Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit
Director:
Prof. Keith P Klugman
E-mail: keith.klugman@nhls.ac.za
Co-director: Prof. Shabir Madhi
E-mail: madhis@hivsa.com
Introduction
The original research mandate of the Unit was to investigate pneumococcal diseases at the molecular, epidemiological, clinical and pharmacological levels. As the World Health Organization began to organize surveillance programs for the major pathogens causing pneumonia and meningitis in Africa, it became essential for the research unit to position itself as a reference centre for these studies in most of sub-Saharan Africa. The perception of a “Pneumococcal Diseases Research Unit” was that such a unit would be primarily focused on pneumonia, the disease most associated with the pneumococcus, rather than on meningitis which is, and has always been an important part of this research unit. It was therefore decided, with the agreement of all of the partners, to change the name of the unit to the “Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit”. The name change has not altered the mandate of the Unit but has brought the name of the Unit more in line with the existing mandate of the Unit. Over the past few years, largely through the direction of Professor Madhi, the Unit has broadened its activities to include research on respiratory viruses, and the interaction between those viruses and the bacterial causes of meningitis, otitis, sinusitis and pneumonia.
The activities of the Unit are currently focused on the following key areas:
- National laboratory-based surveillance for S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae and N. meningitidis
- Antimicrobial resistance in respiratory pathogens
- Development of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines and development of common protein- antigen vaccines
- Studies on the impact of the HIV pandemic on pneumococcal diseases eg. pneumonia, meningitis, otitis media and sinusitis, and effectiveness of bacterial-conjugate vaccines.
- Studies on the respiratory viruses and their interaction with bacteria in the cause of respiratory infections
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