Page 65 - SAMRC Annual Report 2024-2025

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Rural Public Health
and Health Transition
Research Unit

Unit director:
Prof. Stephen Tollman
stephen.tollman@wits.ac.za

Advancing Research Priorities: Key Milestones and Achievements
Strategic Objectives and Impact Key highlights include: IMCI-PLUS is an EDCTP funded

At the Rural Health and Health Transition Research trial, with keen WHO interest, addressing antimicrobial
Unit, we take a life course approach to the dramatic resistance through improved management of
changes evolving in rural South and sub-Saharan pneumonias in children (mainly under-5 but extending
communities undergoing a rapid health transition – to 12 years). A novel approach is the use of portable
driven by profound social changes. As illustrations: ultrasound to assist in assessment of bacterial vs viral
causation; data will also inform machine learning
Our projects include an Artificial Intelligence (AI)- algorithms to build the AI capability of the ultrasound
informed ultrasound to help discriminate between probes, thereby enabling wider application in under-
bacterial and viral cases of pneumonia in children; resourced settings. A multisite RCT (SA, Tanzania,
entails a trial underway in SA, Tanzania and Senegal. Senegal) is now underway (n=3500) and, unusually,
first steps of an overlapping implementation-
Findings from a large pilot trial to evaluate the evaluation to be informed by RCT findings.
feasibility, acceptability and effects associated with
a digital intervention to address depression among 2024, saw the endline of a large pilot trial (n=200)
school-going adolescents. Work is now shortlisted focused on depression in rural SA. The intervention,
and involves: a fully powered trial; implementation- co-created with school-going adolescents, involved a
research efforts in Kenya; and a strategic plan to games-based app suited to a low-end smartphone,
address scale-up and sustainability within and supported by peer counsellors from Limpopo and
outside SA. Just published Lancet GH findings Witwatersrand Universities. Findings are under review
involve intense primary research to establish and reflect high feasibility and acceptability, with a
population prevalence of dementias and better clear indication of effect among those with moderate
understand caregiving patterns.
Novel efforts are underway that exemplify STEM
include:

(1) a provincial request to scale-up a structured
approach to empowerment of CHWs (workshops
underway across Mpumalanga),
(2) a well-powered trial of PPE use involving
traditional practitioners with outcomes focusing
on testing for HIV and linkage to care,
(3) formal efforts to introduce (a) machine
learning and (b) entrepreneurial approaches
to unemployed youth of the Agincourt- A new App tackling depression amongst adults.
Bushbuckridge region (Bank SETA funded).

SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2024-25 63