Top

Project Highlights

Bongani Bingwa from Radio 702 spoke with Professor Lee Fairlie, Wits RHI’s Director of Maternal and Child Health and Co-National Principal Investigator for the TB vaccine trial in South Africa. In this interview, Prof Fairlie discusses the introduction of a TB vaccine clinical trial and addresses criticisms around vaccine trials.

Read more

Dr Arabang Letebele, Chief of Party for the APACE program in Lejweleputswa District, Free State, recently participated as a panelist at the USAID/Southern Africa BHO PEPFAR Partners Meeting held in Pretoria from 31 October 31 to 1 November 2024.

Read more

Simplifying HIV Treatment for Children and Adolescents. Managing HIV can be challenging for children and teenagers, especially when it comes to taking daily pills. The IMPAACT 2017 and IMPAACT 2036 studies are working to simplify HIV treatment by introducing long-acting injectable (LAI) antiretrovirals (ARVs),

Read more

The OptiMVacc-SA Project aims to enhance maternal vaccination in South Africa through a comprehensive approach: mapping current maternal vaccination services, understanding pregnant women’s knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes towards vaccines, and estimating how many receive vaccines during pregnancy in the public health

Read more

Empowering Maternal and Child Health in South Africa. Ubomi Buhle—which translates to “Life is Beautiful”—is a vital initiative aimed at strengthening healthcare for mothers and infants. Officially known as “Understanding Birth Outcomes for Mothers and Infants, Building Healthcare by Linking Exposures,”

Read more

Promising Steps Forward in TB Vaccine Research. The Gates MRI-TBV02-301 (CommuniTB) Study is advancing TB prevention by testing a new vaccine, M72/AS01E-4, in adults and adolescents, including individuals with and without prior TB exposure and people living with HIV.

Read more

Protecting Our Children Against Norovirus. Norovirus is a major cause of stomach illnesses in infants, leading to many hospitalisations each year. The VAXART Study is testing an innovative oral Norovirus vaccine designed to help protect babies from this harmful virus.

Read more

The ARISE Study is a vital initiative aimed at combating the high rates of STIs and HIV-1 among young women in South Africa. By providing immediate testing and treatment, this study enhances sexual health, prevents the spread of infections, and promotes safer sexual practices.

Read more

Improving Health for Everyone. The PURPOSE 2 Study is committed to enhancing health outcomes for cisgender men, transgender women, transgender men, and non-binary individuals. This groundbreaking research is testing lenacapavir, a long-acting HIV prevention shot

Read more

A New Way to Protect Women from HIV. The HPTN 084 study introduces cabotegravir (CAB-LA)—a groundbreaking injectable shot for HIV prevention, given just once every 8 weeks.

Read more

In Sub-Saharan Africa, young women and girls are disproportionately affected by HIV, making up nearly 60% of new infections. The PURPOSE 1 study is investigating lenacapavir, a groundbreaking injectable drug administered just twice a year.

Read more

Can a Meningitis Vaccine Help Prevent Gonorrhea?  The BIYELA Study is testing if Bexsero, a vaccine that protects against meningococcal meningitis, could also help prevent gonorrhea, a common STI in young women.

Read more

Rutendo Bothma, Co-Investigator of the Jabula Uzibone study under the Key Populations Programme, represented the organisation at the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) conference held in Lisbon, Portugal, from 25 to 30 September 2024.

Read more

On 5 September 2024, the Faculty of Health Sciences at Wits University held its annual Research Day, a significant event dedicated to exploring the theme, “Improving Healthcare through Research and Innovation. The day’s activities took place across the Wits School of Public Health and the Medical School.

Read more

ChaiFM’s Dischem Medical Monday showcased an engaging discussion featuring Dr Faeezah Patel, Senior Research Medical Officer at Wits RHI.  The conversation focused on the stigma surrounding HIV, with Dr Patel offering valuable insights from maternal and pediatric perspectives.  

Read more

In an interview with SABC News, Professor Helen Rees, Executive Director of Wits RHI, discussed the challenges she has faced as a woman in the medical field. She also highlighted the prestigious awards she has received both nationally and internationally.

Read more

The Climate and Health team from the Implementation Science Directorate welcomed Prof Saiqa Mullick, Director of Implementation Science, for a visit to the Laudium Community Health Centre in Tshwane.

Read more

Dr Nkosiphile Ndlovu, Senior Researcher at Wits RHI’s Clinical Trials Directorate, shared with Spotlight that the data presented at CROI is part of an ongoing Phase 2 study. She also mentioned that longer-term data will be presented at an upcoming scientific conference.

Read more

President Cyril Ramaphosa is deeply concerned about the rapid spread of mpox across African Union member states. South Africa is on high alert, having reported 24 laboratory-confirmed cases of mpox, including three deaths.

Read more

The recent outbreak of the Mpox virus has reinvigorated a discussion on cross-continental collaboration in tackling pandemics and the prevalence of vaccine equity between richer and poorer countries, says Professor Helen Rees.  

Read more

At the AIDS 2024 conference in Munich, Germany, HPTN 084 researchers presented new safety and pharmacokinetic (PK) findings for long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) when used before and during pregnancy.

Read more

Dr Nkosiphile Ndlovu, a Senior Research Clinician at Wits RHI Research Centre in the Clinical Trials Division, pointed out that there are two registrational trials looking at the lenacapavir injection for HIV prevention. The one in young women and adolescents that was just reported is called PURPOSE 1. PURPOSE 2, a similar study conducted in...

Read more

Climate change, particularly global warming, poses one of the most significant threats to human health in our time. While the immediate effects of heat exposure during pregnancy, such as preterm birth, have been widely documented, there is growing concern over the long-term consequences that have received less attention. A recent systematic review by Brink et...

Read more

NIH-sponsored study supports cabotegravir use throughout period of reproductive potential. Long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) was safe and well tolerated as HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) before and during pregnancy in the follow-up phase of a global study among cisgender women. The analysis of outcomes from more than 300 pregnancies and infants will be presented at the...

Read more

Top-Level Medical Science in the Heart of Hillbrow,” showcasing the outstanding contributions of Wits RHI. Located in the vibrant heart of Hillbrow, the institute is celebrated for its pioneering research and significant impact on public health. This recognition follows a visit by the Jozi My Jozi delegation to Wits RHI.

Read more

MOSAIC partners with health programs across the region to achieve its goals. These include LVCT Health, an organization based in Kenya; Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, based in South Africa; and Jhpiego, a nonprofit organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University.

Read more

The MOSAIC project, featuring the NextGen Squad, is at the forefront of advancing new prevention methods. Amogelang “Sasha” Kekana, Research Assistant and HIV Prevention Ambassador Mentor at Wits RHI, is one of the three NextGen Squad members leading MOSAIC’s initiatives.

Read more