The Research Ethics Committee Association of Southern Africa (REASA) is an initiative which arose from the Advancing Research Ethics Training in Southern Africa (ARESA) programme.
The ARESA programme, which was funded by the Fogarty International Centre of the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH), represented a collaboration between the Centre for Medical Ethics and Law, Stellenbosch University, and the Center for Bioethics, University of North Carolina (2010 – 2015).
REASA originated from the ARESA programme, but it is, however, not directly affiliated with any tertiary academic institution. REASA strives to establish and promote communication amongst its members through sustainable networks between Research Ethics Committees (RECs) in Southern Africa and the African continent; to promote the philosophy and practice of quality in research ethics; as well as provide information, support and training related to research ethics to its members.