Page 124 - SAMRC AnnualReport 2025-26

Health Systems
Overview of the Research Unit
The Health Systems Research Unit (HSRU) is
dedicated to strengthening health and social-
care systems in South Africa, throughout Africa,
and globally through health-policy and systems
research that promotes equity, transformation,
Universal Health Coverage (UHC), and primary
healthcare. The unit conducts multidisciplinary
and intersectoral research across various levels of
the health system, including the public and private
sectors, health facilities, schools, communities, and
across the entire life course.
HSRU’s work is organised around several thematic
areas:
Maternal, Newborn and Child Health
Research focuses on understanding health-system
requirements for the optimal delivery of community
and primary healthcare services for women,
newborns and children.
Social Policy and Health
The unit investigates and strengthens social-
protection interventions and policies that promote
the health and wellbeing of children and their
caregivers.
Health Economics
Using health-economics analytical tools, the unit
contributes to evidence-informed decision-making
on investments in health systems, including human
resources, health programmes, interventions and
services.
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Research Unit
UNIT DIRECTOR:
Prof. Tamara Kredo
tamara.kredo@mrc.ac.za
Evidence Synthesis and
Knowledge Translation
The unit enhances healthcare decision-making
systems to support UHC and the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) by conducting thorough
evidence synthesis, methodological research,
capacity building, and knowledge translation to
guide health and social care policy and practice.
Sexual and Reproductive Health
Research in this area promotes equitable access
to sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing
services by advancing understanding of risk
factors, vulnerabilities, barriers, and facilitators that
influence access to services and programmes, while
informing interventions and policy development.
During the 2025/2026 financial year, HSRU staff
published peer-reviewed journal articles, World
Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, and
research briefs and reports. Staff also presented
plenary sessions, oral presentations, posters and
workshops at international conferences, as well as
a plenary, oral presentations and posters at local
conferences.
Key Milestones and Achievements
Health-system governance challenges, including
fragmentation, weak accountability and limited
managerial capacity, continue to impede the
implementation of UHC reforms in South Africa. In
partnership with The George Institute for Global
Health, HSRU is addressing these challenges
through a project that combines evidence synthesis
with participatory priority-setting to identify key
research priorities for health-system strengthening.