Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit

The Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit (MITU, or the Unit) was established in 2006 by the Tanzania National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), with initial funding from the UK Medical Research Council (MRC). The Unit was established to build on the longstanding and highly successful research collaboration in Mwanza between the two institutions. This collaboration dates from the late 1980s when the HIV epidemic was expanding rapidly in East Africa. Mwanza was chosen as a site for HIV prevention research, particularly since HIV prevalence had not reached high levels and there was the prospect that such research could have a substantial impact on the development of the epidemic. Underlying the rationale for locating research in Mwanza was the existence of a major NIMR research centre in the city, which could provide a strong and well-established base for the collaboration.