The Centre for Community Based Research (CCBR) launched the Ikusas’elihle Clinic Facility on 20 April 2022. KwaMpumuza Traditional Council’s Inkosi N.W. Zondi, HSRC Deputy CEO- Research (Acting) Prof Heidi Van Rooyen and HSRC Human and Social Capabilities Divisional Executive, Prof Khangelani Zuma oversaw the official opening.

The clinic is immersed in the  community at HSRC, Sweetwaters.

Inkosi Zondi expressed his excitement and appreciation for having such an important facility in the middle of the community. Echoing the importance of the HSRC becoming part of the community, Prof van Rooyen acknowledged CCBR’s role in championing this vision. The clinic will be home to a number of current and future clinical trials such as ImPower, INSIGHT, and TB Triage+.

The ImPower Clinical Trial is a Phase 3, Randomized, Active-Controlled, Double-blind Clinical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Oral Islatravir Once-Monthly as Preexposure Prophylaxis in Cisgender Women at High Risk for HIV-1 Infection. This trial is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the University of Washington, Seattle USA.

The INSIGHT Clinical Trial is a Prospective, observational, open-label cohort study to evaluate daily oral PrEP uptake, adherence, persistence, and preferences for attributes of PrEP formulations among young women in eSwatini, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This trial is also funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the University of Washington, Seattle USA.

TB Triage + is a Prospective, multicentre evaluation of the accuracy of CAD4TB and C-reactive protein assay as triage tests for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in presumptive adult TB patients. This Trial is funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership through Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Switzerland.

The CCBR continues to conduct other research projects on social issues of health, poverty, unemployment, technology across the Umgungundlovu District and is earmarking expanding beyond to cover the whole of the KwaZulu-Natal province.