Wits RHI
What We Do
Wits RHI is a 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; maternal and family 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 Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, a world class African University, and 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, marginalised, or hard to reach. These include:
- Pregnant women and mother-infant pairs
- Women and Men
- Adults and children living with HIV and TB
Wits RHI in Numbers
Leadership
Featured Projects
GSK Neisseria gonorrhoeae GMMA (NgG)
A multi-country Phase 1/2 trial, conducted in an observer-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled manner, aiming to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the GSK Neisseria gonorrhoeae GMMA (NgG) investigational vaccine in healthy adults aged 18 to 50 (NGG-001).
View project
UBOMI BUHLE
UBOMI BUHLE (2021 -2023, funded by CDC) is a Pregnancy Exposure Registry enrolling pregnant women at designated health facilities in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban and collecting data on their pregnancy and birth outcomes led by Wits WRHI. It provides a platform for tracking risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes as well as for collecting data in other areas, such as birth defects and the safety of dolutegravir-based ART and PrEP.
View project
HIGH Horizons: Heat Indicators for Global Health
The HIGH Horizons Study is designed to address critical knowledge gaps regarding the direct and indirect effects of heat exposure on maternal, newborn, and child health. As climate change exacerbates heat risks, pregnant women, infants, and healthcare workers are identified as particularly vulnerable. The study aims to quantify and monitor these impacts, developing strategies to protect these populations
View project
IMPAACT 2036 CRAYON Study
(Cabotegravir and Rilpivirine Long-Acting Injections in YOung ChildreN) is a Phase I/II clinical trial focused on evaluating the safety, tolerability, acceptability, and pharmacokinetics of a dual long-acting injectable antiretroviral regimen for children living with HIV-1. This study involves oral and injectable formulations of cabotegravir (CAB) and rilpivirine (RPV) in virologically suppressed children aged 2 to under 12 years, weighing between 10 kg and 40 kg.
View project
BIYELA STUDY
The BIYELA Study is a Phase 3 randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of the meningococcal serogroup B vaccine rMenB+OMV NZ (Bexsero) in preventing gonococcal infection among individuals born female in South Africa. This study focuses on sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention, with the primary goal of determining whether the Bexsero vaccine can effectively prevent cervical and/or anorectal gonococcal infections.
View projectLatest Publications
Characterizing HIV seroconversions among a cohort of oral PrEP users in South Africa
Abstract
There has been significant progress in the rollout of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for the prevention of HIV. The introduction of long-acting prevention methods holds the potential to improve HIV prevention uptake and use, however, presents unique complexities regarding HIV diagnosis and potential for resistance. Quantifying and understanding the scenarios within which seroconversions occur may help to inform approaches to identifying acute HIV in programmes delivering PrEP at scale.
Characterizing HIV seroconversions among a cohort of oral PrEP users in South Africa
Preferences for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis formulations and delivery among young African women: results of a discrete choice experiment
Characteristics of children and adolescents with multidrug-resistant and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis and their association with treatment outcomes: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis
Safety and immunogenicity of Ad26.COV2.S in adolescents: Phase 2 randomized clinical trial
Wits RHI in the News
Professor Helen Rees, Executive Director of Wits RHI, appeared on…
Professor Sinead Delany-Moretlwe, Director of Research at Wits RHI, alongside key…
Wits-Alive invites applications for the African Advanced Vaccinology (Afro-ADVAC) Course…
Our Donors and Partners
Footer
Established in 1994, Wits RHI is part of the Faculty of Health Sciences and the largest research institute of the University of the Witwatersrand.