A short general history of the MRC

A change of era
For most of its existence the work of the MRC was conducted, and results achieved, during a period of increasing foreign hostility and internal dissension resulting from the government's official racist policy as encompassed by the term 'apartheid'. International isolation and boycotts mounted, and the President's review of the MRC's situation in 1988 noted that: "Attendance at international congresses overseas has, however, been made more difficult, not as a result of the organisers being unwilling to admit South Africans, but because acquisition of visas has been difficult, especially for countries like Canada and Australia." The same report recorded just three instances of international contact at conference level, with Israel, Taiwan and Chile.

In all spheres of South African life the message was gradually being driven home that human rights could not be doled out on a sliding scale according to gender, colour or any other qualification. It was argued that a council or committee selected on these criteria was worse than merely non-representative: it was almost certainly bound to be skewed in its outlook. Where medical science was concerned, the excellence of research was not questioned, but what has been queried was whether the research conformed more to the ideal of "we wish to know" or to"building a healthy nation" in the broadest sense.

In his report for 1989, the President declared that the MRC "felt the need to review its mission" and, simultaneously, to consider the appropriateness of maintaining its several institutes. The MRC had "to examine whether the manner in which research is practised, supported and managed is still suitable in a changing South Africa.". The President also stated that "The MRC considers collaboration with our neighbouring states and countries further north as vitally important" and he observed that "Africa's diseases do not respect geographical borders.".

The 1991 report by the Chairman (Dr F. P. Retief - the board's first independent Chairman) announced the implementation of the new Medical Research Council Act (No. 58 of 1991). The board saw its role as "determining research policy" and ensuring its implementation and continuous evaluation. Managerial responsibilities were to be carried out by the President (Dr Philip van Heerden) and an executive committee appointed by the Board. The new Act separated the roles of President and Chairperson, the Chairperson being appointed by the Minister and the President becoming an employee of the Board.

"The Board's main task is the determination of research priorities in the light of the health needs of southern Africa." It is interesting that the chairman's reference was to southern Africa, not merely South Africa, an indication that vision and research, like diseases, were capable of crossing borders. The institute structure of the MRC's 'own research' programme was acknowledged to be obsolete and was to be replaced by the more flexible approach in which not only 'own' projects, but those of the council's partners in research were to be embodied. The basis of the system was that research was to be conducted wherever "it will be most effectively handled".