Building a healthy nation

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MRC Annual Report 2005Presentation to the
Portfolio Committee on HealthParliament, Cape
TownOctober 24, 2005Prof A D
MBewuPresident,Medical Research Council

• Building a healthy nation
• through research

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Contents

1. Mandate of the MRC
2. Ministry of Health
3. National Department of Health
4. Research Translation
5. MRC Mission and Strategic Objectives
6. Transformation
7. MRC Personnel
8. A Knowledge creating company
9. Inputs, Outputs and Outcomes

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Mandate of the MRC
MRC Statutory Council Act 58 of 1969 MRC
Mandate from Act 58 of 1969 MRC Vision
building a healthy nation through research MRC
Mission to improve the nations health and
quality of life through promoting and
conducting relevant and responsive health
research
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Ministry of Health
Government Line Department NDOH National
System of Innovation DST Parliament
Portfolio Committee on Health Minister of
Health Governance Board and Chairperson of
Board Research President (CEO) Research
Priorities (National Health Research
Council) MRC Businessplan MRC Budget to
Treasury with NDOH Performance KPIs and
Quarterly Report Annual Report Annual
Financial Statements, etc
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National Department of Health
Research Priorities MRC Budget R180 million
plus R180 million external income total R350
million reliably sustainable year after
year (MTEF) Policy
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Research Translation
GRIPP Getting Research results Into
Policy Practice Promotion and Product Researc
h makes no difference to health unless it is
translated MRC vision building a healthy
nation through research
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Policy
NDOH is the principal channel through which MRC
research can improve the health of the nation
develops national health policies to be tabled at
Parliament and implements them with Provinces
sets the norms and standards that guide
preventive, health promotive, therapeutic and
rehabilitative services for the people of South
Africa
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Practice
stakeholders such as healthcare professionals,
social workers etc whose practice is influenced
by what they read of MRC research.
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(Health) Promotion

• legislative and other instruments that create a
  healthy environment for South Africans
• healthy choices that people can make to protect
  their health and wellbeing identifies the
  determinants underlying the behaviours that lead
  to such diseases determinants such as poverty,
  lack of education, or gender power imbalances
• explores how the risk factors that arise from
  these behaviours and behaviours can result in
  disease such as the undernutrition arising from
  poverty causing immune deficiency
• develops and tests interventions that can alter
  risky behaviours such as health education or
  peer modeling to reduce unprotected sex.

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Products

• patents for new drugs and vaccines, disclosures
  of new biomedical or public health processes

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Mission

• The MRC mission is implemented through the
  following Strategic Objectives

1. Research Strategy and Businessplan
2. Financial Model Strategy Plan
3. Opportunity and Risk Management
4. Capacity building
5. Informatics and Knowledge Management
6. Transformation and Development Plan
7. Research Translation
8. Stakeholder Management

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Transformation

• Organisational Culture and Values
• Research priorities
• Research portfolio
• Capacity development
• Employment equity profile

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Transformation

• Organisational Culture and Values
• Research priorities
• Research portfolio
• Capacity development
• Employment equity profile

Occupational Level Black April 2005 Female April 2005
Top Management 86 33
Senior Management 23 44
Middle Management 50 59
Skilled 78 75
Semi-Skilled 85 66
Unskilled 98 42
Total 74 66
In the next 3 5 years the MRC expects more
black and women scientists to be brought into the
research process at the doctoral and postdoctoral
level. The opportunity now exists to complete
that transformation over the next three years
resulting in an MRC that conducts research,
relevant and responsive to the health needs of
the people of South Africa and whose personnel
fully reflects the demographic profile of South
Africa.
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MRC Personnel
The MRC is a Knowledge creating company and
people are therefore its most important
resource PERSONNEL 250 Research Scientists in
21 units 250 Technologists 250 Support
staff 250 Research scientists in 27 units (800
intramural personnel) 200 Technologists 200 S I
R 150 PhD students 1200 extramural 150 M
students 2000 employed by or associated with
MRC 250 SAAVI
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A Knowledge Creating Company
KNOWLEDGE-CREATING COMPANY
PERSONNEL SYSTEMS INFRASTRUCTURE
INPUTS
OUTPUTS
publications patents technical reports
post graduates
OUTCOMES
health presence promoted diseases cured
? highly skilled (jobs created) foreign
exchange socio economic benefits
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INPUTS R180 Million Government R180
Million External R360 Million OUTPUTS 700 Peer
review publications 300 Non-peer review
publications (50 of health sciences in SA) 20
Patents 20 Technical reports 42 PhD
graduates per annum 50 M graduates per annum
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Research Highlights
High Lead Levels in Paint on Childrens
Toys Health and Development Research Group
Identified the source of high blood lead
levels in children High lead levels in
childrens toys Worked with the National
Department of Health to develop a strategy for
information dissemination, policy formulation and
eradication An example of research
translation at its best.
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Chronic Disease

• Three MRC Research Units
• Chronic Diseases of Lifestyle
• Health Promotion Research and Development
• Exercise and Sports Science
• Provided research data to inform
• NDOH Vuka South Africa! Campaign
• Youth Fitness Charter
• NDOH National Strategy for Healthy Lifestyles

Disseminated the results of the NDOH-funded 2002
National Youth Risk Behaviour to communities,
health professionals, educators and government.
It is hoped to repeat this study, and the Global
Youth Tobacco Survey in 2006.
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Tuberculosis
Health Systems Research Unit Lay health workers
(LHW) in the management of patients with
TB Randomized control trial 8.7 higher
successful treatment completion rates amongst
workers on farms with LHWs compared to those
without. Centre for Molecular and Cellular
Biology Molecular technique that reduces the
time for diagnosis of multidrug resistant strains
of TB from 60-90 days to 4-5 days
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HIV and AIDS, and Sexually Transmitted Infection
Health Policy Research Group Quality of care
provided by GPs in management of sexually
transmitted infections (STIs) STIs are thought
to be an important determinant of HIV
transmission. The Health Promotion Development
and Research Group Behavioural science research
project on the management of STIs by nurses in
Port Elisabeth Nurses are the most important
gatekeepers in informing and managing patients
concerning STIs and HIV.
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Ageing
Response of elderly persons in coping with the
demands of caring for orphans Important policy
implications for the Department of Social Welfare
and the NDOH.
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Telemedicine
MRC/NDOH Telemedicine Lead Programme Practical
and effective to set up telemedicine links to
service nurse-directed Primary Health Care
clinics in remote rural areas.
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Research Translation Office
Research translation office Briefing that MRC
scientists gave to Parliamentary Portfolio
Committees on Health and on Science and
Technology.
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South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative
Probably the most impressive HIV vaccine
development programme in the developing
world. Completed two Phase I clinical
trials Phase II trial later this year Phase III
clinical trails within the next few years.

• Outputs
• effective, affordable locally relevant HIV
  vaccine
• scientists plus the infrastructure of a
  sustainable vaccine biotechnology industry in
  South Africa.

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Alcohol and Drug Abuse
MRC Alcohol and Drug Abuse Unit consistently
highlights the devastating and increasing toll
that alcohol and drug abuse have on the social
fabric and health of South Africans Over 60 of
crimes being committed under the influence of
alcohol or drugs High levels of road traffic
injury associated with alcohol abuse Research
data underpinning the Liquor Act Warning labels
by NDOH on alcoholic drinks containers Work of
the Central Drug Authority.
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Childhood Diarrhoea
4 - 5 million children die annually South
Africa the annual death toll runs into the
thousands The MRC Diarrhoeal Pathogens Unit at
the University of Limpopo has just completed
phase I trails of a new rotavirus vaccine for use
across Africa Rotavirus is responsible for 25
of cases of childhood diarrhoea.
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Sexually Transmitted Disease
The MRC Genital Ulcer Disease Research Unit
confirmed the continuing decline in case of
chancroid and primary syphilis changes that may
partly underlie the apparent stabilization in the
rate of increase of the HIV epidemic.
The Unit Director also headed the expert team
that investigated the recent outbreak of hospital
acquired infection in KwaZulu Natal. The MRC is
expanding its research efforts in this field.
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Vaginal Microbicides for HIV Prevention
The MRC HIV Prevention Research Unit has several
clinical trials in various stages of progress
Develop safe, effective, and affordable vaginal
microbicides to prevent HIV infection and
STDs Hopefully within a few years a proven
agent will be available on the market to allow
women to discreetly protect themselves from HIV
infection even when their male sexual partner
refuses to use protection.
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Malaria
MRC Malaria Research Lead Programme the area of
St Lucia in Kwazulu Natal has recently been
declared malaria free - potential access for
tourists Ten tenders worth R450 million for
tourist activity in the area Incidence of
malaria in the Lubombo Corridor between
Mozambique and South Africa reduced through
spraying with DDT policy change at WHO
Developing larvicidal agents against malaria
using indigenous South African plants. Indigenous
Knowldege Systems Lead Programme novel
compounds for malaria from traditional medicines.

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Influenza-associated Pneumonia
The MRC Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens
Research Unit demonstrated that 30 40 of
influenza-associated pneumonia in children in
Soweto was caused by coinfection with
Streptococcus pneumoniae, and that these episodes
were prevented by administration of pneumoccocal
conjugate vaccine.
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Conclusion
Just some of the highlights in the MRC research
portfolio over the past 12 months. The leading
health research institution in South Africa, and
one of the foremost in the developing
world MRCs rich panoply of research is bearing
in solutions for the priority health problems
that afflict South Africans Its transformation
and capacity development initiatives continue to
develop a growing cadre of health researchers
particularly Black African and women
scientists. We hope that with the trust placed
in us, and the investments made in the MRC by the
National Department of Health, Parliament, and
the people of South Africa, the organization will
continue to expand its efforts in conducting and
promoting relevant and responsive health research
for the benefit of all South Africans. Prof A D
MBewu President Medical Research
Council September 27, 2005
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http//www.mrc.ac.za Building a healthy
nation through research