UCT Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine

We are all responsible for the health of the Earth. The IDM has been on a journey to reduce the impact that biomedical science has on the environment. Swipe through to see our journey thus far. 🌱 For more info - https://idm.uct.ac.za/sustainability

Missed yesterday's IDM Seminar with Prof Graeme Meintjes?

Here's a glimpse of the afternoon as Prof Meintjes shared findings and implications from the NewStrat-TB trial in patients with disseminated HIV-associated TB.

Thank you to everyone who joined us.

How do we make global microscopy training actually work for the regions that need it most?
A study in the Journal of Microscopy analysed over 2,300 applications across seven international microscopy workshops, including the Imaging Africa programme, and found some striking patterns.

It's a compelling case for demand-driven, locally informed approaches to scientific capacity-building and Africa Microscopy Initiative and IDM's Michael Reiche are part of this story.

Read the full article: https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105035460048?origin=resultslist

Antibiotic resistance already contributes to over a million deaths a year, and projections suggest that figure could climb past 39 million over the next 25 years. Yet public understanding of why AMR happens, and what ordinary people can do about it remains low. Part of the problem is how we talk about it.

This study tackles that communication gap head-on, using a rigorous, internationally co-designed process, bringing together patients, doctors, and global health communication experts, to build a tested, ready-to-use set of metaphors that are clearer, more relatable, and culturally inclusive. It's a practical contribution: a free, evidence-based toolkit any public health communicator can draw on to make AMR messaging land better with real audiences.

Read the full article here: https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105034454680?origin=resultslist

Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection, with adolescent girls and young women disproportionately affected.

In this seminar, Dr Rubina Bunjun explores how our immune system responds to chlamydia infection and why understanding protective immunity is essential for developing an effective vaccine.

Using data from South African adolescent girls and young women, Dr Bunjun discusses how CD4+ T cell responses may help control infection while limiting inflammation in the female ge***al tract.

🎥 Watch the full seminar on our YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzOFlSYG40c&t=4s or listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/2tFpK6Q9CMhrylBNisqZaC?si=jIYs8l0ERle4f5EGSyU0nA

IDM Seminar Series Episode 4. Speaker Dr Ruby Bunjun IDM Seminar Series · Episode

This Youth Day: Investing in young people’s health means designing care that meets them where they are!

This Weeks Must Read Article highlights an important challenge in HIV prevention: starting PrEP is only the first step and supporting young women to continue using it is critical.
The study found that pregnant and parenting adolescent and young women were more likely to discontinue oral PrEP soon after initiation, with the first month emerging as a key window for support.
Key findings:
✨ Pregnancy and parenting are linked to higher PrEP discontinuation
✨ Younger women (15-24) face unique barriers during pregnancy and parenting
✨ Long-acting PrEP options may provide new opportunities for young women
Read the full Article here - https://lnkd.in/dm6wpvbn

As we mark Youth Day 2026, this research reminds us that empowering young people requires more than access it requires healthcare systems that understands and supports them.

⚽🌍 Football Fridays at the IDM!

To celebrate the excitement of the FIFA World Cup, we’re inviting the IDM community to join in the Football spirit.

Every Friday during the tournament, wear your favourite football jersey to campus and show your support. Whether you’re cheering for a national team, or simply enjoying the energy and camaraderie that the beautiful game brings.

Want to get even more involved? Share your match predictions with us! Predictions Link here: https://idmforms.jotform.com/261602640523953
Your predictions will be featured on the IDM monitor in the Wolfson Pavilion foyer, so keep an eye out and see how your calls stack up throughout the tournament. ⚽📺

And what better way to kick things off? The first match is tomorrow, with South Africa taking on Mexico! 🇿🇦⚽

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) affects millions of women globally and often returns after treatment.

New research shows that treating male partners alongside women can:

✨ Reduce BV recurrence
✨ Improve reproductive health outcomes
✨ Lower the risk of STIs and HIV acquisition
✨ Reduce pregnancy complications
✨ Save healthcare systems money

These findings support a more effective approach to BV management that includes both partners in treatment. read more here - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-39160-9

👩‍🔬 Contributing author, Dr Lindi Masson, is an Associate Member of the IDM. Her work explores Female Ge***al Tract Infection, HIV Prevention, Vaginal Microbiome and STI's.