NIHR

National Institute for Health and Care Research Funded Research

The mission of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. The NIHR is funded by the UK Department of Health and Social Care. The NIHR Global Health Research portfolio supports high-quality applied health research for the direct and primary benefit of people in LMICs, using international development funding from the UK Government. CAPRISA hosts and collaborates on NIHR-funded studies that strengthen public health governance, legal preparedness, and evidence-informed policy in South Africa and the region. These studies are part of the NIHR Global Health Research.

The following NIHR-funded studies are currently underway at CAPRISA:

1. Piloting Integrated Legal Epidemiology for Law and Response-Readiness (PILLAR)

Study title: Leveraging the Law for Effective Pandemic Preparedness: Lessons from the COVID-19 Response in South Africa (PILLAR)

NIHR scheme: NIHR Global Advanced Fellowship

Grant number: NIHR305365

Study duration: 4 years

Principal Investigator: Dr. Safura Abdool Karim

Host institution: CAPRISA

Collaborating institutions: Center for Public Health Law Research, Temple University (USA), Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA), Johannesburg

Study description: This study examines how law shaped South Africa’s COVID-19 response and how legal frameworks can be better designed and used to support effective and equitable pandemic preparedness. Law plays a central role in public health responses, enabling measures such as movement restrictions, limits on gatherings, and access to medical countermeasures, while also shaping how governments translate scientific evidence into action. Using legal epidemiology methods, qualitative research with policymakers and public health experts, and community-based surveys, the study explores how laws were developed, implemented, contested, and experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project also develops longitudinal legal datasets of COVID-19 responses in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Namibia, and New Zealand, which will be made publicly available to support future research and evaluation. Findings from the study will inform policy recommendations for strengthening the legal foundations of pandemic preparedness and response. Outputs include stakeholder workshops with decision-makers, policy reports for law-making bodies, academic publications, and feedback sessions with community participants.

2. Collaboration for Harm Reduction and Alcohol Safety in the Environment in Southern Africa (CHASE-SA)

NIHR scheme: Global Health Policy and Systems Research – Consortia Awards

Award number: NIHR158821

Link to NIHR Page: https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR158821

Study duration: 5 years

Principal Investigator: Professor Richard Matzopoulos (University of Cape Town)

CAPRISA Co-Investigator: Dr. Safura Abdool Karim

Host institution: University of Cape Town

Collaborating institutions: South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), CAPRISA, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of Botswana

Study description: CHASE-SA is a multi-disciplinary research consortium examining the political, commercial, environmental, and cultural drivers of harmful alcohol use in South Africa and Botswana. Harmful alcohol consumption is a major public health concern in the region, and effective harm-reduction strategies require a comprehensive understanding of the alcohol environment and the forces that shape drinking behaviours and related harms. The study integrates political economy analysis, community-level research, and engagement with policymakers and affected communities to generate evidence on alcohol-related harms and to co-produce feasible policy and programme interventions. A strong emphasis is placed on stakeholder engagement, capacity strengthening, and translation of evidence into action through sustained collaboration with communities and decision-makers.

CAPRISA’s Role: CAPRISA leads the legal and regulatory components of the project, including mapping alcohol control laws, conducting regulatory performance assessments at provincial and local levels, and evaluating compliance with alcohol licensing conditions.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:

This research was funded by the NIHR (project reference) using UK international development funding from the UK Government to support global health research. The views expressed on this website are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the UK government.