
SAMRC’s wastewater surveillance & research programme The South African Medical Research Council’s Wastewater Surveillance and Research Programme (SAMRC WSARP) has been tracking SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA in wastewater across 80+ wastewater treatment plants in the Western
Cape, Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Gauteng, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa. To date, the trends of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater have been used as an indicator of COVID-19 presence in communities and contribute to the management of COVID-19. Capacity development is one of the key outcomes of this programme, with partnerships established with underresourced institutions. A total of 23 students were trained in sampling and scarce skills such as the quantification of viral RNA fragments. The WSARP strives to promote transformation with 75% of trainees being Black African and 50% being female. This programme also enabled the funding of multiple honours, master’s and doctoral students registered at partner universities. In addition to laboratory skills obtained, another part of the programme’s research output objectives is research translation through publications and stakeholder engagement.
Genomic research approach for diversity and optimising therapeutics A Framework agreement was signed on 3 February 2020 for a 4-year programme with GSK and Novartis, managed by the SAMRC. The primary focus of Project Africa GRADIENT will be to evaluate genetic diversity as the contributing factor to the way patients on the African continent respond to drugs used to treat malaria and tuberculosis. SAMRC is managing the programme on behalf of the funders for a service fee. The SAMRC launched an Africawide request for applications in African Pharmacogenetic Diversity on 18 January 2021. The programme, which is worth approximately R50M over 4 years, completed the preand full-proposal phases in 2021/22 and awards will be finalised in the next financial year.
Gender and health The SAMRC continues to reiterate its vital contribution to improving the health status and quality of life of women in South Africa by conducting high quality scientific research and leading dialogue on violence against women and how we can more effectively fight against the scourge of GBV. Female sex workers are exposed to extremely high levels of violence: A study, in which we partnered with the Perinatal HIV Research Unit (PHRU), showed that female sex workers (FSWs) are exposed to extremely high levels of violence – the previous almost three quarters (71%) had been exposed to physical violence and more than half (58%) had been raped by clients, men they encountered in the community, as well as from their intimate partners. “However, a particularly concerning finding was that one in seven women had been raped by a policeman,” highlights the study. SAMRC research of nearly two decades reveals that intimate partner femicide is declining in South Africa. Another recent study by the SAMRC suggests that there is a decline in the intimate partner femicide rate, while non-intimate partner femicide has remained unchanged since 2009 in South Africa – however, the country remains ranked among those with the highest rates of femicide in the world. Despite the enormous problem of femicide in our country, these findings were described as evidence of change and an indication that the country is starting to reap the benefits of many years of activism from women and community-based organisations and from Government’s policy and practice.
www.samrc.ac.za
