Page 55 - SAMRC Annual Report 2024-2025

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

MASTRU’s , Siphesihle Gwambe, with other tobacco control stakeholders at the KwaZulu-Natal public hearings
on the tobacco control bill, held in November 2024.

and promoting the capacity of community-based Additional contributions included: Training lay
organisations to support the psychological well- health workers to deliver evidence-based psycho-
being of young people. We are optimistic that this logical interventions, with ongoing mentorship and
project will include partnering with the Department skills development through workshops and super-
of Health to conduct a national survey to assess vision; Training tobacco control advocates from
child and adolescent mental health in SA. 12 African countries; Contributing to a programme
for young scientists interested in mental health re-
MASTRU launched the South African country report search; Developing a programme to train medical
for the Global Adult Tobacco Survey and made students in psychological first aid.
presentations at the parliamentary public hearings
on the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery MASTRU staff also worked extensively with early-
Systems Control Bill in all 9 provinces. The unit also career scientists from historically excluded groups
has ongoing engagement with the government on to build research capacity and produce academic
the tobacco control bill. outputs. Collectively MASTRU staff graduated for
Masters and PhD degrees, reviewed articles for
academic journals, served on editorial boards of
Building Capacity Through international journals as well as examined masters

Training, Mentorship, and Support and PhD students' dissertations. Currently the unit
MASTRU staff have made significant contributions to supervises masters and PhD students.
capacity development through teaching, supervision
and mentoring. The unit's staff contributed to Navigating the Impact of US
several postgraduate programmes at South Executive Orders on Funding
African universities, including delivering lectures The US Executive Orders on funding have had
on alcohol and NCDs for public health students, a significant impact on MASTRU and threaten
suicide prevention training for psychiatric registrars, the ongoing work with vulnerable populations
seminars for postgraduate diploma students in (including the LGBTQ+ community) and or studies
addiction care, and research methods training for focused on intersections of infectious diseases
master's students in public mental health. and substance use. Loss of funding for our work

SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2024-25 53