South Africa’s disease burden drives medical innovation

South Africa’s heavy burden of tuberculosis, HIV and cancer is creating an unlikely advantage for local scientists: first-hand experience with some of the continent’s most pressing health challenges.

Researchers are using that knowledge to explore how nuclear medicine and radiotheranostics can improve the way diseases are detected, monitored and treated – with potential benefits extending well beyond South Africa.

Professor Mike Sathekge, President and CEO of the Nuclear Medicine Research Infrastructure (NuMeRI), believes the country’s experience can add an important perspective to international medical research.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a High-Level Conference on International Cooperation in Open Science in Shanghai, China, Sathekge said South Africa should focus less on comparing its scientific capabilities with other countries and more on finding areas where researchers can work together.

Turning health challenges into research opportunities

South Africa’s disease burden means local researchers regularly encounter complex cases that can offer valuable insight into how illnesses behave.

Sathekge, who also heads Nuclear Medicine at Steve Biko Academic Hospital and the University of Pretoria, highlighted tuberculosis as one example.

Research has shown that TB does not necessarily progress in the same way throughout a patient’s body. Different lesions can respond to treatment at different rates, challenging the idea that every patient will follow the same treatment journey.

This could have major implications for how TB is monitored.

Instead of relying only on lengthy treatment periods and conventional assessments, scientists are investigating biomarkers that could provide earlier clues about whether treatment is working.

Nuclear medicine could make treatment more precise

Nuclear medicine uses small amounts of radioactive material to examine organs and tissues, helping doctors diagnose disease and, in some cases, deliver targeted treatment.

For TB, the technology could help researchers understand how individual lesions react to new medicines. That information could eventually help doctors identify patients who may need longer treatment, different combinations of medication or, in certain cases, surgery.

It could also help reduce the risk of disease returning.

The same principle applies to cancer, where early and accurate detection can make a significant difference.

Sathekge argued that medical imaging should not be treated as an optional luxury, particularly in a country where many cancer patients are diagnosed only once their disease is already advanced.

“Imaging should not be a luxury. It is part and parcel of what we need.”

For South Africa, expanding access to effective imaging and precision medicine could therefore be about more than adopting sophisticated technology. It could mean making sure that advances in medical science translate into better care for ordinary patients.

South Africa looks beyond its borders

The research push comes as South Africa prepares to take part in the 19th Pujiang Innovation Forum in China as its Country of Honour – the first African country to receive the designation.

The forum brings together policymakers, scientists, innovators and industry leaders, creating an opportunity for South African researchers to build international partnerships and exchange knowledge.

The country’s delegation is being led by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Professor Blade Nzimande.

For Sathekge, the bigger opportunity lies in connecting South African expertise with researchers elsewhere in the world.

The country’s experience with TB, HIV and cancer can complement research from nations dealing with different health challenges, while international partnerships can bring new technologies and approaches back to South Africa.

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Source: South African Government