The Ikusas'elihle clinic: health research with the Sweetwaters community

Abstract

In April, the HSRC's Centre for Community-based Research launched a clinic facility in Sweetwaters near Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal. This clinic will be home to several current and future clinical trials aimed at improving the health and wellness of this community. By living and working in the community, researchers gain a deeper understanding of its challenges. The HSRC has been conducting research in Sweetwaters (Mpumuza), a semi-rural community on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg in the Umgungundlovu District of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), since 2004. Many people who live there experience unemployment and extreme poverty. While conducting research in the community, the researchers have become particularly sensitised to the challenges posed by HIV and tuberculosis (TB).