Page 68 - SAMRC Annual Report 2024-2025

Violence, Injury and Social
Asymmetries Research Unit

Unit director:
Prof. Ashley van Niekerk
vnieka4@unisa.ac.za

Advancing Research Priorities: (ii) undertake demonstration prevention that
Strategic Objectives and Impact contributes to contextually sensitive promotive
practices;
The Violence, Injuries and Social Asymmetries
Research Unit (VISARU) studies the epidemiology, (iii) develop innovations and technologies in support
causality, impact and preventability of injuries. The of prevention research and practices; and
Unit has a special interest in the socio-structural
determinants of these injures, including economic (iv) promote the use, reach and influence of research
inequality, energy poverty, gender inequality and to champion prevention, containment and
toxic masculinities, and historical community priority advocacy initiatives.
marginalisation. The Unit draws on public health, VISARU is organised around two strands, Strand I:
social science and environmental disciplinary Injury Information Systems and Injury Studies, and
traditions to enable a critical social justice approach Strand II: Injury Prevention Research, Translation and
to the promotion of safety. Advocacy. Strand I hosts injury information systems.

VISARU was launched in 2024 and is hosted within Strand II comprises research groups on key injuries,
the UNISA Institute for Social and Health Sciences. their priority socio-structural determinants, and
VISARU's objectives are to: preventability. Strand I and II champion innovative
prevention and containment efforts through
(i) conduct trans-disciplinary studies into violence strategic national partnerships.
and injury, with a focus on the structural
determinants of priority injuries; Key Milestones and Achievements

VISARU successfully applied for UNISA Strategic
Funds of ZAR 24 million for 2024-2028. This
institutional support enabled the implementation
of its research portfolio, several post-graduate
placements, and priority research dissemination.
The Unit enhanced its national and international
visibility and presence.

Highlights included the 15th World Conference on
Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion in New Delhi,
where Prof. Ashley van Niekerk, Najuwa Arendse
and Tiffany Hector, respectively presented on violent
burns; the Injury Mortality Surveillance System;
and the impact of long-term poverty and financial
FPS training group. distress on physical assault. Several post-graduate
students presented, including Dr Stela Matsinhe,

66 SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2024-25