On the 20th of November, SAMRC President and CEO, Prof Ntobeko Ntusi hosted a lecture at the Medicina campus in Cape Town. The event was opened by Prof Ntusi, who welcomed and introduced the speaker, Prof Nuala McGrath who presented “Diabetes Together: a couples-focused intervention to support self-management of Type 2 Diabetes in South Africa”.

As South Africa observes the annual 16 Days of Activism For No Violence Against Women and Children from 25 November – 10 December under the theme “Towards 30 years of the Beijing declaration and platform for action: unite to end violence against women”, it is an opportunity to reflect on the collective commitment to ending violence in all its forms.

Diabetes has become one of South Africa’s most pressing public health issues. It is a leading cause of death and a significant source of morbidity. In 2021, it was estimated that around 4.6 million South African adults between 20 and 79 years old were living with diabetes.

A new World Health Organization Guidelines Report has been launched focusing on the prevention and diagnosis of the Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD). Researchers from the South African Medical Research Council contributed to these guidelines, with Prof Liesl Zühlke – SAMRC Vice-President Extramural Research and Internal Portfolio, being part of the Guidelines Development Group. Profs Tamara Kredo and Mark Engel - Unit Directors from the Health Systems Research Unit and Cochrane South Africa, respectively, were part of the technical working group.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a leading cause of death globally. More than 41 million people die due to NCDs each year. Most of these premature deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. NCDs are on the rise in Africa. NCDs are preventable and share common risk factors such as tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, unhealthy diets, and lack of physical activity. Consumption, of unhealthy diets high in Sugar have been linked to obesity and NCDs.