Malaria Research Unit

Services offered

Health GIS Centre
The MRU first introduced GIS into its research portfolio in 1990 with the realisation of the need for the spatial analysis of malaria. Since then, the need to develop the GIS capability at the MRU beyond malaria was recognised. This has lead to the formation of the Health GIS Centre which is now considered how a "service" and aims to meet the demands of the MRC organisation as a whole. This capability is internationally recognised, as is evident by the number of international collaborative projects within the Unit. No other organisation in SA focuses primarily on GIS in the health field. The staff within the Health GIS Centre belong to the Natal GIS Society.

To create maps on the internet visit

GIS Training
The MRU has developed a vector GIS training manual and has been actively involved in the training, mainly of collaborators, in database management, vector GIS and Geographical Positioning Systems (GPS). From 1995 to date, 59 individuals from 19 countries (17 African) have been trained. Raster based GIS training is also undertaken but mainly on an individual basis.

The next training course will be held in June 2001.

Laboratory training
Laboratory staff have been involved in training individuals from collaborating organisations and students in laboratory techniques such as Polymerase Chain Reactions, insectary maintenance, continuous culture of Plasmodium falciparum, biochemical analysis of insecticide resistance.