Can Care Be Transactional? Clinical Research as a Biosocial Lens of South African Healthcare

Abstract

Clinical research operates as a biosocial actor, revealing the complexities of care within an environment while becoming embedded in the community's understanding of what health means. This work utilizes ethnography and literature research to explore the intricate dynamic between clinical research and South Africa, a hub of clinical research designed to investigate HIV. HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus is one of the most prevalent and stigmatized infectious diseases within the country (Kamali et al. 2015). The views of non-governmental organization workers and clinical researchers converge to illustrate a setting in which health is defined by the existence of clinical research to supplement existing systemic gaps. This thesis examines the role of medical research within a country defined by its polarizing characteristics to emphasize the significance of clinical trials within the health care system. My analysis argues that the scope of clinical research is expansive as it operates as a substitutionary healthcare for communities blocked by disparities while mirroring the national and international health priorities. This thesis aims to emphasize the true impact of clinical research within South Africa to highlight the potential uses and abuses that come with relying on a healthcare source designed to view patients as research subjects.