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Building a healthy nation through research

MRC Annual Report 2005 Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Health Parliament, Cape Town October 24, 2005 Prof A D MBewu President, Medical Research Council. Building a healthy nation through research. Contents. Mandate of the MRC Ministry of Health National Department of Health

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Building a healthy nation through research

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  1. MRC Annual Report 2005Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on HealthParliament, Cape TownOctober 24, 2005Prof A D MBewuPresident,Medical Research Council Building a healthy nation through research

  2. Contents • Mandate of the MRC • Ministry of Health • National Department of Health • Research Translation • MRC Mission and Strategic Objectives • Transformation • MRC Personnel • A Knowledge creating company • Inputs, Outputs and Outcomes

  3. Mandate of the MRC MRC : Statutory Council Act 58 of 1969 MRC Mandate : from Act 58 of 1969 MRC Vision : ‘building a healthy nation through research’ MRC Mission : ‘to improve the nation’s health and quality of life through promoting and conducting relevant and responsive health research’

  4. Ministry of Health Government Line Department : NDOH National System of Innovation : DST Parliament : Portfolio Committee on Health Minister of Health: Governance: Board and Chairperson of Board Research President (CEO) Research Priorities (National Health Research Council) MRC Businessplan MRC Budget – to Treasury with NDOH Performance : KPIs and Quarterly Report Annual Report – Annual Financial Statements, etc

  5. National Department of Health Research Priorities MRC Budget R180 million – plus R180 million external income – total R350 million – reliably sustainable year after year (MTEF) Policy

  6. ‘Research Translation’ GRIPP: Getting Research results Into Policy Practice Promotion and Product Research makes no difference to health unless it is translated MRC vision : ‘building a healthy nation through research’

  7. Policy NDOH is the principal channel through which MRC research can improve the health of the nation develops national health policies to be tabled at Parliament and implements them with Provinces sets the norms and standards that guide preventive, health promotive, therapeutic and rehabilitative services for the people of South Africa

  8. Practice stakeholders such as healthcare professionals, social workers etc whose practice is influenced by what they read of MRC research.

  9. (Health) Promotion • legislative and other instruments that create a healthy environment for South Africans; • healthy choices that people can make to protect their health and wellbeing identifies the determinants underlying the behaviours that lead to such diseases determinants such as poverty, lack of education, or gender power imbalances; • explores how the risk factors that arise from these behaviours and behaviours can result in disease – such as the undernutrition arising from poverty causing immune deficiency; • develops and tests interventions that can alter risky behaviours – such as health education or peer modeling to reduce unprotected sex.

  10. Products • patents for new drugs and vaccines, disclosures of new biomedical or public health processes

  11. Mission • The MRC mission is implemented through the following Strategic Objectives: • Research Strategy and Businessplan • Financial Model Strategy & Plan • Opportunity and Risk Management • Capacity building • Informatics and Knowledge Management • Transformation and Development Plan • Research Translation • Stakeholder Management

  12. Transformation • Organisational Culture and Values • Research priorities • Research portfolio • Capacity development • Employment equity profile

  13. Transformation • Organisational Culture and Values • Research priorities • Research portfolio • Capacity development • Employment equity profile In the next 3 – 5 years the MRC expects more black and women scientists to be brought into the research process at the doctoral and postdoctoral level. The opportunity now exists to complete that transformation over the next three years resulting in an MRC that conducts research, relevant and responsive to the health needs of the people of South Africa; and whose personnel fully reflects the demographic profile of South Africa.

  14. MRC Personnel The MRC is a ‘Knowledge creating company’ and people are therefore its most important resource: PERSONNEL 250 Research Scientists in 21 units 250 Technologists 250 Support staff 250 Research scientists in 27 units (800 intramural personnel) 200 Technologists 200 S I R 150 PhD students ~1200 extramural 150 M students ~ 2000 employed by or associated with MRC 250 SAAVI

  15. A Knowledge Creating Company • KNOWLEDGE-CREATING COMPANY PERSONNEL SYSTEMS INFRASTRUCTURE INPUTS OUTPUTS ~publications ~ patents ~ technical reports ~ post graduates OUTCOMES health presence & promoted ~ diseases cured & ? ~ highly skilled (jobs created) ~ foreign exchange ~ socio economic benefits

  16. INPUTS R180 Million Government R180 Million External R360 Million OUTPUTS 700 Peer review publications 300 Non-peer review publications (50% of health sciences in SA) 20 Patents 20 Technical reports 42 PhD graduates per annum 50 M graduates per annum

  17. Research Highlights High Lead Levels in Paint on Children’s Toys Health and Development Research Group Identified the source of high blood lead levels in children; High lead levels in children’s toys; Worked with the National Department of Health to develop a strategy for information dissemination, policy formulation and eradication; An example of research translation at its best.

  18. Chronic Disease • Three MRC Research Units • Chronic Diseases of Lifestyle • Health Promotion Research and Development • Exercise and Sports Science • Provided research data to inform • NDOH Vuka South Africa! Campaign • Youth Fitness Charter • NDOH National Strategy for Healthy Lifestyles Disseminated the results of the NDOH-funded 2002 National Youth Risk Behaviour to communities, health professionals, educators and government. It is hoped to repeat this study, and the Global Youth Tobacco Survey in 2006.

  19. Tuberculosis Health Systems Research Unit Lay health workers (LHW) in the management of patients with TB; Randomized control trial; 8.7% higher successful treatment completion rates amongst workers on farms with LHWs compared to those without. Centre for Molecular and Cellular Biology Molecular technique that reduces the time for diagnosis of multidrug resistant strains of TB from 60-90 days to 4-5 days

  20. HIV and AIDS, and Sexually Transmitted Infection Health Policy Research Group Quality of care provided by GPs in management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs); STIs are thought to be an important determinant of HIV transmission. The Health Promotion Development and Research Group Behavioural science research project on the management of STIs by nurses in Port Elisabeth; Nurses are the most important ‘gatekeepers’ in informing and managing patients concerning STIs and HIV.

  21. Ageing Response of elderly persons in coping with the demands of caring for orphans; Important policy implications for the Department of Social Welfare and the NDOH.

  22. Telemedicine MRC/NDOH Telemedicine Lead Programme Practical and effective to set up telemedicine links to service nurse-directed Primary Health Care clinics in remote rural areas.

  23. Research Translation Office Research translation office Briefing that MRC scientists gave to Parliamentary Portfolio Committees on Health; and on Science and Technology.

  24. South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative Probably the most impressive HIV vaccine development programme in the developing world. Completed two Phase I clinical trials; Phase II trial later this year; Phase III clinical trails within the next few years. • Outputs • effective, affordable locally relevant HIV vaccine • scientists plus the infrastructure of a sustainable vaccine biotechnology industry in South Africa.

  25. Alcohol and Drug Abuse MRC Alcohol and Drug Abuse Unit consistently highlights the devastating and increasing toll that alcohol and drug abuse have on the social fabric and health of South Africans; Over 60% of crimes being committed under the influence of alcohol or drugs; High levels of road traffic injury associated with alcohol abuse; Research data underpinning the Liquor Act; Warning labels by NDOH on alcoholic drinks containers; Work of the Central Drug Authority.

  26. Childhood Diarrhoea 4 - 5 million children die annually; South Africa the annual death toll runs into the thousands; The MRC Diarrhoeal Pathogens Unit at the University of Limpopo has just completed phase I trails of a new rotavirus vaccine for use across Africa; Rotavirus is responsible for 25% of cases of childhood diarrhoea.

  27. Sexually Transmitted Disease The MRC Genital Ulcer Disease Research Unit confirmed the continuing decline in case of chancroid and primary syphilis; changes that may partly underlie the apparent stabilization in the rate of increase of the HIV epidemic. The Unit Director also headed the expert team that investigated the recent outbreak of hospital acquired infection in KwaZulu Natal. The MRC is expanding its research efforts in this field.

  28. Vaginal Microbicides for HIV Prevention The MRC HIV Prevention Research Unit has several clinical trials in various stages of progress; Develop safe, effective, and affordable vaginal microbicides to prevent HIV infection and STDs; Hopefully within a few years a proven agent will be available on the market to allow women to discreetly protect themselves from HIV infection even when their male sexual partner refuses to use protection.

  29. Malaria MRC Malaria Research Lead Programme: the area of St Lucia in Kwazulu Natal has recently been declared malaria free - potential access for tourists; Ten tenders worth R450 million for tourist activity in the area; Incidence of malaria in the Lubombo Corridor between Mozambique and South Africa reduced through spraying with DDT – policy change at WHO; Developing larvicidal agents against malaria using indigenous South African plants. Indigenous Knowldege Systems Lead Programme – novel compounds for malaria from traditional medicines.

  30. Influenza-associated Pneumonia The MRC Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit demonstrated that 30 – 40% of influenza-associated pneumonia in children in Soweto was caused by coinfection with Streptococcus pneumoniae, and that these episodes were prevented by administration of pneumoccocal conjugate vaccine.

  31. Conclusion Just some of the highlights in the MRC research portfolio over the past 12 months. The leading health research institution in South Africa, and one of the foremost in the developing world; MRC’s rich panoply of research is bearing in solutions for the priority health problems that afflict South Africans; Its transformation and capacity development initiatives continue to develop a growing cadre of health researchers – particularly Black African and women scientists. We hope that with the trust placed in us, and the investments made in the MRC by the National Department of Health, Parliament, and the people of South Africa, the organization will continue to expand its efforts in conducting and promoting relevant and responsive health research for the benefit of all South Africans. Prof A D MBewu President Medical Research Council September 27, 2005

  32. http://www.mrc.ac.za Building a healthy nation through research

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