Adult mortality is increasing in many parts of Africa. Is this due to AIDS? Can existing data answer this question? What other statistics are needed to document the spread of the AIDS epidemic in Africa? Research from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine examines the impact of HIV/AIDS on adult mortality in five African countries. It shows that increases in adult mortality correspond to high levels of HIV infection. However, there is a pressing need to collect more data on adult mortality in Africa, and to exploit more fully existing data sources.
Monitoring equity and research policy
Death, data and demographics: AIDS and adult mortality in Africa
AFRICAN CONFERENCE ON SOCIAL ASPECTS OF HIV/AIDS RESEARCH
1st ?4th September 2002; Johannesburg, South Africa
A Unique Opportunity For African Stakeholders to discuss emergent social aspects Of HIV/AIDS research at a meeting preceding the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). 1st ?4th SEPTEMBER 2002; JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA. The Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa, is establishing SOCIAL ASPECTS OF HIV/AIDS RESEARCH ALLIANCE (SAHARA), an alliance of partners to conduct, support and use social sciences research to prevent further spread of HIV and mitigate the impact of its devastation on South Africa, SADC and other regions of Africa. The African Conference will be a vehicle to improve the effectiveness of the SAHARA and to integrate its activities more closely with those of other organizations and individuals active in HIV and AIDS control within SADC and the African continent, through sharing information on progress and experience on social aspects of HIV/AIDS research.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29156
Inputs from African Researchers and Health Professionals sought
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) requests your assistance in identifying African researchers/professionals involved in grassroots/national/international health issues of Africans. CIHR is taking a lead, through a Global Health Research Initiative partnership, on the consultative process leading up to the G8 meeting in June where the approval of the Africa Action Plan will take place. This Plan will define how G8 member countries will meet the objectives of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). CIHR seek to inform the G8 process by providing a recommendation and supporting background paper on how increased investment in health research contributes to improved health and economic development in Africa. The partners and the Coalition are seeking additional input through consultative processes that are designed to coordinate the views of the developing country researcher community, and invite the views of international and national research organizations with shared interest in global health research. Interested participants could provide input through the website of the Coalition for Global Health Research.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29178
Rating the Strength of Scientific Research Findings
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Report No.47, 2002 AHRQ's Evidence-based Practice Center at Research Triangle Institute/University of North Carolina.
The report identifies and compares systems that rate the quality of evidence in individual research studies and compilations of studies addressing a common scientific issue. The report also provides guidance on the leading approaches currently in use for improving the quality of scientific evidence. Using well-specified criteria, the researchers identified 19 study-quality and 7 strength-of-evidence grading systems that people conducting systematic reviews and technology assessments can use as starting points for future evidence-based research projects.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29174
WHO LAUNCHES THE FIRST GLOBAL STRATEGY ON TRADITIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
WHO, Geneva, May, 2002
The World Health Organization (WHO) released on May 16,2002 a global plan to address those issues. The strategy provides a framework for policy to assist countries to regulate traditional or complementary/alternative medicine (TM/CAM) to make its use safer, more accessible to their populations and sustainable. "Traditional Medicine: Growing Needs and Potential" is the core of the WHO Strategy for Traditional Medicine for 2002-2005. It provides brief information on the growing needs and challenges faced by traditional medicine worldwide. It also gives key messages and a checklist for the safety, efficacy and quality to policy-makers. It sets out WHO's role and how the WHO Strategy could meet the challenges to support WHO Member States in the proper use of traditional and complementary/alternative medicine.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29162
HIV in South Africa: from research to policy
"As scientists and clinicians, we share a deep commitment to our patients and the public health of our nation. We have conducted and/or supported research aimed at decreasing vertical transmission. We remain fully committed to the implementation, within the broader government programme for AIDS prevention and care, of a national programme against vertical transmission, and to do further research in support of this goal. There is strong evidence in support of the use of antiretrovirals to reduce vertical transmission. The challenge remains in translating these research findings into policy and practice in South Africa."
Demanding Innovation:
articulating policies for demand-led research and research capacity building in the South
This website has supported the high-level international seminar ‘Demanding Innovation: articulating policies for demand-led research and research capacity building in the South’ .
Under the Main Menu you will find basic information on the workshop, such as the programme, the names of the participants, keynote speeches, proceedings and background documents.
Is anyone listening?
As researchers, we struggle constantly to ‘publish’, ‘disseminate’, ‘communicate’, or ‘influence’. We write short pieces which summarise our work. We organise and attend meetings. We give radio or television interviews. We offer evidence to parliamentary committees. Occasionally, we even answer the phone and find a decision-maker on the other end of the line. So much activity, for so uncertain an impact. And so little guidance on how to use our scarce resources. Surely, we can do better."
AFROTBNET Dissemination Workshop Report
From the period of September 1999 to date the Biomedical Research and Training Institute (BRTI) based in Harare, with financial support from International Development and Research Centre (IDRC) in Canada has been engaged in a multi-centre study which has strong public health implications: to find out the personal and system related determinants of access to health services by suspected and confirmed tuberculosis patients in developing countries. Tuberculosis being one of the most common killer disease before and present times once again is in the centre of attention of national health authorities, researchers as well as donor community as a re-
emerging phenomenon. To achieve maximum relevance of the study for the Southern African Region, four SADC countries, where tuberculosis is a major public health problem especially in association with HIV/AIDS were selected to participate in this multi-centre study. These countries are South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe being the coordinating centre. Research teams of the above mentioned countries held a workshop in Harare last year to discuss and disseminate the results of the study.
The workshop report and recommendations were compiled are now open for further discussion and review from a wider audience.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29032
Bridging the gap between research and policy
COHRED, Geneva, 2001
This learning brief is based on a paper which reviews the literature assessing how research impacts on policy, and how policy draws on research. The paper provides insight into the various modes of advocacy that researchers can adopt, methods of communication and dissemination they can use, and a number of new lessons about knowledge utilisation.