Page 62 - SAMRC Annual Report 2024-2025

a training programme. Our application made it We conducted policy advocacy: by producing policy
to the second round, however due to the current briefs for the District Health Barometer and these
embargo placed by the Trump administration, the will be published with the Health System Trust. We
outcome is not yet known. produced policy briefs to engage various levels of
health systems to advocate workable solutions to
Finally, because NCDRU engages in community- improve health, well-being and food environment in
based participatory research: in this case we South Africa. We also convened Formal Knowledge
involve the community in all stages of our research Translation Exchange Sessions (through conferencing,
processes, as a form of enhancing its relevance and workshops, webinars and seminars) targeting scientists
applicability to community issues. Three non-profit at the SAMRC, students at universities, as well as our
organisations, Etafeni, Khethimpilo, and ANOVA international collaborators. We actively engaged the
that oversee the community workers operating in public through various mediums: by hosting public
the three townships of Kensington, Nyanga, and lectures, engaging via health days/campaigns), and
Gugulethu, respectively, have been working with publishing health-related articles and media briefs
us on our FoodSAMSA project initiatives. Since via different forms of media – including formal and
the operations of these NGOs are partially funded social media. Finally, from the FoodSAMSA project
through the USAID, parts of their structures have we engaged our communities through storytelling
since been disbanded. The community worker using our newly developed Multi-Medi Education-
coordinators and NGO management whose Entertainment instruments that are in the form of
employment contracts were solely funded via USAID entertaining video clips and comic booklets to impart
have been terminated. health education.

Research Translation Through Arts
and Science
Examples of Scholarship of Engagement Activities
that NCDRU have undertaken include:
Within the current financial year, researchers at
NCDRU published i) Manuscripts and editorials
with reputable international journals, ii) edited a
book on Metabolic Syndrome with collaborators
from UL and Amsterdam Medical Centre,
Netherlands with IntechOpen, iii) a book chapter
with De Gruyter that explored engagement FoodSAMSA Consortium in-person meeting
strategies that are used by South African experts German partners from Ludwig Maximilian
to promote healthy diets to influence policymakers, University.
food producers and the public.

60 SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2024-25