Doherty T, Chopra M, Nsibande D, Mngoma D Improving the coverage of the PMTCT programme through a participatory quality improvement intervention in South Africa. BMC Public Health. 2009 Nov 5;9:406. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-9-406.
Maman D, Huerga H, Mukui I et al (2015) Most Breastfeeding Women with High Viral Load Are Still Undiagnosed in Sub-Saharan Africa. Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. Abstract number 32. Available at: http://www.croiconference.org/sessions/most-breastfeeding-women-high-viral-load-are-still-undiagnosed-sub-saharan-africa
Mutiso P, Simba M, Towett R et al (2014) Effective monitoring of HIV prevention: re-testing HIV-negative clients. 20th International AIDS Conference, Melbourne Australia. Abstract number WEPE178. Available at: http://pag.aids2014.org/abstracts.aspx?aid=7817
Statistics South Africa (2014) Mid-Year Population Estimates. Available at: http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0302/P03022014.pdf
UNFPA South Africa (2014) Sexual and Reproductive Health. Available at: http://countryoffice.unfpa.org/southafrica/2011/11/24/4255/reproductive_health_and_hiv/
UNICEF (2012) UNICEF and WHO welcome South Africa's efforts to protect and support breastfeeding. Available at: http://www.unicef.org/southafrica/media_10469.html
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.
