Page 78 - SAMRC AnnualReport 2025-26

HIV, AIDS, TB AND OTHER
RESEARCH
PROGRAMME 3 COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAMME
To conduct research on preventing HIV and
related co-morbidities, including TB and
other infectious diseases such as malaria.
It aims to contribute to the national
and international scientific community
by testing TB drugs and malaria
insecticides, and to carry out the AIDS
Vaccine programme by coordinating the
development and testing of HIV vaccines
in South Africa, in partnership with our
funders and regional counterparts.
UNITS THAT CONSTITUTE THIS PROGRAMME
Antibody Immunity Research Unit (ERU)
Centre for Tuberculosis Research Unit (IRU)
Centre for the Study of Antimicrobial
Resistance Research Unit (ERU)
HIV and other Infectious Diseases Research
Unit (IRU)
HIV-TB Pathogens and Treatment Research
Unit (ERU)
Intersection of Non-Communicable Disease
and Infectious Disease Research Unit (ERU)
Malaria Research Group (IRU)
Office of AIDS and TB Research (IRU)
Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Analytics
Research Unit (ERU)
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PROGRAMME STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
To increase the body of knowledge informing
the development of the response to
prevention and curative interventions for HIV,
AIDS, TB and other communicable diseases.
To increase the contribution to the national
health system by maintaining national health
research facilities that provide services for the
prevention of HIV and related co-morbidities,
including TB.
To provide research grants to principal
investigators responsible for HIV research
in line with European and Developing
Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP)
TESA mandate, provide financial support to
researchers within neighbouring countries for
training in laboratory and research techniques,
utilising funds from sponsors and Unit savings.
To provide leadership and coordinate activities
for training and development of young
scientists and employees at different levels
and to work towards retention of critical skills
and talent management thereof.
To ensure appropriate training of clinical,
laboratory and other research staff, and
communities in and around the research sites.
To increase the body of scientific knowledge
through research translation into products,
patents, papers, policy practice and health
promotion (including to the general public) by
organising meetings, seminars, workshops and
conferences.
To design and construct the most appropriate
and promising HIV candidate vaccines for
southern Africa and to increase the number of
interventions developed for TB and HIV.
To increase the body of scientific evidence
that relates to testing and evaluating medical
equipment and devices that are developed
for the prevention of HIV and related co-
morbidities.