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).
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
Safety, tolerability, and acceptability of long-acting injectable cabotegravir for HIV prevention in cisgender female adolescents (HPTN 084-01): a single-arm, open-label, phase 2b trial
Abstract
Long-acting formulations of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) appear particularly well suited to adolescents. We aimed to establish the safety, tolerability, and acceptability of long-acting injectable cabotegravir as PrEP in cisgender adolescent girls.
Safety, tolerability, and acceptability of long-acting injectable cabotegravir for HIV prevention in cisgender female adolescents (HPTN 084-01): a single-arm, open-label, phase 2b trial
Safety of combined long-acting injectable cabotegravir and long-acting injectable rilpivirine in virologically suppressed adolescents with HIV (IMPAACT 2017/MOCHA): a phase 1/2, multicentre, open-label, non-comparative, dose-finding study
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
Wits RHI in the News
Professor Lee Fairlie, Director of Maternal and Child Health at…
Professor Helen Rees, Executive Director at Wits RHI, highlighted the…
Professor Lee Fairlie, Director of Maternal and Child Health at…
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.