Page 149 - SAMRC Annual Report 2023-24

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

of climate and health. These projects address a Tuberculosis Implementation Science, and Anti-
wide variety of topics including educating youth at Microbial Resistance: Drug Discovery and Antibiotic
schools about the health impacts of climate and Accelerator, supporting a total of 21 projects across
health and co-creating interventions to enable the 12 institutions. While most of the programmes are
youth to contribute towards the development of new now complete, some of the mental health projects
solutions, creation of advanced warning systems for as well as the AMR projects will continue into the
new malaria threats arising due to climate change, next financial year.
as well as the potential impact of climate change on
exposure to air pollutants and biological allergens, The SAMRC has extended its collaboration with the
and thus health. UK through a new partnership with the UKRI MRC
under the umbrella of the UK’s International Science
During the current reporting period, the SAMRC Partnerships Fund (ISPF) to address African health
continued to support the initiative of the African challenges. In February 2024, three new Requests
Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) to for Applications were released seeking innovative
establish Grand Challenges national programmes proposals on non-communicable diseases; co-
in AU member states. Grand Challenges Malawi morbidity or multi-morbidity of infectious diseases
and Grand Challenges Rwanda were launched in and non-communicable diseases; and One Health,
2023, and the SHIP/Grand Challenges South Africa climate and health. The research should further
programme manager was invited to be a panellist on improve our understanding of disease mechanisms,
both occasions to share lessons from South Africa. presentation and progression and inform innovative
prevention and treatment strategies that are likely to
The Newton Fund and International be efficacious, cost-effective, affordable, potentially
Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) sustainable, and acceptable to the key stakeholders
The SAMRC-Newton Fund programmes are the in Africa. The fund aims to support collaboration
result of a co-funding initiative with the UK MRC, between researchers in South Africa and the UK
established in 2015, that supports South African and encourages the inclusion of scientists from
projects that respond to national health priorities other African countries as well as researchers
while simultaneously contributing to global health from historically disadvantaged/resource-poor
advancement for social, economic and health institutions in South Africa. The fund also aims to
impact. Since 2015, this partnership has funded strengthen research capacity by supporting training/
several programmes focusing on the following mentoring of the next generation of researchers,
areas: Translation Research in Non-communicable with a focus on those from previously disadvantaged
Diseases, Mental Health in South Africa, ethnic groups and institutions.

SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2023-24 147