[Anthea]

In the context that I have been conducting my research, a primary strategy described for engaging the community and involving them in the research process is through the CAB advisory mechanism. Community members who represent NGOs and other organisations in the setting in the research is being conducted are invited to become CAB members by research centre community outreach workers. These CAB members fulfil the crucial role of providing the community perspective in the research process. However, such a perspective, in which the mechanism for community engagement is primarily through the CAB is limiting as it is not clear to which CAB members represent all sectors of the community, who the community is that they are presenting and the extent to which message about the research filters through to maximum stakeholder groups who are affected by the research. These factors impact inter alia, trial recruitment, knowledge and awareness of the research and the ability to ensure that the clinical research takes into account the specificities of the socio-cultural context in which it is being conducted. Operational, ethical and community engagement imperatives, therefore, are not optimally aligned.