Page 42 - SAMRC AnnualReport 2025-26

Using a community-based prospective birth In addition, data collected from 917 adult
cohort, this project seeks to determine when and participants on knowledge, attitudes, and practices
how enteric antibiotic resistance (the resistome) is related to antimicrobial use are being used to
acquired early in life. The study further investigates develop ethnographically relevant AMR awareness
associations between the enteric resistome and and educational packages for local communities.
microbial, maternal, sanitation and hygiene, dietary,
hydrometeorological, ethnographic, vaccination, The second project investigates whether individuals
treatment, and socio-economic factors. living with HIV who are initiated on the standard
first-line treatment regimen (tenofovir-lamivudine-
Since 2023, newborn infants have been enrolled within dolutegravir) may have had prior exposure to
the first two weeks of life for periodic assessment antiretroviral therapy (ART), and how undisclosed
of enteric resistome development over a 24-month exposure influences drug resistance development
period. Preliminary metagenomic resistome data and treatment outcomes, including viral suppression
collected from 100 children at less than 17 days and CD4+ cell count recovery.
and again at six months after birth indicate that To date, traces of tenofovir have been detected
the enteric resistome is acquired very early in life in the plasma of 127 out of 712 participants
and exhibits significant diversity. These findings (17.8%) at first HIV diagnosis or among individuals
from otherwise healthy children suggest potential reporting no prior ART exposure at treatment
implications for future clinical resistance patterns initiation. These findings suggest the need for
and the development of treatment guidelines. more robust assessment protocols for individuals
entering treatment to safeguard the efficacy of
first-line regimens and support progress toward
viral suppression targets among people receiving
treatment.

Building Capacity Through
Training, Mentorship, and Support

The Unit implemented several capacity development
initiatives during 2025/2026, including:

› Proposal Writing Workshop for Biomedical
Research: Facilitated by Professor Bessong for
Some members of the Antimicrobial 15 researchers and postgraduate students.
Resistance and Global Health Research Unit
during RedCap training. › Training on Evidence-Based Methods: Facilitated
by Professor Mark Engels and Lorenzo Bennie from
the Cochrane SA at the SAMRC. Twenty-eight staff
members and postgraduate students took part.
› Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap)
Training: Facilitated by Clive Sibiya (SAMRC), with
staff members and students trained.
› Whole Genome Sequencing and Bioinformatics
Pipelines Training: Conducted on 15 and 22
August 2025 by Drs Idris Njanje and Justine Fri.
Staff members and postgraduate students were
trained to generate whole genomes of locally
relevant human pathogens.
› Microbial Molecular Techniques Training:
Conducted in 2025 by Drs Idris Njanje and Justine
Mr Clive Sibiya RedCap Training Demonstration.
Fri for postgraduate students from the Department
of Plant and Soil Sciences.

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