Page 148 - SAMRC Annual Report 2023-24

Conference on Personalised Medicine. The SAMRC In the next financial year, the SAMRC, through SHIP
Programme Manager presented the outcomes from and other programmes, will focus on launching a
the EU-Africa PerMed project, highlighting the National Genomics Programme and establishing
context of the Personalised Medicine Agenda in scaled next-generation sequencing technologies
Africa, and proposed a Regional Consortium model and big data capability to better understand the link
with mutually beneficial cooperation with the EU. between genetics and health in African populations
This gathering drew over 250 individuals, including and use this to develop more appropriate and
several influential stakeholders and policymakers, all relevant health solutions.
converging to deliberate on "Personalized Medicine,
the Evolution of Healthcare for Improving People's Grand Challenges
Lives." The main participants were the European South Africa programme
Council, which directs the research and innovation The SAMRC, through GIPD, runs the Grand
agenda of the European Commission. The outcome Challenges South Africa Programme, which is a co-
led to an engagement with the EU Minister Council funding initiative with the BMGF and forms part of
in Africa. the global Grand Challenges partner network. This
In addition to other engagements, the SAMRC programme also contributes towards the SAMRC’s
Programme Manager for Precision Medicine Strategic Goal 3 and, during the current financial
presented the establishment of research year, four new innovation and technology projects
programmes for precision medicine development (indicator 3.1.1) were incorporated into the portfolio
at the PerMeDINA Precision Medicine Academy (and a fifth into the SAAVI portfolio). Four of the
held in Tunis, Tunisia in June 2023. This meeting projects are aimed at leveraging Artificial Intelligence
was hosted by the Pasteur Institute and Pasteur (AI) to improve access to and delivery of healthcare,
Network. Participation in these shared learning and form part of a portfolio of 10 projects to be
experiences have helped other African partners supported by SHIP (through DSI funds), the SAMRC,
facilitate the development of their Precision and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The four
Medicine programmes. projects address the following important challenges
in healthcare:
International Consortium for • Advancing healthcare equity through language
Personalised Medicine (ICPerMed)
access (improving availability of healthcare
An important spin-off of the EU-Africa PerMed information in African languages)
Project is that the SAMRC has become a member • Strengthening healthcare evidence (improving
of the International Consortium for Personalised the speed and accuracy with which new evidence
Medicine (ICPerMed), and the SAMRC Programme is converted to policy)
Manager for Precision Medicine is a member • Supporting HIV health decision-making by
of the Executive Committee of ICPerMed. The patients (improving anonymous access to accurate
consortium includes participation in the largest information about HIV to improve health-seeking
funding partnership in PM. In the last year, the behaviour among vulnerable groups)
consortium expanded the funding consortium and • Enhanced clinical decision support for advanced
launched the European Partnership in Personalized HIV disease.
Medicine in January 2024. This is an evolution of the
European Research Area Network in personalised The fifth new innovation and technology project,
medicine (ERA-PerMed). Access to the ICPerMed co-funded by the SAMRC and Grand Challenges
network has fostered stronger relationships with Canada, is aimed at addressing the impacts of
the EU to support South Africa in developing climate on health through the development of the
Personalised Medicine. In November 2023 the EU next generation mosquito nets to control insecticide
Minister Councillor for the African Union visited the resistant mosquitoes. Further to this, three additional
SAMRC for a high-level discussion on the EU-AU research grants (indicator 2.3.1), also co-funded
Research and Innovation Agenda to build closer by Grand Challenges Canada, were awarded to
collaborations with the SAMRC. support research aimed at addressing the impacts

146 SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2023-24