13.05.2026
HEARD is celebrating the graduation of one of our students, Dr Warren Simangolwa, who was supported in his studies through the HEARD PhD Scholarship Programme. Below are a few insights on Dr Simangolwa’s PhD journey.
"HEARD PhD Journey Reflection: Dr Warren Simangolwa on Health Economics, Priority Setting and Fairer Health Benefits Package Design"
Thesis title: Optimising Health Benefits Package Design in Zambia: Integrating Economic Evaluation, Preference Modelling, and Deliberative Evidence for Informed Priority Setting.
What inspired you to start you...
11.05.2026
HEARD is pleased to announce the publication of a report titled "Men and Boys and their SRHR: A Situational-Based Needs Assessment Study in five countries in UNFPA/ESARO East and Southern Africa".
This study assesses the structural, social and behavioural factors influencing the uptake of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services among adolescent boys and young men aged 18 to 34 years at selected sites in Lesotho, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
This research project was undertaken for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAI...
13.04.2026
On 30 March 2026, Dr. Thokozile Mbaya and team from HEARD brought together representatives from the KZN Departments of Health, Social Development, and Education, the Office of the Premier, The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), the United States President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and KZN civil society to close out the Asenze Impilo study and to ask: what now?
The meeting marked the end of a year-long journey to co-design mental health and psychosocial support interventions for adolescents and young adults (AYA) in KZN. That...
20.03.2026
We are proud to celebrate the continued success of Dr Clemence Nishimwe, a HEARD PhD Scholarship graduate of 2021.
Since graduating in November 2021, Dr Nishimwe has gone on to make a significant impact in academia and leadership. She currently serves as the Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Mount Kigali University, where she leads a dynamic team and is actively involved in teaching and mentoring the next generation of health professionals.
Dr Nishimwe is currently in South Africa, where she is visiting colleagues in Durban and spending time...
04.03.2026
HEARD and Refugee Social Services are the South African partners on a multi-country project called Growing Up Across Borders (GRABS): Experience of Young People in Forced Migration, led by the University of Paris 8. The project aims to develop innovative participatory methodologies to better understand the experience of young people (15-24 years) growing up in a situation of forced migration and to explore how these young people’s strategies for resilience can be strengthened.
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In 2025, the research team...
17.12.2025
HEARD is pleased to invite you to a photo exhibition titled "Growing up across borders" youth stories from eThekwini-Durban and beyond. The exhibition will take place at the KZNSA gallery in Durban on the 31st of January 2026.
Click here for more information on the exhibition: Gallery Invitation
05.12.2025
HEARD invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join a multidisciplinary programme focused on understanding and addressing the social, behavioural, economic, and structural factors that shape adolescent wellbeing and resilience in contexts of ongoing and emerging shocks. The fellowship is suited to researchers interested in how inequality, resource insecurity, disrupted services, violence, mental health burdens, and community-level capability interact to influence outcomes for adolescents, families, and youth, especially in settings marked by inst...
20.11.2025
Professor Gavin George was interviewed on Newzroom Afrika and Channel Africa on a recent opinion piece he wrote for The Conversation. The interview highlighted the increasing social and health risks related to "Blesser" culture in South Africa.
To access the Newzroom Africa interview click here: Newzroom Afrika interview
To access the Channel Africa interview click here: Channel Africa interview
To access the opinion piece click here: The conversation opinion piece....
06.11.2025
HEARD, alongside numerous other organisations, would like to draw your attention to the release of a policy brief on the cost-effectiveness of the new HPV vaccination strategy to combat cervical cancer. The policy brief is a critical resource for strengthening South Africa’s fight against cervical cancer.
Link to the policy brief: HPV nonavalent vaccination PolicyBrief FINAL
27.10.2025
HEARD has been contracted to undertake research into the status of Clinical Associates in the South African health system. For more information on the study please click here.
