Page 73 - SAMRC Annual Report 2024-2025

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS UNDER THIS PROGRAMME

Child and Adolescent Lung
Health Research Unit

Unit director:
Prof. Heather Zar
heather.zar@uct.ac.za

Advancing Research Priorities:
Strategic Objectives and Impact
The strategic purpose of the SAMRC Unit on Child
and Adolescent Lung Health is to research the
key health issues affecting child and adolescent
health in South Africa, Africa, and globally. The Unit
conducts research in areas of major importance
to child health including pneumonia, tuberculosis
(TB), HIV-associated illness, Respiratory Syncytial Conducting a nasal swab in a RSV participant.
Virus (RSV), and the developmental origins of health
encompassing growth, respiratory, neurocognitive,
and cardiometabolic health. consortium Report-SA 003 as the only paediatric site
and contributing longitudinal lung function data, and
The overall aim is to develop better diagnostic, samples including new specimens for testing on new,
preventive, and treatment strategies to strengthen platforms with an emphasis on developing point-of-
child health. Studies encompass the epidemiology, care testing.
aetiology and risk factors that influence child health, Studies involve collaboration with other African
improved diagnostic strategies, and the long-term centres and USA partners. In addition, the long-term
impact of exposures on health. The Unit promotes outcome of early life PTB is an ongoing focus.
interdisciplinary work through an extensive network
of international and local collaborations with much The Drakenstein Child Health Study continues to
capacity development through training of health provide cutting-edge novel data on the epidemiology
care professionals and development of infrastructure and early life determinants of childhood illness and
as well as technology transfer. the long-term impact of early exposures on health,
to inform interventions and policy. Research over the
Key Milestones and Achievements past year has investigated the association between
early life exposures and NCD development through
Highlights from this reporting period include: In adolescence, and underlying mechanisms for disease
paediatric TB, development and testing of a new development as the cohort enters adolescence, to
artificial intelligence (AI) platform for chest x-rays provide unique data from a LMIC.
from non-TB LRTI and tuberculosis in children,
collection and analysis of exhaled breath samples Studies of RSV preventive strategies for infants have
from children with suspected TB, participation in the provided important global and local data on the
third iteration of the South African MRC tuberculosis efficacy and safety of maternal immunisation and

SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2024-25 71