Above: Dr James Van Duuren, Dr Kobus Herbst and Dr Thandeka Khoza
AHRI has been accredited as a training site within the public health medicine specialisation programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, marking an important milestone in the institute’s contribution to public health training in South Africa.
As part of this development, AHRI’s Dr James Van Duuren and Dr Thandeka Khoza have joined the programme as public health registrars and will be among the first to undertake part of their training at AHRI.
“This is a key stepping stone in our careers and will allow us to become part of a small community of public health medicine specialists nationally,” said Thandeka, the professional lead for AHRI’s implementation science unit.
The registrar programme provides structured, multi-year training across key areas of the health system, including provincial health management, district and municipal health services, hospital management, and research. Through these rotations, registrars gain the practical experience and competencies required to qualify as Fellows of the College of Public Health Medicine South Africa, a small and highly specialised professional community.
“The opportunity to rotate through both health services and a research-intensive environment like AHRI offers a unique and valuable training experience,” added James, who leads the health informatics section at AHRI.
AHRI’s inclusion as a designated research rotation site means that registrars within the UKZN programme, including those not directly employed by the institute, will have the opportunity to engage with AHRI’s research environment. This includes exposure to ongoing studies, data systems, and interdisciplinary research practices, with the potential for AHRI data to inform registrar research projects and MMed theses.
This partnership is expected to strengthen the link between research and public health practice. By fostering collaboration between AHRI, the university, and the provincial and national Department of Health, the programme will contribute to building stronger networks across the health system, and supporting the translation of research into policy and implementation.
For AHRI, this accreditation represents a significant step forward. It is the first time the institute has formally hosted registrars as part of any specialisation programme.
“This accreditation reflects AHRI’s growing role in training and highlights the importance of integrating research with public health practice,” said AHRI director of science, Dr Kobus Herbst.