COE-HUMAN Grant Awards New grantee: Dr Rizwana Mia
GENETICS STUDY – SOUTH AFRICAN MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL In recent years, the incidence of infectious disease remains high in South Africa, female obesity and the chronic non-communicable diseases continues to rise, coupled with birth defects and other issues that have brought great challenges to South Africa. The approach to medical care is changing and developing countries like South Africa are looking at better ways to use a patient centric approach to create sustainable healthcare.
PURPOSE: The HELTI project has collected blood samples and corresponding clinical information of South African women aged 18 to 28 years old. We aim to conduct Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) of nuclear genomic DNA (gDNA) at different sequencing depth gradients. The project will further construct from reproductive women genomes, specific genetic analysis in South Africa, and establish the database for a healthy population baseline and biobank.
New grantee: Prof Karen Hofman
USE OF CHAT-SOWETO TOOL – CENTRE FOR HEALTH ECONOMICS & DECISION SCIENCE: PRICELESS SA Many urban areas, like Soweto in South Africa, are seeing a rise in the prevalence of malnutrition.
PURPOSE: The study seeks to understand supportive nutrition interventions in the ‘first 1000 days plus’ (preconception, pregnancy and first 2 years) period that simultaneously reduce the risk and burden of under- and over-nutrition in this population.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES: To use the “Choosing All Together” (CHAT) tool along with the community to inform decisions about candidate interventions to improve maternal and child nutrition, based on effectiveness and cost.
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