Wits RHI
What We Do
Wits RHI is a hybrid research and implementation Institute that is dynamic, progressive, and responsive to global and local health emergencies. We pioneer cutting-edge science and innovation in the fields of infectious and vaccine preventable diseases; sexual and reproductive health; antimicrobial resistance,climate change and emerging crises.
Our strength lies in our multi-disciplinary and holistic approach to improving health outcomes at a local and global level through research, technical
assistance, advocacy, policy development, implementation science and health systems strengthening. We identify health problems through sound epidemiological methods and qualitative research, and use a range of analytic and research methods to generate evidence and test and evaluate interventions in a real word setting.
We are a part of the the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), a world class African University. We are its largest institute.
We are a Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) and South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) collaborating centre and a strategic partner to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Who We Serve
Our work is focused on populations that are most in need, marginalized, or hard to reach. These include:
- Pregnant women and mother-infant pairs
- Women
- Key populations including adolescents, sex workers and LGBTQI people
- Adults and children living with HIV and TB
Wits RHI in Numbers
Wits RHI Stories
On 1 December 2024, Wits RHI was proudly featured on Weltspiegel, a German news program on Das Erste, highlighting the ongoing efforts to combat HIV and support communities living with AIDS in South Africa. This special feature, titled “South Africa: Everyday Life with AIDS”, showcased the critical role of local healthcare workers,
Innovating Healthcare Delivery. Launched in January 2022, Operation Gophelega is one of Wits RHI’s flagship initiatives, funded by PEPFAR and the CDC. Focused on enhancing HIV and TB care in Gauteng’s Tshwane and Ekurhuleni districts, this program collaborates closely with local health services to implement innovative healthcare solutions.
On 1 December 2024, the global community came together to observe World AIDS Day under the theme “Take the Rights Path.” This theme highlights the critical importance of protecting human rights in the fight against HIV and achieving the goal of ending AIDS by 2030. The latest UNAIDS report underscores how safeguarding human rights leads...
Our People
Featured Projects
HPTN 108/ PAUSE STUDY
The HPTN 108 Study, also known as the PAUSE Study, is a Phase 1, randomized, placebo-controlled trial investigating the safety, efficacy and tolerability of the combination of two long-acting broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), 3BNC117-LS-J and 10-1074-LS-J, in ART-treated adults living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. The study focuses on whether these bNAbs, administered through intravenous infusion, will be safe, well-tolerated, and capable of maintaining durable viral suppression in the absence of antiretroviral therapy (ART) during a monitored analytical treatment interruption (ATI).
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Operation Gophelega
Operation Gophelega kicked off in January 2022 and is one of the largest grants Wits RHI has ever received from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gophelega is at the heart of Wits RHI’s district support partnership programme and our largest health system strengthening initiative to date. The team are working alongside district health services in Tshwane and Ekurhuleni to improve and innovate the delivery of HIV and TB services.
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MOSAIC
Maximizing OptionS to Advance Informed Choice for HIV Prevention (MOSAIC). MOSAIC works across multiple countries to implement user-centered research and research translation efforts to identify, understand, and remove barriers to new product introduction, access, and use; coordinate and provide technical assistance to global, national, and subnational stakeholders to expedite product launch and scale-up; and strengthen the capacity of a wide range of local partners to perform essential functions that support the introduction of HIV prevention products.
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The HEat and HEalth African Transdisciplinary (HEAT) Center
The HEat and HEalth African Transdisciplinary (HE2AT) Center is a five-year project funded by the National Institutes of Health, Common Research Fund. It was launched in 2022 and consists of a data science and analytics platform that helps understand how extreme heat affects vulnerable groups in Africa.
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PALESA
A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess a Model of Decentralised STI-Self Testing and Risk Self-Assessment Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in South Africa to Trigger PrEP Re-start (PALESA). In South Africa (SA), adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) experience high rates of incident HIV infection. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has the potential to impact HIV incidence when used with consistent adherence to the required dosing schedule.
View projectLatest Publications
Impact of single-dose HPV vaccination on HPV 16 and 18 prevalence in South African adolescent girls with and without HIV
Abstract
The World Health Organization has endorsed single-dose human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, but data on the impact on HPV prevalence in high HIV burden settings are limited.
Impact of single-dose HPV vaccination on HPV 16 and 18 prevalence in South African adolescent girls with and without HIV
A systematic review and meta-analysis of heat exposure impacts on maternal, fetal and neonatal health
HIV DNA Levels in Persons Who Acquired HIV in the Setting of Long-Acting Cabotegravir for HIV Prevention: Analysis of Cases from HPTN 083 and 084
South African Parents’ and Grandparents’ Perspectives on the Acceptability of Implant Delivery of Treatment to Young Children with HIV
Wits RHI in the News
The Lancet’s editorial, “Triumphs and Threats: HIV in 2024” (Volume…
Groundbreaking research led by Professor Sinead Delany-Moretlwe of Wits RHI,…
Wits RHI is proud to be a part of the…
Our Donors and Partners
Meet our Donors and Partners
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Established in 1994, Wits RHI is part of the Faculty of Health Sciences and the largest research institute of the University of the Witwatersrand.