At the South African Medical Research Council, we celebrate the capacity of collective minds working towards a common goal of improving health for all. To that end the organisation values and builds partnerships with many stakeholders at local, national, regional and international levels. One such example is with the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP), which is a partnership between the governments of 15 European and 30 African countries and the European Commission, working together to alleviate the health and economic burden of infectious diseases in Africa.

The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) participated at the highly anticipated 4th G20 Health Working Group Meeting, taking place from 9 -13 June 2025 at the Melrose Arch, Gauteng, South Africa (SA). Dr Michelle Mulder, Executive Director: Grants, Innovation and Product Development (GIPD) and Director: Office of AIDS and TB (OATB) Prof Fareed Abdullah were distinguished invited speakers for several respective sessions. SAMRC Vice President Liesl Zühlke, a board member of the NCD Alliance spoke on behalf of the NCD Alliance.

The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) continues to cement its position as a global leader in health research, with internationally recognised experts delivering insights on the world stage. At the 22nd Lancefield International Symposium on Streptococci and Streptococcal Diseases (LISSSD) held from 1–5 June 2025 in Brisbane, Australia, SAMRC Vice-President Prof Liesl Zühlke delivered a keynote lecture titled “Rheumatic Heart Disease Interventions for Prevention in Africa: Current Status and Future Priorities.”

By 2030, non-communicable diseases will account for 75% of all deaths annually. Eighty percent of these will be in the global south. Most of these diseases are what we call silent killers: type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, as well as certain types of cancer at increasingly younger ages.

Moving away from a paper-based process will reduce the administrative burden and improve efficiency across the system

Several studies have flagged problems with South Africa’s death registration processes. A critical first step to addressing it is to replace our paper-based process with an electronic one, argue Dr Pam Groenewald and Prof Debbie Bradshaw, both of the South African Medical Research Council’s (SAMRC) Burden of Disease Research Unit.