Addressing the management of multiple chronic diseases commonly referred to as multimorbidity has become an urgent challenge for healthcare systems globally. This challenge is even more pronounced in resource-limited settings with a high disease burden like South Africa.

In the South African context, little is known about prevention of multimorbidity. Most clinical practice guidelines and healthcare training and delivery focus on single diseases, leading to care that is sometimes inadequate and potentially harmful.  Effective multimorbidity interventions are complex and require multifaceted approaches.

Although an increasing number of studies have examined multimorbidity interventions, there is still limited evidence to support any approach. Greater investment in multimorbidity research and training along with reconfiguration of healthcare supporting the management of multimorbidity are urgently needed.

The Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria (UP) in collaboration with other research-intensive universities in Africa and Europe is involved in one of the global flagship research projects by co-leading a cluster of excellence (CoE) focused on multimorbidity. Other Universities involved in co-leading the Africa-Europe multimorbidity CoE are: the University of Ghana, the University of Warwick, Stellenbosch University, Aarhus University, the University of Liberia, Kings College London and Copenhagen University Hospital – Rigshospitalet, Denmark.

This CoE is one of the twenty newly formed CoEs that were launched by the ARUA and The Guild in 2023. These CoEs bring some of the best researchers together, from both continents, to address the key societal and scientific challenges framed by the AU-EU Innovation Agenda. The researchers have committed to equitable partnerships in conducting long-term research, education and capacity-building projects.

Professor Tivani Mashamba-Thompson, a molecular biology medical scientist and a professor of diagnostics research currently serving as Deputy Dean: Research and Postgraduate Studies in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria, is leading the Africa-Europe Multimorbidity CoE at UP. She expressed her vision for this initiative, saying, “This initiative represents a crucial step towards addressing the complex challenges posed by multimorbidity, particularly in disease-burdened settings and resource-limited settings. Our collaboration aims to bring collaborative cutting-edge research and innovation to the forefront of healthcare delivery, ultimately improving the lives of patients facing multiple chronic conditions and contributing to health systems strengthening.”

This CoE will leverage digital technology and artificial intelligence to address key gaps in quantification, clustering, trend prediction and evaluation of new interventions to improve diagnostics, safety, and effectiveness of interventions for prevention, treatment and control of multimorbidity in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This project is well aligned with the Faculty’s research internationalisation and transformative research priorities. The Africa-Europe multimorbidity CoE at UP will work in collaboration with research entities and groups at UP, governments, industry and partner agencies to enhance training of the next generation of healthcare practitioners across the spectrum of patient care for multimorbidity in all partner countries.