RESEARCH SITES
CAPRISA’s clinical research is undertaken at five well established clinical research sites; two of which are sites developed by CAPRISA partners with assistance from CAPRISA.
ETHEKWENI CLINICAL RESEARCH SITE
The CAPRISA eThekwini Site is adjacent and attached to the Prince Cyril Zulu Communicable Disease Centre a Primary Health Care Clinic dedicated to treatment of TB and sexually transmitted infections (STI). This facility is conveniently located in central Durban in the transport hub for public commuters by rail, bus or minibus taxis. The Prince Cyril Zulu clinic is one of the largest out-patient TB facilities in South Africa.
The CAPRISA eThekwini site comprises two sections, a Treatment Clinic for HIV-TB co-infected patients and a Prevention Clinic with a high risk population of STI clients.
UMBILO CLINICAL RESEARCH SITE
The CAPRISA Umbilo Clinical Research site is located in the Doris Duke Medical Research Institute on the campus of the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine. This Site was custom designed for the conduct of clinical trials and has the capacity to see 30 research participants a day at good clinical practice standards. It is ideally located to undertake phase I, and II safety and pharmacokinetic trials since it is attached to the Institute’s and CAPRISA’s laboratories, the Medical School and King Edward VIII Hospital, which ensures efficient and rapid access to a full range of specialist care for research participants if indicated, at this major academic hospital in KwaZulu-Natal.
VULINDLELA CLINICAL RESEARCH SITE
The Vulindlela sub-district is a predominantly Zulu-speaking rural community and is home to about 230,000 residents. It is located 90 minutes west of Durban. The sub-district has 7 Primary Health Care clinics where nurses provide comprehensive primary care, including family planning services, voluntary HIV counselling and testing, sexually transmitted infection (STI) treatment, antenatal care, treatment of opportunistic infections and minor ailments. They are linked by ambulance to the regional referral hospitals, Grey’s Hospital (about 30 minutes away), and Edendale Hospital (about 20 minutes away). In addition, there are about 60 community-based organizations in the district representing a variety of civic interests such as youth, women, religion, politics, and housing. Several of these organizations are currently providing HIV prevention and home-based care services to this community and have links with the CAPRISA Vulindlela Clinical Research Site.
UMLAZI CLINICAL RESEARCH SITE
The Umlazi site of the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Women’s Health Research Unit is a partner site within the UKZN-CAPRISA Clinical Trials Unit. The Umlazi Site, which is situated in the Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in Umlazi Township about 17km southwest of the Durban city center, conducts research on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
KOSH CLINICAL RESEARCH SITE
The KOSH Clinical Research Site of the Aurum Institute for Health Research is a partner site within the UKZN-CAPRISA Clinical Trials Unit. It is situated adjacent to Klerksdorp Hospital in the KOSH (Klerksdorp, Orkney, Stilfontein and Hartebeesfontein) District which as a total population of 350,000. Gold mining is the principal economic activity in the KOSH District. This site conducts mainly HIV vaccine trials and HIV-TB co-infection studies among the male mineworkers and their female sexual partners.
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