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CHRU News

‍Life after breast cancer: moving forward with confidence

More people than ever are living beyond breast cancer. Improvements in awareness, diagnosis and treatment mean that many individuals can return to their families, work and daily routines after completing therapy.

What are the signs and symptoms

Dr Pauline Howell, Deputy Director, CHRU, Sizwe Tropical Disease Hospital: On International Children’s Day, we should remember that children have the right not only to survive but also to grow, develop, and access timely health care. TB still threatens all three

CHRU is at the forefront of advancing Global TB research

Dr Mohammed Rassool, deputy director of CHRU, presented at the panTB-HM Consortium Meeting on CHRU’s experience in conducting the novel 4-month pan-TB regimen study.

Pharmacy Month Feature: Pharmacy manager, Coreen Barker

This Pharmacy Month, we celebrate the vital role pharmacists play in building healthier futures.CHRU has one of South Africa’s most dedicated research pharmacies: tackling the world’s most urgent infectious disease health challenges. Our team supports clinical trials that bring new hope to patients in South Africa and beyond.

Inclusion of a Low-and Middle-Income Country Site in the Staphylococcus aureus Network Adaptive Platform (SNAP) Trial: Experiences from Johannesburg

Dr Tom Boyles, a senior researcher at CHRU co-authored this article which first appeared in Science Direct in July 2025

US funding cuts shut down major cervical cancer screening unit in SA, causing life-threatening delays

This week, the Clinical Health Research Unit (CHRU) in Johannesburg shuts its Cervical Cancer Screening and Prevention Clinic, one of the major units in the country, following the termination of its US funding. This closure will significantly impact cervical cancer prevention efforts in SA, which faces one of the highest rates of cervical cancer in the world.

CHRU's BEAT Tuberculosis trial transforms global TB treatment

The Clinical HIV Research Unit's groundbreaking BEAT Tuberculosis study has led to worldwide changes in World Health Organization guidelines for drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment!

SA’s most ignored disease: anal cancer - no screening in high-risk populations

Despite South Africa’s status as home to the world’s largest population living with HIV, the country has made no progress in addressing anal cancer screening and prevention. The absence of anal pap smears and proper cancer screening guidelines leaves at-risk populations vulnerable, with this disease receiving almost no attention.

CHRU enrols first patient in an HIV cure trial

We’re thrilled to announce that the Clinical HIV Research Unit (CHRU) in Johannesburg, South Africa has enrolled the first patient in the ACTG ACACIA study (A5417).

Spotlight on Dr Jaclyn Bennet: Advancing global health through research and compassionate care

Dr Jaclyn Bennet, M.B.Ch.B., a senior medical officer at CHRU in Johannesburg is recognised for advancing global health with care and research in the ACTG Network January 2025 newsletter.-TB) for all population groups, influencing the World Health Organization policy on treating TB internationally.

Groundbreaking South African study transforms TB treatment globally including children and pregnant women

Johannesburg - Wednesday, 28 August 2024: A groundbreaking initiative, BEAT Tuberculosis, has become the world`s first initiative in the fight against drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) for all population groups, influencing the World Health Organization policy on treating TB internationally.

CHRU joins global TB vaccine trial to address SA’s number one killer disease

The Clinical HIV Research Unit (CHRU) announced the start of the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute’s (Gates MRI) large Phase 3 clinical trial to assess the efficacy of the M72/AS01E TB vaccine candidate at its refurbished Isango Lethemba TB Research Unit in the Eastern Cape. The Eastern Cape has the highest TB incidence in the country.

Communities are central to ethical and relevant research

“Community engagement plays an important role in protecting research participants during clinical trials as well as ensuring that research is inclusive and responsive to health challenges,”

Ending HIV: How far have we come?

The antiretroviral therapy that is available today allows people living with HIV to live long, healthy lives. Previously, patients needed to take several pills, with side-effects so unpleasant that many couldn’t tolerate the treatment.

Stop TB: Transform evidence into practice

Standard is to look at culture, yet it can take up to six weeks for a result. Biomarkers could deliver a far quicker result and are set to help streamline the clinical development of new TB cures.

SA research leads to new WHO guidelines for improved TB treatment

Ground-breaking research conducted in South Africa to find shorter, more effective treatment for drug-resistant (DR) tuberculosis (TB) has informed global policy changes for the treatment of the potentially deadly disease.

MDR-TB can be cured

The TB PRACTECAL study found that a new all-oral six-month treatment regimen is safer and more effective at treating rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) than the current accepted standard of care.

TB is Curable: Get Tested This World TB Day

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted South Africa’s TB program, resulting in decreased testing and a rise in TB cases. This World TB Day, the Clinical HIV Research Unit (CHRU) is urging communities to prioritize TB testing and treatment.

SA research makes dramatic strides in eradicating deadly TB but challenges remain

The SA TB prevalence study released earlier this year shows an extraordinarily high TB prevalence. SA has the sixth-highest TB burden worldwide and Covid-19 has had a significant effect.

SA’s TB tests drop over 30% due to Covid-19 – worse outcomes predicted for life-threatening disease

One of South Africa’s foremost tuberculosis (TB) researchers, Dr Francesca Conradie, a principal investigator at the Clinical HIV Research Unit (CHRU), has called for a renewed focus on TB testing in South Africa to help find new TB cases that ‘went missing’ during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Call for over 60s in Jozi to volunteer for a Phase 3 COVID-19 investigational vaccine clinical trial

Joburg citizens over the age of 60 are being asked to volunteer for a COVID-19 investigational vaccine clinical trial at the Clinical HIV Research Unit’s (CHRU) Helen Joseph Hospital clinical research site in Johannesburg.

Participate in clinical trials to help beat HIV

As the world focuses on World Aids Day, the Clinical HIV Research Unit (CHRU) is calling on communities in Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Durban to take part in ground breaking clinical trials to help end HIV and associated diseases like tuberculosis (TB) and cervical cancer.

Research programme launched in PE to help to eradicate Drug Resistant TB worldwide

A groundbreaking new programme, BEAT Tuberculosis, was launched today in Port Elizabeth. It is a world first in the fight against Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (DR TB) that is expected to slash treatment time-frames, make taking treatment far easier and minimise devastating side-effects.

SA’s HIV/AIDS clinical trials lead to registration of over 30 life-saving drugs and 95% reduction in mortality

South Africa is leading the world’s response to the HIV epidemic with major research projects in the prevention, treatment and care of people living with HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB) leading to breakthroughs and new treatments,

SA’s clinical trials help prevent and treat cervical cancer

“South Africa is leading the world’s response to the HIV epidemic with major research in the prevention, treatment and care of people living with HIV/AIDS, TB and AIDS-related cancers, particularly cervical cancer.