The African Centre

Friday. July 29th: The last Friday of our trip we drove to the region of Hluhluwe (shoosh-louie) located North of Durban. Our first stop was to the African Centre near the town of Mtubatuba. The Centre is a joint project of the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Medical Research Council of South Africa. The centre receives financial support from the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS relief (PEPFAR).

The African Centre is dedicated to HIV-AIDS research studies, and to the delivery of health to the KwaZulu Natal region. It is located in a brand-new, state of the art facility near the town of Mtubatuba and provides help to the community at different levels including: community-based HIV surveillance, support to the Hlabisa Hospital, and several on-going prevention trials. Some of the research programs include: Microbicidals development program, Population based counseling and testing, and Adherence to HIV treatment vs. depression. The centre has also developed a very comprehensive data system of the area.

The centre takes pride in its environmental friendly approach of management, and to being a source of employment to the town of Mtubatuba. The town of Mtubatuba has a population of 90,000 people. It also has one of the highest rate of HIV-AIDS in S. Africa.

There is a lot more of information about the centre but in the interest of time I should finish here. However, if you want more information abut the center, and about their research studies you can visit their website at www.africacentre.org.za

Enjoy,
Carmen