Collaborative work to improve flu and other respiratory illnesses monitoring in South Africa
Official title: IP24-017 - Collaborative research on influenza and other respiratory pathogens in South Africa
Funded at National Health Laboratory Service · NIH-11386077 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A U01 grant funds a project in South Africa to strengthen how we watch flu and other respiratory illnesses and to help tailor vaccines and interventions for people in Africa.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | National Health Laboratory Service NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Johannesburg, South Africa) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $100,000 |
| NIH project number | 5U01IP001269-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11386077 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals in South Africa and nearby regions who experience respiratory symptoms or participate in digital surveillance programs.
✕Less likely to help
Patients outside surveillance networks or in areas without access to the digital platform may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to build better data for tracking respiratory illnesses like influenza across South Africa and neighboring countries. It will expand digital participatory surveillance so people can report symptoms online and help detect outbreaks quickly. It also tests how timing and location of viral data affects our understanding of which flu strains are circulating to improve vaccine decisions, while training regional staff in next-generation sequencing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, communities could see earlier outbreak alerts, more targeted prevention measures, and better-informed vaccine choices.
How similar studies have gone: Similar digital surveillance and genomic surveillance efforts have shown value in early outbreak detection and vaccine strain selection, but regional expansion remains a key area.
Where this research is happening
-
National Health Laboratory Service
Johannesburg, South Africa Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cohen, Cheryl — National Health Laboratory Service
- Study coordinator: Cohen, Cheryl
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Creating vaccines for influenza and other infectious diseases
This study is all about creating new vaccines to help protect people from the flu and other infections, so patients can look forward to better options for staying healthy.
-
Creating vaccines for human trials against influenza and other infectious diseases
This study is working on creating new vaccines to help protect people from flu and other infectious diseases, including those that could be used in harmful situations, so that everyone can have safer and more effective options to stay healthy.
-
Understanding flu and COVID-19 vaccine responses in people and in the lab
Researchers at Stanford explore how flu and COVID-19 vaccines work in people and in lab tests to improve protection for adults.
-
Surveillance and preparedness for flu and other respiratory pathogens in Kenya
A US-based research grant aims to improve how Kenya detects and prepares for influenza and other respiratory diseases to protect people there and global health.
-
Enhanced Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Targeting Shared and Variable Viral Antigens
A new DNA-based influenza vaccine approach aims to provide both precise protection against circulating strains and broader defense against unexpected strains.
-
How the immune system responds to flu shots and flu infection
This project looks at how adults' immune systems react after flu shots or when they catch the flu to find why some people get better protection than others.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.