Media statements

Media release on the occasion of the launch of the 2005/6 Annual Report of The South African Medical Research Council

It has been another productive year for research outputs at the Medical Research Council. Outlined in the latest Annual Report, tabled in parliament recently are the record of our research productivity and research highlights.  

In the area of Research Productivity the Medical Research Council has been one of the few research institutions in South Africa to show consistent growth over the past ten years. Peer-reviewed publications have grown by 8.8% over the past year, from 568 in the year 2004/5 to 618 in the year 2005/6.

This is the largest research output of any dedicated health research institution in South Africa, and possibly on the African continent.

The following information proves this point, they are:

• The MRC produces 40% of all health research publications in South Africa, despite receiving only 10% of the health research expenditure in the private and public sectors.
• The ratio of peer-reviewed publications per senior scientist is 1.8, up from the ratio of 1.13 in 2005 (61%increase). This productivity ratio is higher than that of most research institutions in South Africa.
• In terms of the entire South African science system, a report from the Academy of Science of South Africa notes that 16 000 academics publish about 7 000 research papers a year.
• The MRC therefore produces nearly 10% of South Africa’s research output with only 3.7% of South Africa’s scientists; suggesting that MRC scientists are three times as productive as South African scientists in general. This is a testimony both to the hard work of MRC scientists and support staff and to the excellence of the work they produce.

In the area of Research Excellence, not only have we increased our volume of research production in terms of peer-reviewed publication, the MRC also strives to maintain and extend the excellence of its research. This can be measured in a number of ways.

• One measure is the number of prestigious NIH RO1 grants held by MRC scientists, which, currently stands at 6: more than any other South African institution (Reddy: 2, Morojele: 1, Vaughan: 1, Jewkes: 1 and Mathews: 1).
• Another measure of MRC research excellence is the number of MRC unit directors who are A-rated by the National Research Foundation (NRF). The number currently stands at five - more than any other health research institution, and two more than in 2004/05. The A-rated scientists are Pettifor, Opie, Noakes, Brombacher and Vaughan.
• In addition, three MRC scientists have B-ratings with the NRF (Gelderblom, Shephard and Sewram); and three have NRF Presidential P ratings (Mayosi, Moolman-Smook and Nieslar).
• Several MRC scientists hold Wellcome Trust Fellowships (Passmore, Moolman-Smook); and one, Prof Himla Soodyall, was awarded the Order of Mapungubwe by President Thabo Mbeki.

In the area of Capacity Development at the MRC, it has remained steady, with a 22% increase in the number of PhD students enrolled in the 47 MRC research units, up from 176 in 2005 to 215 in 2006.

• A total of 49 PhDs graduated in the past year.
• Of the 215 PhD students in MRC research units, 49 are funded by the MRC and 18 (37%) of these were African black.

The transformation agenda embarked upon by the MRC Board is clearly bearing fruit, with its emphasis on the training of black and female scientists at doctoral and post-doctoral level.
Allow me to highlight a few exciting research highlights from our 45 research units throughout South Africa.

SOUTH AFRICAN AIDS VACCINE INITIATIVE (SAAVI)
After a very difficult and turbulent year in 2005 following the departure of the previous director, the South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative continues to grow from strength to strength. In the third round of funding for 2006-2009, grants totalling R50 million a year have been awarded via a competitive and internationally peer-reviewed evaluation mechanism.

• Programmes funded include innovative approaches to vaccine design, as well as the development of clinical infrastructure in which to undertake clinical trials. The number of principal investigators receiving funding grants has increased to 22, with dramatic transformation in their profile to include fourteen women (60%) and ten black investigators (40%).
• Furthermore, funding has been allocated to developing clinical infrastructure in three historically disadvantaged institutions and in rural areas, with the number of clinical trial sites doubling from three to six - encompassing six of the nine provinces of South Africa.
• Finally, the community and behavioural science components of the research programme have been strengthened as SAAVI moves quickly to phase II and III clinical trials of HIV vaccines with large numbers of participants over the next few years.

MALARIA LEAD PROGRAMME
The high incidence of malaria within the Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative (LSDI) region was assessed to be one of the major stumbling blocks in developing the region into a competitive economic area.
To this end the LSDI set up a malaria control programme comprising two arms:

• Vector control by indoor residual spraying and parasite control by definitive diagnosis and effective treatment. Definitive diagnosis has been improved through the introduction of rapid diagnostic tests at all health facilities within the region.
• Following the WHO recommendation that artemisinin based combination therapy (ACT) replace the more commonly used monotherapies like chloroquine and sulphadoxinepyrimethamine (SP), the ACT artesunate-SP (AS-SP) was introduced as the first choice antimalarial in zone 1 in 2004.

HEALTH & DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH GROUP
One of the key research highlights performed this last year by this unit has been the discovery of high blood lead levels (in painted toys) that are high enough to be causing reductions in their IQ scores, inhibiting their performance at school, and compromising their ability to achieve over their lifetimes.

• Another successful research highlight has been the phasing out of the use leaded petrol in South Africa, since 1 January 2006.

ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE RESEARCH UNIT
The Unit’s work in the area of alcohol and drug abuse has resulted in policy changes in norms and standards for drug treatment centres.

• Research done in the unit ha sled to the production of a practical tool that is effectively helping community members and the South African Police Services fight drugs on the streets: the South African Drug Enforcement Handbook, a guide to identifying street drugs and the people that use and sell them. The pocket size handbook is available in English. The handbook is available to anyone, ideally for parents/educators in helping them to recognise drugs, understand the effects and perceive the signs of drug consumption and dealing.
• The unit’s work on drugs highlights that Cape Town appears to be the methamphetamine capital of South Africa, with 98% of methamphetamine patients seen across the provinces coming from Cape Town.

HIV PREVENTION RESEARCH UNIT
The MRC’s HIV and AIDS Lead Programme under the leadership of Prof Gita Ramjee is an important step towards a truly integrated and focused approached to HIV research in South Africa. This unit has been busy with a few late stage HIV-prevention trials of various microbicides.
The above-mentioned research highlights are only but a few of the many we have had this year.

In the area of Research Translation, the MRC has again showed leadership in this area. Research makes no difference to health and quality of life unless it is translated into policy, practice, products and health promotion.

Highlights in research translation in the past year included the:

• Youth Fitness Charter and the Vuka South Africa! Movement, which aim to get young people and South Africans in general physically active in order to improve and protect their health. These have been the culmination of years of productive work done by the Health Promotion Directorate of the National Department of Health and several MRC units, including Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Health Promotion Research and Development and Chronic Diseases of Lifestyle. The National Youth Risk Behaviour Survey was particularly influential in this regard.
• Translation of the results of MRC research over many years, particularly that of the Health and Development Research Group, was instrumental in legislation phasing out the use of leaded petrol in South Africa as from 1 January 2006, the decision by the Department of Health to regulate the use of lead in paint and the launch of the first nationwide lead awareness campaign by the Minister of Health.

I am pleased to present to you the South African Medical Research Council’s Annual Report of 2005/6. I urge you to read the Annual Report and to engage with any of our research units.