By Zuko Komisa

- Local scientists are leveraging South Africa’s high disease burden to pioneer world-class nuclear medicine techniques.
- Innovative radiotheranostics offer earlier, targeted detection and treatment for complex cases of TB, HIV, and late-stage cancer.
- As Country of Honour at China’s Pujiang Innovation Forum, South Africa is showcasing how local health challenges drive global solutions.
Behind South Africa’s formidable struggle with tuberculosis, HIV, and advanced cancer lies a quiet medical revolution. Rather than allowing these heavy health burdens to define the nation, local researchers are turning patient care into ground-breaking science, developing advanced nuclear medicine techniques that promise to transform early diagnosis and treatment both at home and across the globe.
Addressing international media at the High-Level Conference on International Cooperation in Open Science in Shanghai, Professor Mike Sathekge—President and CEO of the Nuclear Medicine Research Infrastructure (NuMeRI)—explained how South Africa’s unique front-line clinical experience complements global scientific research. Leading a delegation alongside Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Professor Blade Nzimande, South Africa stands as the first African country named Country of Honour at the prestigious Pujiang Innovation Forum.
“Instead of comparing, we must connect with the other countries. That is critical if we are to benchmark while we are looking at the problems and the burden of disease in our country.”
Nuclear medicine utilises minute amounts of radioactive materials to evaluate organ function and deliver targeted therapies directly to diseased tissue. In tuberculosis care, South African researchers have unlocked vital insights showing that TB lesions within a single patient respond differently to treatment, paving the way for targeted biomarkers that indicate patient progress without relying on costly imaging technology.
Similar precision techniques are being harnessed to tackle late-stage cancer diagnoses, reinforcing the argument that advanced medical imaging must be treated as a fundamental healthcare right rather than an unattainable luxury. By converting local health struggles into actionable innovations, South African scientists are cementing the country’s position as a gateway to continental healthcare solutions and a vital partner in global medical research.
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