Latest news with #SAMRC
Mail & Guardian
2 days ago
- Health
- Mail & Guardian
PAMHoYA Project- Where Data Science Meets Youth Voices
The Youth Health Economics Focal Area (Health Systems Research Unit, South Africa) hosted a stakeholder engagement workshop (23 rd June 2025) as part of the launch of their latest project entitled PAMHoYA ( Co-development of a Mental Health Data Discovery P latform a nd H armonisation of Mental H ealth Measures f o r Y oung People in South A frica). A first for mental health data science on the African continent, this project brings together a multi-disciplinary team of health economists, epidemiologists, psychologists, data scientists and lived experience experts from the University of Witwatersrand (co-lead), Stellenbosch University, Sol Plaatje University and University College London. It is one of 20 projects funded under the Mental Health Data Prize Africa initiative, funded by African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) in partnership with Wellcome, United Kingdom ( The aim of the PAMHoYA launch workshop was to i) introduce the project; ii) understand the current mental health landscape for young people from research through to policy and community programmes; iii) establish a multi-disciplinary stakeholder advisory board to guide and feedback on project progress and outputs. Early career mental health epidemiologist, Ms Audrey Moyo (SAMRC/SUN), set the scene by presenting findings from her PhD which showed the high prevalence of common mental health disorders (depressive symptoms 8.5%, anxiety symptoms 7.5%) among 15-24 year-olds in South Africa. However, she indicated that these results must be interpreted with caution as they are based on a limited number of datasets and hence we need Big Data to improve on the accuracy and representativeness of these research findings. Dr Trust Gangaidzo (Principal Investigator- PAMHoYA, WITS) indicated that the PAMHoYA project aims to narrow this research gap by pooling and standardising measures from various South African datasets to paint a more accurate picture of the mental health burden and trends among young people. Early career data manager on the project, Mr Augustine Khumalo (SAMRC) indicated how the project would leverage the South African Population Research Infrastructure Network ( World-renowned mental health academic, Prof Crick Lund (Kings College), highlighted the importance of co-developing mental health solutions with young people and commended the team for ensuring lived experience young expert voices are part of the PAMHoYA project. Local adolescent psychology expert, Prof Eugene David (University of Pretoria), led a panel discussion with mental health advocates working at the frontline to understand their data needs. 'For me, data isn't just numbers – it's a voice. And when youth are in control of that voice, it becomes a catalyst for real, lasting change. Let's use data to drive change, rather than just collecting it for its own sake. Let's use data to build a world where mental health and well-being are accessible to all, and where young people are heard, valued, and supported.' Samukelo Nxumalo (South African Federation for Mental Health) 'Good data means being able to hold someone accountable—whether it's a service provider, someone in an influential position, or someone in power—to ensure that services are available. Data tells a story and reveals the real picture.' (Linda Mazibuko, Lived Experience Expert, University of South Africa). Ms Jeanette Hunter (Deputy Director General Primary Health Care- National Department of Health) and Dr Dudu Shibande (Director for the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Programme) applauded the PAMHoYA team for their efforts in bringing together government partners and civil society to contribute to this important data platform. They highlighted that this data platform would be a gamechanger for strengthening mental health polices and programmes among young people in South Africa. Reflecting on the meeting, Dr Donela Besada, leading mental health economist (SAMRC) indicated that the PAMHoYA dataset fills a critical gap for economic modelling in adolescent mental health. In the South African Mental Health Investment Case ( Dr Darshini Govindasamy (senior PI) closed the meeting by acknowledging the strong support received from the funders for building not just the pipeline of young African mental health data scientists but capacity building lived experience experts alongside the project. For more info, please contact the project leads: Dr Trust Gangaidzo- Post Doc-Health Economics, Centre for Health Policy, University of Witwatersrand ( Dr Darshini Govindasamy- Specialist Scientist- Health Economics (South African Medical Research Council) (
Mail & Guardian
5 days ago
- Health
- Mail & Guardian
National Health Insurance system will mean little if we don't offer the right kind of care
Doctors will need to pay attention not only to a patient's physical health but also the person's emotional, social and psychospiritual aspects. South Africa's healthcare system is 'Of 696 facilities evaluated in the Office of Health Standards Compliance's latest report, only five met 80% of the required performance standards, which include drug availability and proper infection control,' SAMRC writes. Additionally, the healthcare system is facing an exodus of workers. Since July 2023, Then there is the fact that in cases where South Africa can provide care in a strained system, it is not providing the right kinds of care. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) — obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancers and diabetes, for example — remain a major cause of death in the country: in 2010, they caused a similar number of deaths to How we manage NCDs should be a focus of the NHI — but it requires a full recalibration of how we understand health. But in the early 20th century, biomedicine came to the fore, and medical progress began to occur in research and disease management: cancer treatment, vaccines, antibiotics, organ transplants. Medicine became a science, and the point of science is to eliminate subjectivity. This meant the mind and body were separated, and a person's emotions were seen to have nothing to do with a disease. But, in certain cases such as cases of NCDs and mental health issues, treating diseases as purely physical or purely mental has significant drawbacks. NCDs are lifestyle diseases. By their very nature they are diseases that arise from the ways in which a person lives — physically, socially, psychologically and emotionally. But at medical school, doctors are trained to find physical symptoms. When a patient comes in suffering from a chronic ailment — which may have arisen equally from whatever facet of their life, but is now representing itself physically — a doctor looks for and treats the physical issue. The other aspects — the emotional, social and psychospiritual nature of humans — are not given as much attention. The physical problem — the shortness of breath, chest pain, lack of appetite, weakness, trouble sleeping — may be cured. But the sickness goes on. The patient does not become truly healthy. South Africa is full of patients suffering in this way. On top of the huge burden of NCDs, the country has an estimated In the public health system, these people have nowhere to go. Private mental healthcare is financially out of reach for most. It is something of a catch-22: the NHI might provide access to psychologists and psychiatrists, but there is a risk of overwhelming mental health professionals and contributing toward the exodus of medical workers. Furthermore, having one professional treat only a person's mental health continues the problem of treating mind and body as separated from one another. A patient's psychologist and physician might rarely be in contact with one another, if at all. They may treat a patient's symptoms using approaches that are in conflict with one another. This is what is meant when it is said that South Africa's healthcare system — even its private healthcare system — does not always provide the right kinds of care. As South Africa's public healthcare system is overhauled, it is necessary that from the outset it is clear how patients suffering from NCDs and mental health issues will be treated. Medical schools may need to focus on training a new kind of doctor — one who can care for patients holistically: emotionally, physically, socially and beyond that, psychospiritually. Family physicians should be trained in this capacity. While they do learn to perform a three-stage assessment — physical, personal and contextual — they need to go even further and incorporate a person's psychology and spiritual state to treat patients with the utmost effectiveness. No patient suffers in their mind or body alone; these elements are irrevocably connected, and must be treated in tandem with one another. If we treat just one, we treat only half of a human. It is an overhaul that begins with a restructuring of our understanding of health itself. As the Professor Shadrick Mazaza is a specialist family medicine physician and past national chairperson of the South African Academy of Family Physicians.
Telegraph
10-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
US aid cuts threaten South Africa's status as powerhouse of HIV and tuberculosis research
South Africa risks losing its status as a powerhouse of HIV and tuberculosis research as sweeping American funding cuts jeopardise dozens of experimental trials. At least 27 HIV trials and another 20 TB trials in the country have been put at risk by Donald Trump's deep cuts to foreign assistance and global health spending, new analysis shows. Loss of the trials would hit research projects looking for new vaccines into both infections, as well as new long-lasting protective medicines and studies into the best way to treat children. Having intense HIV and TB epidemics as well as world class universities and research institutes has made South Africa a leader in combating the two diseases. Yet while the research has often been led by South African scientists, it has overwhelmingly been conducted with international funding, particularly with 20 years of generous United States government aid spending. Prof Salim Abdool Karim, director of the Centre for the Aids Program of Research in South Africa, said: 'The US is such a big player in our country – South Africa is a powerhouse in medical research because of what the US spends.' The bulk of funding for research came from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), with the country receiving an estimated £111m ($150m) each year. Prof Ntobeko Ntusi, the president and chief executive of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), said earlier this year: 'In many ways the South African health research landscape has been a victim of its own success, because for decades we have been the largest recipients of both [official development assistance] funding from the US for research [and] also the largest recipients of NIH funding outside of the US.' Now, unless alternative sources of money can be found, South African academic and research institutes could lose about 30 per cent of their annual income and may be forced to lay off hundreds of staff, the analysis found. 'There's been a huge dependence on US funding. The loss of it for South Africa means the cancellation of a huge amount of research,' said Tom Ellman, director of the MSF's Southern Africa Medical Unit (SAMU). The joint analysis by Treatment Action Group (TAG) and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) of NIH-funded research found 39 TB and HIV clinical research sites are under threat, placing at least 27 HIV trials and 20 TB trials at risk. The effect of cuts could be wider still, with research also funded through other US channels, including the US President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar), which has been slashed by Donald Trump's administration. Global research 'in peril' Lindsay McKenna, TB project co-director of TAG said: 'Public funding from the US government to South Africa is the scaffold on which pharmaceutical companies, philanthropies, and other governments invest in transformative TB and HIV science.' 'These ongoing funding disruptions by the US government don't just affect US-funded research projects, they put in peril a much wider ecosystem of global research.' Dr Ellman said a combination of the infections found in South Africa, its research base and its strong grass roots activism had combined, with US funding, to make the country so prominent in research. He said: 'For years, South Africa has spearheaded the research and development of critical innovative medical tools for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care of HIV and TB which have saved lives not just within South Africa's borders, but also in communities worldwide.' The country has more HIV patients than any other, with an estimated 8 million currently infected and 105,000 deaths annually. The high prevalence of HIV goes hand-in-hand with a high prevalence of tuberculosis, because TB takes advantage of patients' weakened immune systems. Tuberculosis is the biggest cause of death among those with HIV in South Africa, which recorded 54,000 TB deaths in 2023. At the same time, the country has strong research institutions and universities, and a history of medical innovation, including conducting the first heart transplant in 1969. Finally, the history of the apartheid struggle, and later the fight in the early 2000s to get antiretroviral drugs in the face of government AIDS denialism, has produced well-organised and politically-engaged health activists. According to the joint analysis, HIV trials now at risk include studies into using broadly neutralising antibodies (bNAbs) to find a cure, and also trials into long-lasting anti-HIV preventative jabs. The Brilliant Consortium, a collaboration of African researchers led by the SAMRC working to develop an HIV vaccine, lost all funding even as it was about to begin an early stage vaccine trial. Dr Ellman said: 'I think it would be a disaster if we gave up on the hope of finding an effective vaccine for HIV. All of that has been done with South Africa and without access to South African research and communities, it's not going to be possible.' The emergence of some resistance to antiretroviral drugs has also highlighted the importance of trials to find new drugs which can deal with the phenomenon. HIV trials are also looking at honing and improving existing treatment regimes, as well as simplifying and rolling out expensive techniques first used in the developing world. TB trials at risk include studies for new drugs and shorter, safer regimens for treatment and prevention. The cuts have a ripple effect beyond individual trials, because they also weaken research infrastructure which is used and relied on by other funders. That could have a knock-on effect on trials looking at new TB jab possibilities, including the promising new M72/AS01E vaccine candidate. South Africa is now scrabbling for alternative sources of funding to try to salvage as many of the research projects as possible. Dr Ellman said: 'We call on all potential donors to step up, as without sustained investment, we will never end these deadly epidemics.'
Daily Maverick
04-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
Electronic death registration is a win-win for SA — let's make it happen
Several studies have flagged problems with South Africa's death registration processes. To address it, a critical first step is to replace our paper-based process with an electronic one. A recent report by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) highlights the underreporting of HIV in official mortality statistics. Official cause of death statistics are based on what doctors write on death notification forms. As part of the process of death registration, medical practitioners are required by law to provide information about the medical conditions resulting in each death. Multiple studies have identified concerns about the quality of the information provided by doctors and the Department of Health has been urged in a policy brief to address them as it clearly undermines the quality of data used by our government for health planning and resource allocation. The recently reported study found extensive underreporting of HIV as a cause of death. Only 28% of deaths that occurred in a national sample of public sector hospitals where the medical record had clear clinical indications of HIV, had HIV specified on their death notification form. Aside from ensuring that medical certification of the cause of death is part of the medical training curriculum, and that additional training is provided during internship periods, another key issue to address is that many doctors are reluctant to record HIV/Aids as a cause of death due to concerns about maintaining patient confidentiality. In 2014, a self-sealing section was added to protect information about cause of death on the death notification form, but this has clearly not had the desired effect. Following the deaths of at least 22 children from contaminated food in 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the Department of Health would develop an electronic system for recording causes of death as one of several responses to the emergency. The move to an electronic system offers a strategic opportunity to address the challenge around confidentiality and promises a lot more. It allows for secure, institution-based data management that protects confidentiality, encourages accurate reporting and strengthens the integrity of vital statistics. Benefits of this digital transition will include: Improved data quality and confidentiality, encouraging accurate reporting of sensitive conditions like HIV/Aids; Automated validation checks, reducing certification errors at the point of data entry; Real-time access to mortality data, enabling rapid public health responses; and A platform for quality assurance and feedback, currently not possible in the paper-based system. Ultimately, moving away from a paper-based process of death registration will reduce the administrative burden and improve efficiency across the system. This presents a timely and valuable opportunity to collaborate across departments, including health, home affairs and Statistics South Africa, to modernise the country's civil registration and vital statistics system. We are at a pivotal moment for such coordinated policy action. Investing in a robust electronic system for cause-of-death certification will strengthen South Africa's public health planning, improve disease surveillance and increase accountability. The long-term returns – through faster, more reliable data – are substantial for both governance and health outcomes. It is a win-win. DM Dr Pam Groenewald and Professor Debbie Bradshaw are with the South African Medical Research Council's Burden of Disease Research Unit. Note: Spotlight previously reported on the issues discussed in this opinion piece. That reporting included the sentence: 'In the meantime, routine mortality data from Stats SA should clearly be taken with a pinch of salt.' That sentence may have been construed as reflecting Groenewald and the SAMRC's views. Groenewald has asked us to clarify that it does not. She points out that Stats SA is obligated to process the data it receives and the quality issues stem from what doctors report.
IOL News
21-05-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Unsilencing the struggle: men's mental health and the fight against GBVF in South Africa
Sandile Mlangeni is a 2019 GP-based Activator, he is passionate about youth activism. Sandile regards it as important to contribute his views and experiences to recognised entities seeking to develop communities. He started his journey as an activist in 2012 when he started collaborating with community-based organisations in his hometown in Tsakane and Kwa-Thema Ekurhuleni. Kunzima, bafwethu. Being a man in South Africa means carrying silent battles, pressures to provide financially to your family, expectations to remain strong, and we're told to bury even our deepest pains. We were taught to 'man up, not to open up!' And so, we bottle things in '(sifela ngaphakathi),' a usual setting among men. The statistics are grim: men account for the vast majority of suicides in South Africa, a stark reflection of a mental health crisis festering in silence. As men, we don't talk because we're scared of being judged. We don't seek help because we're afraid of looking weak. This silence isn't just killing men it's fuelling the epidemic of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). It's time to challenge this narrative and redefine strength as vulnerability, because every man's life matters, and so does every woman and children's safety associated with men who are emotionally wounded. South Africa faces a suicide crisis disproportionately claims men. According to The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) estimates a suicide rate of 11.5 per 100 000 people in 2020/21, with men making up 75% of cases. The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) reports 23 known suicides daily, with men consistently making up three-quarters of these deaths, based on data from 2019. For every suicide, ten others have attempted it, pointing to widespread untreated mental distress. Men are five times more likely to die by suicide than women globally, and in South Africa, this gap is even wider. Behind these numbers are stories of despair: 9.7% of South Africans 4.5 million people experience depression in their lifetime, and 70% of those who attempt suicide have a mental health condition. A 2020 report by the World Health Organization (WHO), highlighted that 75% of those with mental illnesses lack access to adequate care, constrained by an underfunded health system, and a culture that stigmatises weakness. Poverty, unemployment, and violence hallmarks of South Africa's socio-economic landscape deepen this crisis. With a Gini coefficient of 63.0, in 2020 the World Bank reported that South Africa is the world's most unequal society, with economic hardship driving suicide risk, particularly for men expected to be providers in their families. The 2024 unemployment rate of 32.9%, as indicated by Stats-SA intensifies this pressure, especially in urban areas where financial instability is severe. Continuous traumatic stress from living in high crime areas or witnessing violence further erodes mental resilience, leaving men feeling trapped and hopeless. According to the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), the silent struggles of men are inseparable from South Africa's GBVF crisis. The country has one of the highest femicide rates globally, with 5.5 women killed per 100 000 by intimate partners in 2020/21. Three women die daily at the hands of someone close to them, and 60% of femicides are committed by intimate partners. Unchecked mental health issues can escalate into violence, with a 2008 study revealing that 19.4% of intimate femicide perpetrators in South Africa died by suicide within a week of the murder. Legal gun ownership, often tied to notions of masculine control, significantly increases this risk. Are patriarchal norms the root of these crises? South Africa's culture equates masculinity with dominance, leaving men unable to process emotions healthily. A 2019 study in Culture, Health and Sexuality noted that practices like lobola, while they are culturally significant, can blind notions of consent, reinforcing ideas of ownership over women. Men need to be re-educated that, they don't have ownership over their wives and they cannot claim them as their property, marriage is an agreement between two people who decided to build their lives together, and start a family. Patriarchy is a double-edged sword, it demands that men must be confident, in control, must have money, and unyielding, yet punishes vulnerability. 'The 'macho male stereotype' expects men to 'man up' and adopt the 'boys don't cry' mentality,' says Dr. Talatala of the South African Society of Psychiatrists. This stigma drives men to suffer in silence, particularly in African contexts where stoicism is a cultural cornerstone. The legacy of apartheid adds another layer. A 2017 study by SAMRC noted historical disenfranchisement and systemic racism have left lasting mental health disparities, with white males overrepresented in suicide statistics due to access to lethal means like firearms. Meanwhile, Black men face unique pressures from intergenerational trauma and economic marginalisation, often without the resources to cope. As a new generation of men, we must rewrite this narrative. Real strength lies in vulnerability in reaching out and asking for help, in saying, 'I'm not okay.' By addressing men's mental health head on, we can dismantle the toxic norms that fuel despair and GBVF. Here's how: Expand Mental Health Access : Integrating mental health services into primary care is cost effective and scalable. Community based programs in low-income areas can reach men where they are, breaking cycles of untreated illness. Organisations like SADAG (0800 567 567) and LifeLine (0861-322-322) offer free counseling and should be amplified. Normalise Help Seeking : Public campaigns can shift perceptions, showing that vulnerability is strength. Social media, radio, and community events can share stories of men who sought help, inspiring others to follow suit. Decriminalising attempted suicide, as advocated by the Southern Africa Litigation Centre, would further reduce stigma. Address Root Causes : Implement policies tackling poverty, unemployment, and gender inequality, as highlighted in the 2020 National Strategic Plan on GBVF. Economic empowerment programs for men can alleviate the pressure to provide, while gender equality initiatives can challenge patriarchal norms. Join the movement. Share your story, support a friend, or reach out for professional help. The silent struggles of men are a crisis we can no longer ignore. If you're reading this and going through the most, you don't have to be alone. Talk. Cry. Pray. Reach out to someone, it could be a friend, a colleague or a pastor. You matter. By breaking the silence, we save not only men's lives but also the families affected by the ripple effects of untreated pain. Let's redefine strength, one conversation at a time, and build a future where no one suffers in silence. This is also a collective fight for men to heal, for women to be safe, and for South Africa to thrive. *Sandile Mlangeni is a 2019 GP-based Activator, he is passionate about youth activism. Sandile regards it as important to contribute his views and experiences to recognised entities seeking to develop communities. He started his journey as an activist in 2012 when he started collaborating with community-based organisations in his hometown in Tsakane and Kwa-Thema Ekurhuleni.
