Wits RHI is a renowned African institute in a world-class African University tackling the continent's health challenges through science and innovation.
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Wits RHI addresses some of the greatest public health concerns affecting our region, focusing on HIV/TB, sexual and reproductive health, and vaccine-preventable diseases.
18/11/2025
📢 Happening tomorrow. Wits RHI is excited to support the upcoming SAHCS CME Meeting on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, featuring Prof Saiqa Mullick leading the welcome and introduction. This session brings together leading experts to explore new guidelines, innovative long-acting options, and programme updates that are shaping in South Africa. 📍 19 November 2025 | 13:00–15:00 (SAST).
Invitation to join our upcoming CME webinar on “HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis”. This webinar is a repeat of the webinar hosted in October – if you weren’t able to attend then, or would like to revisit the excellent presentations, we encourage you to join.
Funding for this program was made possible through sponsorship from Gilead Sciences, Inc.
12/11/2025
📢 Research Spotlight: Wits RHI in The Lancet’s SRH Innovation Series. We’re proud to highlight groundbreaking research from shaping the future of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and :🔹 Prof Helen Rees – Challenges & Opportunities in Integrated SRH Programmes. Read more 👉 https://bit.ly/3JThcat🔹 Prof Sinead Delany-Moretlwe – Innovations in & Prevention, Diagnosis & Service Delivery. Read more 👉 https://bit.ly/4otW0qy🔹 Prof Thesla Palanee-Phillips – Biomedical Innovations in Contraception: Gaps & Solutions. Read more 👉 https://bit.ly/47C7Clx
From pioneering HIV Prevention to shaping SRH care, Wits RHI continues to lead with research that changes lives.
11/11/2025
Strengthening partnerships for global health impact. Wits RHI was honoured to welcome Department of Health and Social Care - DHSC Minister Dr Zubir Ahmed MP ahead of the Ministers’ Meeting. The Minister met with Wits RHI Professor Helen Rees and the leadership team at the Hillbrow Health Precinct to explore ongoing collaborations advancing health innovation and research. Wits - University of the Witwatersrand Wits Faculty of Health Sciences
06/11/2025
Strengthening Global Health Partnerships. On 5 Nov 2025, Wits RHI welcomed a high-level delegation from the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Health & Welfare, led by Vice Minister Hyunghoon Lee. Hosted by Prof Helen Rees and our leadership team, the visit highlighted our world-class research, clinical trials, and integration with public health services. Driving innovation, collaboration, and impact in global health together
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06/11/2025
đź“Ł Happening Today! Tune in with Wits RHI Dr Catherine Martin for CME webinar on Sexual & Reproductive Health in the era of . Learn about trends, menopause care for people living with HIV, and how to integrate with SRH services.
LIVE: 6 Nov | 17:30–19:30 SAST
PRE-RECORDED: 11 Nov | 13:00–15:00 SAST
Don’t miss out secure your spot now 👇
05/11/2025
Scenes from today’s high-level visit by the UK in South Africa , led by Minister Zubir Ahmed, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety. Hosted by Prof Helen Rees and the Wits RHI leadership team, the visit highlighted our shared commitment to advancing and innovation, vaccine development, and global health research. Together, we’re driving science that transforms lives. Wits - University of the Witwatersrand Wits Faculty of Health Sciences
05/11/2025
Editable lenacapavir job aids developed by Wits RHI, with support from Unitaid and partners, are now available through PrEPWatch. They offer practical tools for providers delivering long-acting injectable PrEP across diverse settings.
📣 Join Wits RHI’s Dr Catherine Martin for a CME webinar on Sexual & Reproductive Health in the context of . Explore trends, menopause management for people living with HIV, and integrating HIV prevention with SRH services. 📍LIVE: 6 Nov | 17:30–19:30 SAST 📍PRE-RECORDED: 11 Nov | 13:00–15:00 SAST. Click below to secure your spot 👇
03/11/2025
How you start your Monday sets the tone for your entire week. Begin with intention, prioritize your mental and physical well-being.
30/10/2025
📢Big news. Wits RHI Prof Helen Rees is featured in the STI & HIV 2025 World Congress video series. The series celebrates visionary leaders shaping the future of & research. Watch now: http://bit.ly/47xGfHM
30/10/2025
đź“ŤA Game-Changer for HIV Prevention. This September, Wits RHI, Unitaid, Clinton Health Access Initiative, and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. made history with injectable at just $40/year saving lives and changing the game.
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Wits RHI was founded in 1994 by Prof Helen Rees. In consultation with the democratically elected South African government, she founded the Reproductive Health Research Unit (RHRU) at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Recognising that the old health research agenda did not address the needs of all South Africa’s citizens, a new research agenda was developed aimed at shaping new health policies. As co-author of the Maternal, Child and Women’s Health policy, Prof Rees established RHRU as a research and training institution focused on sexual and reproductive health and later HIV as an emerging epidemic at that time. The work then combined clinical, epidemiological, health systems and behavioural research to help formulate national health policy.
A small RHRU team worked from Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, supported by grants from the Kaiser Foundation and the UK’s Department for International Development. The RHRU’s partnering organisations included the Medical Research Council, and international agencies such as Family Health International. In 2005 the organisation moved from Soweto to Hillbrow in inner city Johannesburg as it expanded its work to include a much closer relationship with both the City of Johannesburg and the Gauteng Department of Health.
The RHRU’s early research focused on contraceptive access, microbicide development, safe abortion, and female condom development. Key to this early work was the establishment of partnerships with local communities where the Unit’s work was taking place.
The ethos of the organisation was, and remains, to place its clients/ beneficiaries at the centre of its work and this was achieved primarily through the establishment of community advisory boards.
The RHRU/City of Johannesburg partnership expanded to the Gauteng Health Department and the private sector, and the vision of the Hillbrow Health Precinct (HHP) was born, driven by the RHI. This world-first project took derelict heritage buildings in the abandoned Hillbrow Hospital and restored them for community-based clinical and social services, with integrated state of the art clinical and laboratory research facilities utilised by RHRU.
In 2010, the RHRU was designated an Institute by Wits University in recognition of its research outputs and international standing, and the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI) was established.
Wits RHI has utilised the research base offered by the HHP and the inner city, to develop a comprehensive research agenda that spans clinical, epidemiological, behavioural and health systems research, and implementation science.
To date Wits RHI has estalished a national network of research sites across the country. Wits RHI now has more than 74 grants under management. Funding is sourced both internationally and locally, and includes substantive grants from the Department of Health, National Institutes of Health, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, European Union, the World Health Organization (WHO), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Unitaid and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
The Institute now has a staff complement of more than 1400 staff, with 25 staff who are at researcher level or above.
