Page 89 - SAMRC Annual Report 2023-24

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

The OATB has built on this initial investment by
scoping additional research projects in the area in
order to bring much needed research to the people
of the province. To this end, the OATB is at a very
advanced stage of developing a Social Impact Bond
to improve DR-TB outcomes and to minimize the risk
of resistance to new DR-TB drugs which is a growing
concern. This will be done with the assistance of
a local implementing partner thus adding further
support to the area and capacitating local persons Dr Slingers deliberating Data &
working in the area. evidence in OBCs.

Capacity development and sustainability are
embedded in the Imagine Social Impact Bond
programme. Technical support, training and
mentoring of youth, parents/caregivers, school
management, educators, and community service
providers involved and affiliated in the programme
enable the transference of skills and gearing of all
towards achieving programmatic goals.

Science for creating a Dr Abdullah in panel discussion Relational
healthier society contracting at 2023GO-LAB Soc conference.

Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW)
in South Africa face multiple challenges that
significantly limit their prospects of health and well-
being later in life. A myriad of social, structural and
behavioural challenges is driving high rates of HIV
infections and unintended pregnancies among
young women while simultaneously hindering the
uptake and adherence to available prevention,
treatment and care. Our Imagine Social Impact Bond
is embedded in the local communities of Moretele Safe space services provided to
situated in the Bojanala district in the Northwest AGYW as part of the study.
province and Newcastle in the Amajuba district of
KwaZulu-Natal. These are rural, underserviced areas.
have been taken to a community who is intimately
The purpose of the Imagine Programme is to provide involved with the service.
evidence-based differentiated services to high-
risk young women through a comprehensive set of In celebration of 30 years of
biomedical and psycho-social and structural support
interventions. The provision of a comprehensive democracy in South Africa
set of evidence-based interventions has been The unit is deeply committed to the transformation
highlighted as an effective means to strengthen the and equity goals of the organisation and indeed, the
impact on HIV. We thus took scientific knowledge and country. To this end, the OATB has partnered with
developed a programme that the local community Sefako Makgato University (formerly Medunsa) to
can be intimately involved with and take ownership function as a rotation site for Public Health registrars
of. Regular engagements with school principals have from this previously Black University. This is in line
indicated their deep appreciation for the programme with the SAMRC's commitment of resources to the
and for the tremendous impact it is having on the "...continued promotion of equity and dignity in
lives of young women. There is significant motivation health and health care" as part of the organisation's
for this programme to be scaled up. This is prime acknowledgement of its historical role in inequalities
example of how robust scientific interventions in health and research during apartheid. To this

SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2023-24 87