1 The University of Cambridge Africa Initiative – Strengthening capacities to fight infectious diseases in Africa University of Cambridge Cambridge-Africa Partnering & supporting African researchers’ & universities’ progress to world leadership
2 Enrolment into universities in all SS-African countriesstill falls far behind the global average of 30%. But a perceived dilemma for cash-limited governments can be whether to invest in access to basic primary education or in tertiary education?
3 Enrolment into universities in all SS-African countriesstill falls far behind the global average of 30%. But a perceived dilemma for cash-limited governments can be whether to invest in access to basic primary education or in tertiary education? But to quote Cambridge’s VC Prof Sir Leszek Borysiewicz addressing the Next Einstein Forum in Senegal:
4 You have to do both” “The bad news for those governments is this:Enrolment into universities in all SS-African countries still falls far behind the global average of 30%. But a perceived dilemma for cash-limited governments Can be whether to invest in access to basic primary education or in tertiary education? But to quote Cambridge’s VC Prof Sir Leszek Borysiewicz addressing the Next Einstein Forum in Senegal: “The bad news for those governments is this: You have to do both”
5 World-class African research universities that are self-sustaining, and have built-in national and regional ownership, are crucial:
6 World-class African research universities that are self-sustaining, and have built-in national and regional ownership, are crucial: For understanding of Africa’s diverse challenges, devising innovative, effective solutions; To provide African strategies for economic, social, scientific & cultural progress, and leaders for all aspects of society
7 The world needs the unique insights that World-class African research universities that are self-sustaining, and have built-in national and regional ownership, are crucial: For understanding of Africa’s diverse challenges, devising innovative, effective solutions; To provide African strategies for economic, social, scientific & cultural progress, and leaders for all aspects of society But also: The world needs the unique insights that African peoples can contribution to the sum of human knowledge
8 Sub-Saharan Africa =14% world population; Contribute to <1% world scientific publications UNESCO, Institute of Statistics, October 2012 Volume of human resources devoted to research and development
9 We all know that there are significant obstaclesThe question we had to address was: Which obstacles are leading international universities, like Cambridge, best placed to help universities in Africa overcome?
10 Africa needs millions of new highly trained& internationally competitive researchers
11 Africa needs millions of new highly trained& internationally competitive researchers Only ~ 40% of S. Africa's 18,000 full-time academics have PhDs
12 Africa needs millions of new highly trained& internationally competitive researchers Only ~ 40% of S. Africa's 18,000 full-time academics have PhDs The mentorship gap Insufficient internationally competitive researchers with world-class research environments to mentor/train the numbers of young, talented, African researchers needed in Africa to accelerate and secure Africa’s progress
13 The world’s leading internationalresearch-based universities are ideally placed, with world-class researchers and facilities, to help bridge this mentorship gap.
14 The challenge: Cambridge, as a leading internationalresearch-based university is ideally placed, with world-class researchers and facilities, to help bridge the mentorship gap. The challenge: To design & deliver solutions for mentorship gap, but avoid dependency or loss of talent that occurs when opportunities for best African researchers are disconnected from Africa institutions
15 The Cambridge response =
16 The Cambridge response =Since 2008, coordinated programme to: Make Cambridge’s world-class research expertise, facilities & influence fully available to support & mentor researchers in S-S African universities. Across All Disciplines
17 Cambridge-Africa Support African PhD, post-doctoral research andresearch career development in African home universities The Key: Careful matching of Cambridge mentor & African mentee PhD studentships years Post-doc fellows years Searchable database of 180+ Cambridge research groups, across all health-related disciplines, as co-mentors & collaborators for Africa projects. Now all disciplines across the whole University – Dedicated Cambridge coordinators to match African researchers with Cambridge co-mentors, and all aspects visas/accommodation/training portfolios to high level interactions with funders & African partners.
18 Key Characteristics of Cambridge-AfricaCoordinated, University-wide Multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary Provide support/training/partnership for African researchers, on African priorities, in Africa Proactive, creative, high impact Time required 20 seconds
19 Cambridge-Africa InitiativesWellcome Trust-Funded Initiatives THRiVE (Training Health Researchers into Vocational Excellence in East Africa – since 2008) MUII (Makerere University-UVRI Infection and Immunuty Research Training Programme – since 2008) Wellcome Trust-Cambridge Centre for Global Health Research (WT- CCGHR, since 2013) Other Initiatives (across disciplines including HSS) Cambridge-Africa PhDs CAPREx (Cambridge-Africa Partnership for Research Excellence) Cambridge-Africa ALBORADA Research Fund Time required 90 seconds THRiVE - Research projects focusing on: Infectious diseases/neglected tropical diseases (IDs/NTDs), Maternal, neonatal and reproductive health (MN/RH) and Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) but also Basic and clinical science, epidemiology and social science MUII – Aims to create a Centre of Excellence for Infection and Immunity research focussed on: Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases Infection-NCD links Pathogen genomics - human genetic studies promise new insights into immunobiology because genetic variability in Africa is so high Mention that both THRiVE and MUII are on phase 2 awards - DELTAS award following our support from the WT-CCGHR. May mention the total award from WT for both since 2008. Cambridge-Africa PhD – University awards to all disciplines and we are looking to increase the number Mention how CAPREx and ALBORADA are deliberate efforts to bring in humanities and social science on board support biomedical research though not exclusively – open to all disciple but have been instrumental in helping to integrate social science into our health research. Explain how THRiVE, MUII and CAPREx roll onto WT-CCGHR which helps to mentor African researchers into research leadership roles to mentor the next generation of researchers in their institutions and engage in equitable international research collaborations including supporting them to successfully apply for investigator awards from UK research funding bodies for example Vincent Owino – early career support.
20 CAPREX/Alborada coordinator THRiVE/MUII coordinatorCambridge-Africa Support African PhD, post-doctoral research and research career development in African home universities The Key: Careful matching of Cambridge mentor & African mentee PhD studentships years Post-doc fellows years Dr Pauline Essah, Cam-Africa Manager Dr Sophia Mahroo CAPREX/Alborada coordinator Dr Watu Wamae WT-CCGHR coordinator Corinna Alberg THRiVE/MUII coordinator Dedicated Cambridge coordinators to match African researchers with Cambridge co-mentors, and all aspects visas/accommodation/training portfolios to high level interactions with funders & African partners.
21 2013-26; 78 joint awards in 11 African countries as at 2015Cambridge-Africa Initiatives CAPREx ( ) WT-CCGHR ( ) MUII ( ) 41 postdoc & 12 research admin fellowships completed; 24 more postdoc fellowships to be awarded by 2018 Cam-Africa PhD Scholars ( ) THRiVE ( ) ALBORADA Research Fund ; 78 joint awards in 11 African countries as at 2015
22 Maternal, Neonatal and Reproductive Health Research(One of the centre’s three research themes, led by Professor Ashley Moffett) Pathology Dept. Immunology KIR & HLA genes Pathology Dept. Virology Viruses in pregnancy; Papillomavirus & cervical cancer Pathology Dept. Epigenetics Pathology Dept. Human Nutrition Research (iron deficiency) Africa’s Voices (Cambridge CGHR) Radio programmes on maternal health Cambridge University Hospitals & Addenbrooke’s Abroad WT Sanger Institute Puerperal and neonatal sepsis Centre for Trophoblast Research Placenta and maternal-fetal interactions during pregnancy Clinical streams: Pre-eclampsia Sepsis Post-partum haemorrhage Obstructed labour Obstetric anaesthetics Protocols & guidelines
23 Socio-cultural drivers of Ugandan maternal health outcomesIn 2015, Cambridge-Africa researchers worked with collaborators in Uganda and Cambridge spin-out, Africa’s Voices, on a maternal health social research pilot, using interactive radio shows. Views were gathered - via SMS - of over 2,000 Ugandans (49.6% female, 56.3% years). Analysis identified 16 distinct socio-cultural beliefs (see right) concerning causes of complications in pregnancy and at delivery. These were then categorised as attributed to: 1. The mother (internal locus of causality); 2. The government (external); 3. The husband or others (external); 4. Supernatural (external) She took long without going for medication. My mother passed away because of that - Woman, 25, Kampala I think the woman is mistreated by the husband hence stressing and having depression which affected her pregnancy - Man, 25, Kampala For me I think it was just demons as usual - Woman, 24 Nakasongola Example insight: Gender variations in perception of internal (related to biology or supposedly dispositional traits of the woman) vs external causes (linked to low quality of health care, lack of support from husband of complications during pregnancy). Men tend to perceive internal causes, women more external. Cambridge-Africa researchers: Prof. Ashley Moffett, Dr Sharath Srinivasan, Dr Claudia Abreu Lopes. Collaborators: Prof. Grace Kyomuhendo, Dr. Annettee Nakimuli, Dr. Gabriel Recchia; www. africasvoices.org Funders: King’s College, Smuts Memorial Fund, Wellcome Trust (grant held by Prof. Moffett).
24 Multidisciplinary approaches to parasitic and neglected tropical diseasesTime required 60 seconds Second example on how WT-CCGHR sees integrating social science into health research a major priority in spite of the numerous challenges that come with existing structures of funding schemes. Dr Shona Wilson, Dept Pathology, Cambridge, and Dr Safari Kinung’hi, from National Institute for Medical Research in Tanzania are undertaking collaborative research on the transmission dependent variation in Schistosoma haematobium anti-fecundity immunity. The project is looking at a parasite worm that causes bladder pathology particularly in children. The worm is transmitted through water contacts. Questionnaires in this type of research tend to be biased towards interviewing adults… social science instruments will be essential for obtaining reliable behaviour data from primary school children. The biological Tanzanian PhD student whose research on the project is focussed on the parasite within the water snail intermediate host and levels within the human population is having to detract into social science research to help in developing meaningful social science research tools. Science funding that integrate social science training in exisiting grant schemes would be ideal.
25 Beyond Health SciencesCharacterisation of lifetime infections with trypanosomes in individual cattle in Ghana The epidemiological role of cabbage aphids in the transmission of viral diseases and its impact on the yield of cabbage in Ghana Time required 30 seconds Zoonotic diseases with reference to the trypanosomiasis research and emphasize that Theresa was able to a large collaborative research grant DELTAS award worth £xxx following our support through the WT-CCGHR. Genetic diversity & genomic selection of the Ashanti Dwarf Pig of Ghana
26 Other Examples Epidemiology of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Schistosoma mansoni co-infection and impact on anthelminthic treatment in fishing communities in North-Western Tanzania Characterising breast cancer by molecular sub-typing, exploring risk factors and survival among Ugandan women Factors that contribute to late diagnosis of cervical cancer in northern Uganda Understanding urban ‘secret’ languages – important for communicating health research findings, policies and interventions - particularly to the youth Time required 20 seconds No need to say much here as well as it it the last slide and will probably linger a while and leave people time to read the contents for themselves.
27 Stalling high fertility rates in Uganda: the role of contraceptive useThe role of sexual networks and the transmitted virus in the spread of HIV in Rwandan at-risk populations Time required 30 seconds Pharmacoepidemioloy of medication errors and suspected adverse drug reactions in the Ugandan healthcare system Stalling high fertility rates in Uganda: the role of contraceptive use