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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

Staff Members
2500+
Research and Implementation Sites
52
Current Active Grants
67
Published Academic Journals (2024)
102

Leadership

Latest 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

Authors

Stranix-Chibanda L, Hamilton EL, Ngo J, Jiao Y, Hanscom B, Choudhury RP, Agyei Y, Piwowar-Manning E, Marzinke M, Delany-Moretlwe S, Mgodi N, Siziba B, Naidoo I, Mirembe GB, Kamira B, McCoig C, Adeyeye A, Spiegel HML, Hosek S, for the HPTN 084-01 Protocol Team. (2025)

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.

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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

Stranix-Chibanda L, Hamilton EL, Ngo J, Jiao Y, Hanscom B, Choudhury RP, Agyei Y, Piwowar-Manning E, Marzinke M, Delany-Moretlwe S, Mgodi N, Siziba B, Naidoo I, Mirembe GB, Kamira B,…

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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

Bolton Moore C, Baltrusaitis K, Best BM, Moye JH, Townley E, Violari A, Heckman B, Buisson S, Van Solingen-Ristea RM, Capparelli EV, Marzinke MA, Lowenthal ED, Ward S, Krotje C,…

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Characterizing HIV seroconversions among a cohort of oral PrEP users in South Africa

Martin CE, Ramatsoma H, Chidumwa G, Cox LA, Mullick S. (2025)

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Preferences for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis formulations and delivery among young African women: results of a discrete choice experiment

Dlamini WW, Mirembe BG, Krows ML, Peacock S, Kotze PL, Selepe P, Smit J, Mandona N, Louw C, Nuwagaba-Biribonwoha H, Omollo VO, Zwane Z, Panchia R, Mwelase N, Senne M,…

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Wits RHI in the News

Professor Helen Rees, Executive Director at Wits RHI, highlighted the…

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Professor Lee Fairlie, Director of Maternal and Child Health at…

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