Page 130 - SAMRC AnnualReport 2025-26

PUBLIC HEALTH
RESEARCH
PROGRAMME 5 INNOVATION
PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAMME
To promote the improvement of health
and quality of life (impact prevention of ill
health, improvement of public health and
treatment) in the Republic of South Africa
through innovation, and technology
development and transfer.
UNITS THAT CONSTITUTE THIS PROGRAMME
Biomedical Research and Innovation
Platform (IRU)
Drug Discovery and Development
Research Unit (ERU)
Genomics Platforms (IRU)
Herbal Drugs Research Unit (ERU)
Pan African Centre for Epidemics Research
Unit (ERU)
Primate Unit and Delft Animal Centre (IRU)
128 SA M R C A N N U A L R EP O R T 2 0 2 5 / 2 0 2 6
PROGRAMME STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
To establish key modern technology
(enabling) platforms to facilitate generation
of new drug discovery knowledge through
world-class applied research.
To establish and manage research
laboratories and facilities as state-of-the-
art national research facilities for research
and development.
To train and mentor a new generation of
high-quality postgraduate students and
Postdoctoral Fellows in multi-disciplinary
research, and in so doing, equip them to
compete in the science and/or education
sectors nationally and internationally.
To strengthening research and
development to build on and enhance
public health innovation.
To increase the body of scientific
knowledge through research translation
into products, patents, research papers,
policy, practice and health promotion
(including to the general public).
To increase the number of health-care
innovations and to produce patents based
on new discoveries and new research
methodologies.