Page 22 - SAMRC Annual Performance Plan 2026-27

PART A: SAMRC MANDATE
continued

disability, accounting for one in every six years lived 4.7 Government to Government
with disability, globally, and that the economic Collaborations
consequences of mental health conditions are The National Department of Health and the
enormous.
Department of Science and Innovation have bilateral
Objective 3 of the National Mental Health Strategic agreements with a number of countries forming
Plan 2023-2030 is to conduct mental health South-South and North-South relations. This
surveillance and research and strengthen innovation. opportunity will be fully exploited by the SAMRC in
One of the key activities under Objective 3 is to the next five years.
establish a national mental health research agenda
in partnership with all research stakeholders to meet 4.8 South Africa - SADC and the Rest of
national mental health priorities and submitted to Africa
the National Health Research Committee. South Africa is signatory to a number of conventions
within the Southern African Development
SAMRC can contribute to this Objective 3 through Community (SADC), African Union (AU) and WHO.
its research units, which among other priority areas Through these institutions, the National Department
already conduct research by: of Health (NDOH) has certain obligations to fulfil
some of them involving health research. The SAMRC
a) Collecting epidemiological data about the
prevalence, aetiology, and consequences of is best placed to be government’s implementing
arm and follow up on these on behalf of the NDOH
substance use and mental health problems,
and designing and rigorously evaluating Closer collaboration and cooperation could for
interventions to reduce substance use and example, result in SAMRC scientists working more
promote mental health. closely with WHO-AFRO, AU and similar structures
in this region.
b) Promoting the use of basic science and clinical
research to improve the diagnosis, prevention 4.9 South Africa and Global
and management of mental health disorders in Collaboration
South Africa. The inclusion of South Africa into the BRICS
grouping of countries comprised of Brazil, Russia,
c) Promoting the use of psychiatry and mental India and China in late 2010 puts an African voice
health research findings in policymaking and in at the core of the world's most dynamic economies
practice. as they consider a range of pressing global issues.

d) Addressing the intersecting vulnerabilities in The implications were that a specific health agenda
mental health and sexual and reproductive was developed, and health research became a
health amongst adolescent girls and young significant part of the agenda. The SAMRC, as a
women in South Africa. national research body is already collaborating with
BRICS in the areas of tuberculosis, HIV, child obesity,
NCDs and genome research.

20 SAMRC ANNUAL PERFORMANCE PLAN 2026/27