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.
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
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.
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IMPAACT 2028
Early treatment of infants living with HIV offers a unique population in which to investigate long-term clinical, immunologic, and virologic outcomes and to better characterize how early ART impacts HIV infection over time. The overarching goals of IMPAACT 2028 are to establish long-term follow-up of participants who received early treatment for future interventional cure and/or remission trials and to establish a unique biorepository from which additional scientific questions can be answered.
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CHAMNHA (Climate, Heat, and Maternal and Neonatal Health in Africa)
Investigating the impact of environmental heat exposure around the time of childbirth on women’s and children’s health a community and facility-based qualitative inquiry in Burkina Faso and Kenya.
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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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South African Population Research Infrastructure Network (SAPRIN)
Research in the human and social sciences plays a crucial role in driving social, economic, and cultural development and transformation in South Africa. The overarching goal is to enhance the well-being of poorer South Africans, leading to improved health outcomes and socio-economic advancement. To achieve these aims while reducing government costs, the South African Research Infrastructure Roadmap (SARIR) has been established to guide investments in research infrastructure.
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Southern African HIV Clinicians Society guideline on pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV
Abstract
This guideline is an update to the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society (SAHCS) 2020 recommendations on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Previous SAHCS guidance was limited to the provision of oral emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (F/TDF) PrEP. This update includes newer PrEP modalities, including the monthly dapivirine vaginal ring (DVR) and the long-acting cabotegravir intramuscular injection (CAB-LA). It also introduces upcoming modalities such as the long-acting lenacapavir subcutaneous injection (LEN).
Southern African HIV Clinicians Society guideline on pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV
Beyond behavioural change: prioritising structural solutions to control bacterial sexually transmitted infections
Community PrEP delivery for adolescent girls and young women: insights from the DREAMS PrEP Choice Study in Johannesburg, South Africa
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
Wits RHI in the News
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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.