Page 57 - SAMRC Annual Report 2024-2025

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Microbial Water Quality
Monitoring Research Unit

Unit director:
Prof. Anthony Okoh
aokoh@ufh.ac.za

Advancing Research Priorities:
Strategic Objectives and Impact

Our strategic objectives and priorities strive to
be a highly profitable centre of excellence for the
development of the next generation of microbial
water resource and sanitation specialists, and to
be a leader in proffering solutions to the myriads
of water and sanitation challenges in South Africa
and beyond. Our focal themes include water/
wastewater quality and genomics including related
emerging infectious diseases and survival of the
pathogens; emerging chemical pollutants and
their health implications; reservoirs of antibiotic
resistance; and new bioactive compounds of health
and biotechnological importance. Our mandate
is particularly driven by the serious problem of
shortage of skilled manpower in the water and
sanitation sectors, especially amongst previously
disadvantaged demographic groups, and the need
to finding solutions to this reality.
Prof Okoh University of Fort Hare graduation.
Hence all our research activities are geared
toward impacting the South African society and
the larger scientific community by contributing
to alleviating these challenges. The following are Key Milestones and Achievements
projects we were actively engaged in during this During the year under review, our EMU achieved
cycle include wastewater coronavirus surveillance several noteworthy milestones. A total of 23 articles
team; antimicrobial resistance in the food-water- were published, reflecting the team's ongoing
agricultural products interphase; desalination of commitment to research excellence. Our Director, Prof
seawater by freshwater and marine cyanobacterial AI Okoh, received several prestigious appointments,
strains; environmental pollutants; and surveillance of including Chairperson of the Membership Advisory
emerging infectious diseases of zoonotic importance Committee (Biosciences) of the African Academy of
in livestock in the Eastern Cape Province. Sciences and Chairperson of the Programme and

SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2024-25 55