The 16th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, Safety 2026, kicked off at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, with global and South African leaders endorsing a whole-of-society and whole-of-government response to prevent violence, injuries, and other avoidable harms.
As the leading cause of death, cardiovascular disease (CVD) poses a major burden on health care systems worldwide, accounting for approximately one-third of deaths in 2017 alone. Research shows that up to 80% of CVD mortality occur in low-middle income countries (LMIC)s, where the availability and cost of medical imaging remain fragmented. Despite this, existing diagnostic tools are impractical, due to the technical expertise needed to operate them, their enormous size in relation to other medical equipment and related maintenance cost.
The Strengthening Teamwork and Respect (STAR) project led by the SAMRC’s Health Systems Research Group has received new funding from the Medical Research Foundation based in the United Kingdom. The Foundation is an independent charity formed by the UK Medical Research Council over 100 years ago that aims to support vital medical research in underfunded areas.
Cape Town - South Africa's position as a leading clinical research destination in Africa took centre stage as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) convened a National Dialogue on Strengthening the Clinical Trials Ecosystem on 14-15 July 2026 in Cape Town. The two-day meeting brought together a broad range of stakeholders to reflect on the country's strengths, identify opportunities for improvement and help shape a shared vision for the future of clinical trials in South Africa
The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) proudly congratulates Professor Rachel Jewkes, Executive Scientist at the SAMRC and Honorary Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), on receiving the 2025/2026 National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF)-South32 Lifetime Award.