Page 53 - SAMRC Annual Report 2024-2025

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

What impact did the US graduate students are closely involved in the global
Executive Orders on funding project on raising awareness of hypertension (May
Measurement Month), resulting in the largest ever
have on your research unit? global campaign for any risk factor.
We have not been affected directly in terms of research
funding by the US Executive Orders to date. However, EMU members also interact with the media (online,
students from other African countries who rely on US print, radio, television) continuously to both inform
funding to travel to SA and to attend courses and the public about general aspects of raised blood
study here have had to cancel because their funding pressure/hypertension and CVD, and to translate
has been revoked. We are now investigating viable our research findings to the public and other
solutions to decide whether we can assist these stakeholders. Members of the EMU are senior authors
students, in a sustainable manner, from the SAMRC on authoritative guideline documents of relevant
EMU baseline funding. international societies, which guide the practical
treatment of hypertension by clinicians and health
Research Translation care workers, with a special focus on application in
developing countries.
Through Arts and Science
We strive to connect with the community by visiting
community members at their homes and workplaces,
by visiting young research participants in schools
and staying connected via social media. The EMU
has several outreach activities in the community. For
example, a cartoon-type booklet has been developed
to teach children how a healthy lifestyle can protect
against CVD. These are handed out to schools and
clinics in the region. Another example is a comic
strip that has been designed to teach the public
the importance of salt reduction for blood pressure
regulation. In addition, many unit members and post-

National Dietary Intake Survey fieldworker
training.

Scanning electron microscopy image of
Salt reduction comic strip. a fibrin clot.

SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2024-25 51