Page 23 - SAMRC Annual Report 2023-24

GENERAL INFORMATION

Global Forum on Bioethics and, by implication, the African continent. The
in Research (GFBR) membership will be informed by building critical
relationships between researchers, students and
The Global Forum on Bioethics in Research other HFSP partner institutions that champion
(GFBR) hosted the 17 Global Forum in Montreux, co-discovery, co-creation, skills development,
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Switzerland from 28 – 29 November 2023. The knowledge sharing, innovation, and advancement
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focus of the 2023 Forum was ‘Ethics of health in basic sciences. The annual financial contribution
research priority setting’. of South Africa as a full member of the HFSP is
US $500,000 for the financial years 2023-2026. The
The GFBR, with its Secretariat hosted by WHO, is
supported by several international research funders NRF and SAMRC will make an equal contribution
including the Wellcome Trust, UK Medical Research towards this membership fee.
Council, the U.S. National Institutes of Health and The 22 HFSP Awardees Meeting was held in
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the SAMRC. The Forum serves as a global platform Cape Town, South Africa from 6 – 8 December
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for debate on ethical issues in international health 2023 to honour South Africa as a new member
research bringing together research ethics experts, country. HFSP organised the event with the SAMRC
researchers, policy makers and community members and NRF events teams.
from developing and developed countries.
Participants are selected on a competitive basis, 14 African Rotavirus Symposium
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based on structured submissions requiring a
motivated account of each applicant’s engagement. The 14th African Rotavirus Symposium (ARS) was held
Dr Mongezi Mdhluli, SAMRC Chief Operation in Abuja, Nigeria from 8th to 10th November 2023.
Officer represented the SAMRC at the 2023 Forum. The theme of the symposium was “Rotavirus disease
control in Africa: Vaccination and Surveillance as the
South Africa admitted to the basis of an integrated approach” and was attended
International Human Frontier by more than 250 in-person attendees as well as
virtual participants from more than 31 countries. The
Science Program Organization symposium was co-hosted by the Nigeria Centre
for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and
The Human Frontier Science Program Organization
(HFSP), the National Research Foundation of the National Primary Health Care Development
South Africa (NRF), and the SAMRC entered Agency (NPHCDA), in collaboration with the Federal
into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Ministry of Health (FMOH), Paediatric Association of
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24 February 2023. The SAMRC and the NRF will Nigeria (PAN), Nigerian Medical Association (NMA),
serve as joint institutional members. South Africa Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria
is the 16th country to be admitted, and the only (APHPN), National Institute for Pharmaceutical
country from Africa. Research and Development (NIPRD), Nigerian
Society For Paediatric Infectious Disease (NISPID)
This membership underscores the value that in partnership with WHO Regional Office for Africa
South Africa places on supporting fundamental (WHO/AFRO), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
research in the understanding of complex (BMGF) and the SAMRC.
mechanisms in the life sciences to advance industry,
health, and human well-being. As a member, This biennial event is organised under the auspices
South Africa will work closely with other HFSP of the African Rotavirus Network (AfrRN) to shape
members to support innovative basic research; the agenda of rotavirus research and prevention
apply novel and interdisciplinary approaches; and globally, attracting key international opinion leaders
enable scientific exchanges across national and in diarrheal diseases. The AfrRN is a regional network
disciplinary boundaries to address fundamental of institutions conducting research on paediatric
biological problems. diarrhoeal diseases in collaboration with the World
Health Organization African Regional Office (WHO
Furthermore, this membership will significantly AFRO), Ministries of Health and other partners. The
contribute to the research and education SAMRC hosts the Network’s website (https://afr-rn.
programmes supported by the NRF and the SAMRC samrc.ac.za/) and serves as the Network’s secretariat

SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2023-24 21