Cochrane South Africa manages two clinical trial registry databases that are hosted within the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC). The Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR) which is a regional registry of the WHO-ICTRP network was initially established as the Aids, TB, and Malaria trial Registry (ATM registry) in 2007 and relaunched in 2009 as PACTR to include registration of trials studying all diseases or conditions. PACTR is the only African primary registry in the WHO-ICTRP network. The South African National Clinical Trial Register (SANCTR) was established following a call by the South African Department of Health Minister to have clinical trials registered on a public register in 2005 and was redeveloped and hosted by the SAMRC in August 2020. The two registries collect the WHO-required datasets, which provide sufficient information to identify each trial in a publicly accessible domain uniquely.
Portfolio lead: Duduzile Ndwandwe (duduzile.ndwandwe@mrc.ac.za) supported by Lindi Mathebula (lindi.mathebula@mrc.ac.za)
This portfolio represents a coherent and evolving programme of research activities focused on advancing the design, conduct, analysis, reporting, and interpretation of evidence synthesis methods. In line with the Cochrane Collaboration’s mission, it aims to enhance the rigour, transparency, efficiency, and usability of systematic reviews and related outputs to better inform health decisions.
Key activities include:
- Developing and evaluating risk-of-bias tools (e.g. RoB 2, ROBINS-I)
- Methods for incorporating non-randomised studies
- GRADE methodology and decision frameworks
- Rapid review methods and automation tools
- Qualitative evidence synthesis methodology
- Equity considerations in evidence synthesis
- Living systematic reviews and updating strategies
Strengthening Leadership and Coordination for Africa’s Research Readiness
Pandemic Preparedness is a strategic portfolio focused on enhancing Africa’s capacity to anticipate, prepare for, and respond effectively to infectious disease threats with epidemic or pandemic potential. This work builds on critical lessons from COVID-19, Ebola, tuberculosis, and HIV responses, recognising the urgent need for coordinated, context-specific research leadership in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
At the core of this portfolio is the belief that Africa must be equipped not only as a beneficiary of global support but as a leader in pandemic preparedness, response, and research coordination.
What We’re Doing in This Space
Under the Pandemic Preparedness portfolio, the following key initiatives are underway:
- Leadership & Coordination: Supporting African-led coordination mechanisms to guide research preparedness and response, ensuring timely, context-relevant action when outbreaks occur.
- Regional Research Mapping: Conducting a comprehensive mapping of infectious disease research funders and investments to identify gaps and opportunities for alignment.
- Funder Engagement: Surveying and engaging regional and national funders to build a stronger, more representative membership base for Africa within global research alliances.
- Knowledge Consolidation: Synthesising and disseminating lessons from past and current outbreaks to inform future preparedness strategies across the continent.
This portfolio is spearheaded by the GloPID-R Africa Hub, which serves as a platform to expand the continent’s voice in global health research governance and ensures that African priorities are at the centre of global pandemic preparedness agendas.
Portfolio lead: Duduzile Ndwandwe (duduzile.ndwandwe@mrc.ac.za)
There is always a need to improve and bridge the gap between production and dissemination of knowledge, whether to the public or policymakers to help facilitate informed health decisions in policy and practice. Cochrane SA manages the research translation portfolio, which is solely focused on coordinating all activities related to the above. Research Translation (RT) intends to provide information to interested individuals of the public about a wide range of evidence-based resources. We work with researchers to develop a strategy to put research findings into practice at clinical and policy level. The main goal of RT is to ensure that high-quality, up to date and relevant health research evidence reaches the public (patients), healthcare providers and decision-makers. By focusing on the processes through which knowledge is effectively translated into changed decision making, we play a critical role in enabling the creation and delivery of outcome-based learning experiences and ultimately make a positive impact on people’s lives. RT addresses the issue of utilisation of evidence-based research from systematic reviews and uses models which encourage the participation of both researchers and users as well as focusing on bridging research gaps. Some of the activities involved include but not limited to writing up final report summaries and newsletters on health topics, organizing RT meetings or workshops, press releases, webinars and spreading research through social media platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and mass (Radio).
“Medicine is a social science and politics is nothing else but medicine on a large scale...medicine as a social science, as the science of human beings, has the obligation to point out problems and to attempt their theoretical solution; the politician, the practical anthropologist, must find the means for their actual solution”.
(Rudolf Virchow so-called founder of ‘social medicine’)
This portfolio of work seeks to develop a critical social and behavioural science (SBS) for, and of, the evidence-based healthcare landscape in South Africa, Africa and more broadly. The specific objectives are to: 1) Undertake critical SBS research for, and of, the evidence-based healthcare landscape; 2) Provide training, support and mentorship in conducing and interpreting critical SBS research within the evidence-based healthcare landscape; 3) Translate our critical SBS work for consumption by other research and non-research stakeholders so that it has an impact within research, policy and practice
What do we mean by “social and behavioural science” (SBS)?
The social and behavioural sciences include a range of disciplines e.g. anthropology, psychology, sociology, economics with a broad shared focus on understanding individual thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and social practices. In the context of public health, SBS offers insights into the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of health and illness, and is increasingly valued as part of a complex, people-centered approach to tackling multifaceted public health challenges.
What do we mean by “critical”?
A ‘critical’ SBS seeks to reimagine dominant ways of understanding by analysing power structures and relations; unsettling widely held assumptions in public health and uncovering the roots to health problems that lie within social systems and institutions.
More information about our SBS portfolio work is available here, including our flagship Qualitative Evidence Synthesis (QES) Hub
The main role of Cochrane SA is to provide training and support to Cochrane authors in countries for which it is the reference centre. In addition, Cochrane SA is involved in a number of projects which promotes evidence-based practice and policy.
Cochrane South Africa leads innovative research to bridge the gap between vaccine development and real-world public health outcomes. This portfolio focuses on improving vaccine delivery systems, addressing structural barriers, and enhancing equitable access across Africa.
Key areas of work include:
- Missed Opportunities for Vaccination: Identifying and addressing gaps where eligible individuals are not vaccinated, to improve coverage and protect vulnerable populations.
- Evidence-Informed Decision-Making: Strengthening the capacity of healthcare systems and policymakers through data-driven tools that guide vaccine strategy, logistics, and communication.
- Demand-Side Interventions: Developing practical tools and frameworks to understand and reduce vaccine hesitancy, helping build public trust and uptake.
- Knowledge Platforms: Creating accessible, evidence-based repositories to inform vaccination program design and adaptation across the continent.
By addressing both the supply-side and demand-side challenges in immunisation, Cochrane SA equips stakeholders with the knowledge necessary for effective, inclusive, and sustainable vaccine implementation strategies.
Portfolio lead: Duduzile Ndwandwe (duduzile.ndwandwe@mrc.ac.za) supported by Anelisa Jaca (anelisa.jaca@mrc.ac.za )