A new playbook for cancer prevention in Africa is helping scientists uncover hidden links between everyday infections and cancer. Wits researchers have developed a ‘microbial watchlist’—a way of identifying bacteria and viruses, like Salmonella typhi and Epstein-Barr virus, that may quietly increase cancer risk over time. Many of these links in African populations have never been studied before. With cancer in sub-Saharan Africa expected to double by 2040, finding these connections early could transform how we prevent cancer, before people ever reach a hospital.

African biostatisticians are using routine health data and robust analysis to evaluate HIV and TB programmes in real-world settings, like Malawi’s tuberculosis preventive treatment (TPT), showing high uptake and reduced TB risk and identifying gaps among children and adolescents for better policy-making

The second day of the 13th World Conference of Science Journalists unfolded today at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Tshwane, South Africa -  gathering over 450 science journalists, experts, and stakeholders from around the world to engage on the critical role of science journalism in promoting resilience and social justice.

Wits scientists have engineered a nanosystem that delivers bedaquiline, an essential drug for drug-resistant TB, through the heart’s protective membrane to treat lethal TB pericarditis, overcoming a barrier standard antibiotics can’t cross.

For science journalists worldwide who can't make it to South Africa this December, the  World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ 2025) is breaking barriers by launching virtual participation. The opportunity provides them with access to innovative storytelling approaches and discussions on important journalism topics, including artificial intelligence, misinformation, environmental challenges, and mental health within the newsroom, all accessible from the comfort of their homes or offices.

New analysis from SSACAB shows malaria messaging works. Using advanced causal methods, Edson Mwebesa found that exposure to prevention messages increases insecticide-treated net use among women and children in Uganda, offering rare causal evidence to guide policy.