Page 60 - SAMRC Annual Report 2024-2025

Non-Communicable
Diseases Research Unit

Acting Manager:
Prof. Zandile Mchiza
zandile.mchiza@mrc.ac.za

Advancing Research Priorities: SAMRC and The George Institute (TGI) Funding for
Strategic Objectives and Impact the CODAD Study, which is a collaborative between
SAMRC and the George Institute that has progressed
The NCDRU focused on 4 strategic objectives well, such that the Co-Principal Investigator and
namely: To understand the epidemiology, Co-Investigator on this study from India visited the
presentation, extent and determinants of NCDs SAMRC in February 2025, with the plan to hold
in South Africa, to identify gaps in NCD research
and to support NCD prioritisation & policymaking another collaborative meeting in India to draft the
by the South African governments. To engage in protocol for the development of an intervention and
the mechanism of producing capable protocols to the scaling-up of this project.
attract funding that will sustain and advance the The NRF KIC2 and the NRF Rating grants to conduct
unit's academic and scientific endeavours. Further, competitive research that support the SADPP
to commit to scholarly pursuits that make NCDRU and ECDPP research studies and the NCDRU and
research relevant and beneficial to the South African NCDART-MC studies that are conducted by our
society by conducting implementation research recently C2-rated specialist scientist Prof Perpetua
that generates health knowledge that informs the Modjadji.
community needs and addresses social issues.
The SAMRC – UKRI MRC – that funded the
Notable research projects study aimed at unravelling the complexity of
undertaken in 2024/2025 includes: multimorbidity in South Africa: integrating advanced
SmokRED (Smoking Reduction) Study: Evaluating analytics, capacity building, and collaborative
smoking cessation approaches among South research. The IPD grant to strengthen CKD research
Africans with HIV/AIDS: a pilot randomised control collaboration in Africa aimed at facilitating multi-
trial': This study is being conducted at HIV clinics country data collaborations, knowledge exchange,
in the Western Cape and comprises 2 phases that and the development of standardised CKD
aim to: i) Adapt an existing telehealth intervention screening protocols. This collaboration impact: 1)
for reducing combustible cigarette use in the South Enhanced regional and international cooperation
African context, and ii) Determine the feasibility in CKD research; 2) Improved CKD data-sharing;
and acceptability of the adapted intervention 3) Strengthened advocacy efforts for CKD policy
(primary outcomes) and ii]. Estimate and compare integration at national and regional levels.
the preliminary effects of e-cigarettes and nicotine
replacement therapy on Combustible Cigarette Finally, Germany's Federal Ministry of Food and
reduction in a pilot RCT. Agriculture (BMEL) that funds all the activities and
collaboration processes of the FoodSAMSA project
Key Milestones and Achievements aimed at understanding the food environment and

NCDRU projects are funded via national and its role in the development of the DBM and nutrition
international funding instruments namely: The and cardiometabolic diseases in South Africa.

58 SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2024-25