Center for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia

The Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia is a non-profit organization established with support from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1997, and incorporated in Zambia in 1999 as a collaborative effort between the Lusaka Urban District Health Management Board and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. CIDRZ was originally created as an infectious disease and maternal-child health research unit. The organization has since expanded its operations to include support to the Zambian government in its fight against HIV/AIDS. The stated mission of CIDRZ is "to improve lives and communities through research, disease prevention and treatment, and HIV/AIDS care."

CIDRZ's work includes: • Conducting clinical trials and other critical biomedical research relevant to Zambia and the region • Training medical staff, counselors, community members, and public health officials to continuously upgrade skills, improve the delivery of health care at the primary facility level, and sustain HIV prevention and treatment programs • Providing support to the Zambian Government in its HIV prevention and AIDS treatment programs throughout Zambia • Improving the healthcare systems and infrastructure in Zambia • Providing patient care