The South African Medical Research Council’s (SAMRC) Cochrane South Africa (CSA) hosted a high-level delegation from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Science and Innovation Directorate, for a strategic engagement aimed at strengthening evidence synthesis, knowledge translation, and policy-informed decision-making across the continent. The engagement forms part of ongoing collaborative efforts led by Dr Duduzile Ndwandwe, a Specialist Scientist, whose work with Africa CDC continues to position CSA as a trusted technical partner in advancing public health evidence systems in Africa.
The meeting was officially opened and spearheaded by Dr Ndwandwe, alongside the SAMRC Chief Research Operations Officer (CROO), Dr Mongezi Mdluli, signaling strong institutional commitment to regional collaboration and innovation in evidence-informed health policy. The Africa CDC delegation was led by Dr Nebiyu Dereje, who delivered an overview of the Africa CDC Science and Innovation Directorate, followed by a presentation on the Knowledge Management and Policy Translation Division. These presentations highlighted Africa CDC’s strategic priorities in research coordination, data-driven policymaking, and strengthening response systems across Member States.
An overview of Cochrane South Africa’s Vision and Mandate was presented by CSA Unit Director, Prof Mark Engel, highlighting the unit’s leadership in evidence synthesis (qualitative and quantitative), capacity-strengthening initiatives, rapid evidence synthesis in response to outbreaks in Africa, and policy support. Contributions from Mr Ameer Hohlfeld, Dr Sara Cooper, and Dr Anelisa Jaca provided insights into the Evidence-Informed Decision-Making (EIDM) landscape in Africa, showcasing CSA’s role in strengthening policy-relevant research and rapid evidence responses.
Spotlight on Knowledge Management and Digital Innovation
A key highlight of the engagement was a presentation by the Knowledge and Information Management Systems (KIMS) Division, represented by Dr Natasha Langdown, which showcased SAMRC’s digital knowledge management infrastructure and platforms that support: Systematic capture and curation of research outputs, Institutional knowledge sharing and digital repositories, Decision-support tools for policy and programme planning, and Integration of evidence systems with implementation platforms. The presentation reaffirmed SAMRC’s commitment to digital innovation, data integrity, and enterprise-wide knowledge translation.
Key Strategic Themes
Discussions throughout the engagement focused on key themes that position CSA as one of Africa’s leading centres for evidence synthesis and policy translation, including:
- Strengthening African-led evidence ecosystems
- Rapid response evidence for public health emergencies
- Knowledge management and digital decision-support platforms
- Research-to-policy pipelines and guideline development
- Data-sharing, transparency, and trusted knowledge systems
- Long-term continental collaboration between the Africa CDC and the CSA
Advancing a Shared Continental Agenda
The engagement concluded with focused discussions on future areas of structured collaboration, particularly in: Rapid outbreak response and pandemic preparedness, Policy translation platforms, Capacity strengthening, and, Continental knowledge systems for public health impact.
Through Dr Ndwandwe’s leadership and sustained technical engagement with Africa CDC, the visit marks a significant milestone in deepening collaboration between South African and continental institutions to enhance Africa’s ability to generate, translate, and apply high-quality evidence for health system resilience, epidemic preparedness, and public health impact.
