Who We Are

The Poliomyelitis Research Foundation [PRF] is an incorporated association not for gain governed by an honorary Board of Trustees consisting of members from the business and industrial sector as well as senior virologists, together with a Scientific Advisory Panel representing heads of departments of virology from universities and institutions throughout the country. The Foundation is dedicated to the furtherance of the discipline of virology, one of the major causes of disease in this country, by promoting virological research and helping build capacity in this speciality.

How Did The Foundation Begin

The Foundation originated as a non-governmental organisation in the late 1940s to respond to the major scourge of that time, poliomyelitis. In South Africa, polio exacted a similar heavy toll in the early years of the 20th century to that … Read More >>

Viruses and Virological Research – a potted picture

Viruses are the smallest and simplest elements which have the characteristics of a living organism. And yet they are one of the major causes of illness and mortality worldwide. The discipline of medical virology is a relatively young one, but … Read More >>