Page 99 - SAMRC Annual Report 2023-24

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Burden of Disease
Research Unit

Unit director:
Prof. Richard Matzopoulos

Prioritising responsive research Registration System (EDRS). Initial findings are that
through impactful interventions EDRS could improve the timeliness, access and
quality of cause of death data, and reduce burden
As an essential foundation for guiding policy, on staff of the current paper-based system. Work as
programmes and practice, the Burden of Disease part of an international consortium on making a case
Research Unit’s (BODRU) mission is to assess and for investing in routine health information systems
monitor the country's health status and determinants (RHIS), has shown that such a system has potential
of disease. We strive to calculate disease burden
and risk factors, which gets revised when updated to improve quality of care and have a large return on
data and/or new methods become available. The investment.
current disease burden is used to project the future
burden to provide planning information. It is also Equitable capacity development
our mission to evaluate health information and for empowering communities
surveillance systems.
BODRU continues to support capacity development
Our aim in the burden of disease analyses and and transfer of skills in burden of disease
synthesis is to take information from the National methodology essential to the work of the unit.
Population Register (NPR) and death notification Staff are encouraged and supported to pursue
forms to adjust it for known deficiencies such as postgraduate studies to build skills relevant to the
incomplete death registration, misclassification unit's needs. In the past year several staff members
of HIV and injury deaths and a redistribution of ill- completed or are currently enrolled in postgraduate
defined causes of death across valid underlying programmes, including 3 PhD studies, 2 masters
causes to provide information fit for use to improve and 2 post-graduate diplomas. Furthermore, one
population health and quality of life. of our professional support staff is completing an
undergraduate degree and GCP training is ongoing
The 3rd Injury Mortality Survey (IMS) showed suicides,
unintentional injuries and homicides with a noted for all research staff.
increase in firearm homicides in 2020/21 relative to BODRU staff are also mentoring and passing on
2009 remain high in South Africa. However, overall their skills to the broader scientific community to
non-natural and transport-related deaths declined grow the pool of people with research and burden
during 2020/21 largely due to COVID-19 related of disease skills in the country through supervision
restrictions. These findings highlight the need for of postdoctoral, doctoral and masters students.
appropriate policies and programmes on firearms, Senior staff, some of whom hold honorary positions
alcohol, mental health and road safety in the country.
as research associates and professors, are involved
Faced with the challenge of obtaining timely cause in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching at the
of death statistics, BODRU in collaboration with University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, the
multi-stakeholder partners has initiated a project University of the Western Cape, and the University of
to inform the development of an Electronic Death KwaZulu-Natal.

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