10 Reasons why South Africa is a good destination for clinical trials:

1. First class research infrastructure with a >50 year old Clinical Research industry with a Medical Control Council that operates to FDA and ICH standards.
2. An ideal mix of first and third world diseases.
3. Favorable exchange rate
4. Wide public awareness about clinical trials
5. A general need for doctors to find alternative income streams
6. Good IT infrastructure allowing the production of consistent quality data
7. Position of South Africa as a gateway to the rest of Africa
8. Eager, experienced investigators who are trained to UK or US qualifications alongside South African qualifications.
9. Ease of patient recruitment where patients are treatment-naïve.
10. Predominant language is for English

Medicine in South Africa

The Medicine Control Council and the various ethics committees operate to FDA and ICH standards. Most of the doctors are trained either according to UK or US qualifications alongside South African qualifications Ongoing training is an important component of the clinical research industry. Investigators have to take a GCP course every two years

Patient recruitment in South Africa

The race demographics of South Africa include: Indian; Caucasian; Black African; and mixed race. HIV/Aids and other third-world diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria can be studied. First world diseases such as diabetes, asthma, hypertension and depression can also be studied.