Page 64 - SAMRC AnnualReport 2025-26

Rural Public Health
and Health Transition

Research Unit

UNIT DIRECTOR:
Prof. Stephen Tollman
stephen.tollman@wits.ac.za

Overview of the Research Unit The Unit also pioneers innovative models of
healthcare delivery, including partnerships with
The SAMRC/Wits-Agincourt Unit is a globally
competitive, South Africa-based research Traditional Health Practitioners to provide HIV
organisation dedicated to understanding and testing and linkage to care. Extensive collaboration
responding to rapid and complex health and with African research centres and international
development transitions. The Unit aims to generate partners strengthens the Unit’s regional and
global impact. The EMU is designated as a WHO
high-impact scientific evidence that addresses Collaborating Centre for Verbal Autopsy, while
critical challenges faced by rural and vulnerable
communities, improves the quality of life and senior researchers contribute to landmark African
household well-being, and informs public policy, studies and support the development of emerging
programmes, and practice. scientific leaders.
At the core of the Unit is the Agincourt Health and Key Milestones and Achievements
Socio-Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS), Research programmes across the life course
established more than 30 years ago and linked leverage the Unit’s longitudinal population platform
to clinic and district hospital records. Covering and are underpinned by continuous engagement
approximately 120,000 people across 31 contiguous
villages, the HDSS provides a powerful longitudinal,
population-based platform for monitoring
demographic and health trends and embedding
studies using diverse research designs.
Supported by sustained community engagement,
the Unit conducts cohort studies, clinical trials
and policy evaluations across the life course. Key
areas of research include AI-assisted ultrasound
for childhood pneumonia; scalable interventions to
address adolescent depression; labour migration
and changing health needs; and community-
based studies on ageing, dementia and caregiving,
integrated with HIV/AIDS, cardiometabolic
and social research. The ageing programme
incorporates innovative technologies, including The Kuamsha app demonstrated strong
tablet-based cognitive assessments, AI-enabled uptake and engagement among adolescents
echocardiography and portable MRI, to expand as part of research addressing widespread
access to advanced diagnostics in underserved depression.
settings.

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