Page 26 - SAMRC Annual Performance Plan 2026-27

PART B: SAMRC STRATEGIC FOCUS
continued

9 Situational Analysis country level data. DHS is essential for provision of
timely information about the health of the nation
9.1 General Background and for monitoring and evaluation. Throughout 30
The SAMRC reports to the National Department years of democracy, South Africa conducted three
of Health (NDOH) and is the largest local funder DHS (1998, 2003 and 2016).
of health research, including research on medical
diagnostics, medical devices, and therapeutics. In preparation for the fourth SADHS, the NDOH
We support pioneers in cutting-edge medical with support from United Nations Population Fund
innovations focusing on genomic research, the (UNFPA) convened a high-level technical meeting in
development of novel treatment regimens, vaccine April 2024. The objective of this meeting was to plan
development, diagnostic tools, and developing new and discuss critical aspects in the planning of the
drugs and devices. fourth SADHS. In terms of the concept note, it was
proposed that the following committee and teams
SAMRC is well positioned to facilitate and support be formed from the key stakeholders:
NDOH in implementing evidenced-based
policies and programmes. The SAMRC research • The steering committee: will facilitate the
programmes have in the past provided research survey plan, budget, and implementation. The
support to the NDOH programmes through task members of the committee will be from NDOH,
teams, commissioned research, national surveys SAMRC, international advisors (ICF and WHO)
and ministerial committees. These have significantly and potential funding agencies (i.e. USAID,
contributed towards assisting the NDOH in UNICEF, UNFPA, BMGF, Global Fund).
progressively realising its priorities and set goals.
The SAMRC role and responsibilities in providing • Project management team: will be convened
technical support to the NDOH through appropriate by the steering committee to manage the
health research, public health and technology protocol, budget, implementation, and
innovation is indispensable and contributes towards reporting.
improving the health status of South Africans. • Technical teams: will also be convened and will
be responsible for determining the sampling
9.2 External Environmental Analysis
size, sampling strategy, questionnaire designs,
9.2.1 National Department of Health biological measurements, data collection,
Over the years the SAMRC has conducted a number analysis and reporting.
of studies and surveys and provided information
that NDOH and Government in general used for The SAMRC was well represented at the NDOH
planning and assessing progress towards realising high-level technical meeting and is expected to play
government’s objectives. In the next planning period, a key role in the fourth SADHS.
the SAMRC will assist NDOH in the realisation of the
following projects: (b) South African National Child and
Adolescent Mental Health Survey
(a) South African Demographic Health The SAMRC’s Mental Health, Alcohol, Substance
Survey (SADHS)
Use and Tobacco Research Unit (MASTRU) is working
The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) are a with NDOH and local and international experts to
standard series of national level surveys, conducted (i) develop a culturally appropriate, reliable and
every five years, focus on population demographic valid instrument to assess a wide range of child/
and primary healthcare indicators using a core set adolescent mental disorders; and (ii) conduct a
of questionnaires and a standard implementation national survey to map the epidemiology of child/
module developed by USAID DHS programme on adolescent mental disorders in South Africa. The
collection of data on population health and access aims of the national survey are to use the best
to healthcare provides internationally comparable available psychiatric epidemiology survey methods

24 SAMRC ANNUAL PERFORMANCE PLAN 2026/27