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News
We want to share what Research and Training for Health and Development (RTHD) has been up to. Click on the links below to read our newsletters.
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Enhancing Human, Social and Youth Development for Harnessing Demographic Dividends in Southern Africa
The Southern African Development Community (SADC Secretariat) in partnership with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) ESARO recently organised a consultative conference on 'Enhancing Human, Social and Youth Development for Harnessing Demographic Dividends in Southern Africa'. The conference was held in Johannesburg from 23 to 25 July 2025. To set the context for the conference, Dr Michael Jana was invited to present the findings of a study conducted by Research and Training for Health and Development (RTHD) on domestication of SRHR international frameworks into national policies in East and Southern Africa. This study was conducted as part of the 2gether4SRHR joint UN Regional Programme. The consultative conference closed with a youth call to action on accelerated investment in youth and sexual and reproductive health for the demographic dividend in SADC.
READY+ Longitudinal Study in Angola-Luanda and Benguela
As an Research and Training for Health and Development (RTHD) Consultant Associated, I am currently conducting a data collectors training and study implementation in Angola, focusing on 14 health facilities across Luanda and Benguela.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance health outcomes for adolescents and young people living with HIV (AYLHIV) in both Angola and Mozambique under READY+ Program.
The opportunity to work on this study in two countries has been an immensely rewarding professional experience, allowing me to contribute to improving the lives of AYLHIV by strengthening health interventions as READY+.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance health outcomes for adolescents and young people living with HIV (AYLHIV) in both Angola and Mozambique under READY+ Program.
The opportunity to work on this study in two countries has been an immensely rewarding professional experience, allowing me to contribute to improving the lives of AYLHIV by strengthening health interventions as READY+.
What Works to Prevent Violence:
Impact at Scale APM 2025
Renay Weiner and Mpho Silima recently attended the What Works II to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls Annual Programme Meeting (APM) in Ethiopia. The meeting brought together over 100 participants from more than 50 organisations, working across the globe to prevent violence against women and girls. Representing the South African programme, Wits School of Public Health and Research and Training for Health and Development (RTHD) are proud to serve as local research partners. The APM created a valuable platform to reflect on progress, share implementation insights, and engage in critical conversations around challenges, accountability, and innovation in the VAWG field, as well as plan to strengthen the evidence base to implement at scale. We left inspired and energised by the collective commitment to evidence-informed action and look forward to deepening collaboration across the global What Works II community.
Findings from the MomConnect evaluation
Professor Renay Weiner, Director of RTHD, presented findings from the MomConnect evaluation at the recent World Congress of Epidemiology in Cape Town. MomConnect is an m-health programme of the South African National Department of Health implemented by Reach Digital Health, that aims to strengthen maternal and child health outcomes by providing gestational age-appropriate messaging to pregnant and post-partum women via mobile phones. The evaluation found a significant effect of the intervention on self-reported family planning uptake.
SRHR Regional Symposium
Dr Michael Jana was invited to present at the SRHR Regional Symposium on the UNFPA -RTHD assignment entitled:
ASSESSMENT OF THE DOMESTICATION OF CONTINENTAL AND REGIONAL FRAMEWORKS INTO NATIONAL POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND FRAMEWORKS IN EAST AND SOUTHERN AFRICA: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
The presentation was well received and generated important discussion. This work is part of a larger review of SRHR frameworks in the Eastern and Southern African region.
ASSESSMENT OF THE DOMESTICATION OF CONTINENTAL AND REGIONAL FRAMEWORKS INTO NATIONAL POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND FRAMEWORKS IN EAST AND SOUTHERN AFRICA: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
The presentation was well received and generated important discussion. This work is part of a larger review of SRHR frameworks in the Eastern and Southern African region.
RTHD-Wits SPH led MomConnect impact evaluation presented at the West Rand district research day.
Prof Nicola Christofides presented the MomConnect impact evaluation at the West Rand district annual research day. In addition to sharing the findings of the evaluation, she shared some key district level maternal health indicators for the West Rand. The presentation was very well received, and Prof Christofides received an award for her presentation! The RTHD-Wits SPH team looks forward to further dissemination of the study findings, in collaboration with the National Department of Health and Reach Digital Health (formerly Praekelt.org)
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