South Africa and the Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies
The Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, carries out research on population and health issues affecting a rural population with one of the highest burdens of HIV in the world. The Centre was established by the Wellcome Trust in partnership with the South African Medical Research Council in 1998 and employs more than 500 people, including around 25 scientists. In 2007, the Centre was awarded £16 million in core funding by the Trust for a five-year period.
The cornerstone of their research programme is a biannual household demographic survey that since 2000, has collected data on births, deaths, marriage and migration events, as well as household economics. The survey covers a population of around 90 000 in 11 000 households. An additional annual HIV surveillance study, established in 2003, covers adults 15 years and older, collecting data on HIV status, sexual behaviour and relationships, and other health issues. The Centre also has a virology laboratory at the Medical School in Durban, with research relating to the dynamics of HIV in breast milk and population viral phylogenetics.
The Centre works with the local Department of Health to run one of the region's largest rural, primary-care-level antiretroviral therapy (ART) programmes. Through this, its demographic surveillance database is complemented with clinical and laboratory data on HIV-infected people attending the clinics before and after ART initiation. This enables the Centre to evaluate trends in the HIV epidemic and the impact of interventions, and to determine outcomes at the individual, household and community levels.
Since its inception, the Centre has developed a strong partnership with the community, engaging them on research outcomes through roadshows and newsletters. It receives advice from local leaders in the Traditional Authority as well as through a Centre-specific Community Advisory Board. It also has a strong capacity-building programme, providing opportunities for staff to study towards university degrees, including Master's degrees and doctorates, and for community members to gain other skills-based training.
