South Africa Backs Home-Grown Research to Improve the Health of Women, Mothers and Children

South Africa is making a major new investment in maternal, neonatal and child-health research through the South African National Health Research Enterprise, with the South African Medical Research Council inviting researchers to develop locally relevant solutions to some of the country’s most persistent health challenges. The funding call, released in August and open through 16 October 2026, specifically targets research into maternal and perinatal mortality, weaknesses in maternity and newborn care, neonatal infections, under-researched gynaecological conditions and other areas where stronger evidence could improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment and long-term outcomes. Projects can receive funding of up to R5 million per year for three years, with a maximum total award of R15 million, giving research teams the opportunity to move beyond small pilot studies and develop interventions with the potential to influence clinical practice and public-health policy. The programme is also designed to strengthen South Africa’s research ecosystem at a time when reductions in international funding have placed pressure on local scientific capacity, and is supported by the SAMRC, National Treasury through the National Department of Health, the Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust. Importantly, the call places strong emphasis on equity, sustainability and real-world translation, meaning successful proposals are expected not only to generate new knowledge but also to show how that knowledge could improve care in South African clinics, hospitals and communities. For a country where preventable maternal and newborn complications remain a major health concern, the initiative represents an effort to ensure that the next generation of solutions is shaped by South African researchers, tested in South African settings and designed around the needs of the women and children most affected.