On 18 March 2025, the South African Medical Research Council’s Burden of Disease Research Unit (BODRU) and Mental Health, Alcohol, Substance Use and Tobacco Research Unit (MAST-RU) hosted a briefing on the Alcohol Diagnostic Validation for Injury-Related Trauma (AVIRT) study at the Medicina campus in Cape Town. The study forms part of a collaboration with The George Institute for Global Health UK and the University of Cape Town and took place in the form of a hybrid seminar.

African traditional medicines (ATMs) have been a cornerstone of healthcare for centuries, yet they remain underappreciated and underutilised in modern health systems. With the challenges facing mainstream healthcare in South Africa and across the continent, there is an urgent need to recognise the potential of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) not only to improve health outcomes but also to boost the economy.

Cuts to United States funding of health research could have “catastrophic” consequences, says Professor Ntobeko Ntusi, who is at the helm of the country’s primary health research funder. He says the South African Medical Research Council is “heavily exposed” to the cuts, with around 28% of its budget coming from US federal agencies.

No country can achieve sustainable development without building capacity in science and technology. So, there’s a need to reinforce science education, to train a critical mass of researchers, and to create research infrastructure that facilitate an environment where innovation can thrive.

On 20 February 2025, The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) will, on Thursday 20 February 2025, host its 11th Scientific Merit Awards to celebrate some of the finest scientific minds in health research.