Page 61 - SAMRC AnnualReport 2025-26

P E R FOR M A NC E I N FOR M A T I ON
participation, avoidance of coercion, and effective
participant communication. Information sheets are
provided to support informed decision-making,
while written informed consent is obtained from
all participants, with assent secured for minors,
reinforcing respect for autonomy and dignity.
World Kidney Day is dedicated to raising
awareness about kidney health worldwide.
World Hypertension Day, take control
Know Your Numbers campaign.
SA M R C A N N U A L R EP O R T 2 0 2 5 / 2 0 2 6 59
Beyond internal capacity development, the NCDRU
promotes community empowerment through
health literacy initiatives, educational outreach,
and advocacy addressing the social determinants
of health. Key activities included outreach events
commemorating World Hypertension Day, World
Heart Day, World Diabetes Day, and World Kidney
Day, all of which provided health education,
screenings, and prevention-focused messaging.
Staff members also contributed their expertise
through participation in various national capacity
development initiatives.
AI in Medical and Health Research
The NCDRU is actively integrating artificial
intelligence (AI) and advanced data-driven
technologies to strengthen health research,
innovation, and evidence-informed decision-making.
Two flagship projects during 2025/2026, the
Multimorbidity Study and the Chronic Kidney Disease
Study, demonstrate the Unit’s application of AI to
enhance research quality, improve risk stratification,
and support proactive, data-driven health system
responses.
The Multimorbidity Study uses unsupervised
machine learning to identify patterns of disease
clustering, enabling deeper understanding of
the complexity and heterogeneity of coexisting
diseases. The study also applies ensemble-based
risk prediction models to identify individuals at high
risk of developing multimorbidity more accurately. In
addition, microsimulation modelling is being used
to assess risk thresholds and estimate the potential
impact of targeted interventions on population
health outcomes. To support decision-making and
policy engagement, the project will develop an
interactive web-based data visualisation platform
that translates complex analytics into accessible and
actionable insights. Implementation is underway in
the Western Cape, with planned expansion to the
Eastern Cape, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal during
2026/2027.
The Chronic Kidney Disease Study is exploring
the use of AI-assisted diabetic retinopathy retinal
screening to support earlier detection of CKD.
Based on the shared microvascular pathways
between retinal and kidney disease, the study uses
retinal imaging as a non-invasive proxy for systemic
vascular damage. By leveraging existing screening
infrastructure, the project aims to develop a scalable
and cost-effective approach to early diagnosis and
integrated disease management. Ethical approval
for the study is currently under review.