K-RITH (Kwazulu-Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV) was a

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

and

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

research institute in

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

. The Institute is a collaboration of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the

University of KwaZulu-Natal The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is a university with five campuses in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It was formed on 1 January 2004 after the merger between the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville. ...

. K-RITH's 7-story research facility is situated on the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine Campus at

UKZN The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is a university with five campuses in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It was formed on 1 January 2004 after the merger between the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville. ...

and opened on 9 October 2012.

Building

The home of K-RITH is a seven-story, 4000 sq. meter research building on the grounds of the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine at the

. The building was designed by FGG Architects and includes Biosafety level 3 (BSL3) laboratories, able to handle pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of TB, as well as

the causative agent of AIDS. Approximately 10 K-RITH research groups will conduct research in the building, and office space will be used by other organisations, such as

CAPRISA CAPRISA ("Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa") is the name of an AIDS research center based in Durban, South Africa. History CAPRISA was established in 2002 under the National Institutes of Health program called Comprehe ...

. The K-RITH Tower Building, as it is officially named, cost R346m to build, and was officially opened on 9 October 2012, to a crowd of many local and international dignitaries, including the South African Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi. In 2016, K-RITH merged with the African Centre for Population Health to form the Africa Health Research Institute.

References

External links

Homepage of the institute
{{authority control HIV/AIDS in South Africa Research institutes in South Africa University of KwaZulu-Natal