|
|
|
News & Updates
April 06 Issue 50
| |
Happy new month! Welcome to another edition of the CARTA monthly updates. Read on to keep abreast with what is new. | |
CARTA Semi-annual Newsletter is out. Check it out Today! | |
|
In this issue of the semi-annual newsletter, we take an in-depth look at what it takes to be a CARTA graduate and share some of the millstones achieved. We talk to the professor of public health and medical anthropology at the University of the Witwatersrand, Lenore Manderson, about postdoctoral supervision and what it takes to be a supervisor.
We bring you stories of fellows, graduates, focal persons and partners, of their innovative, creative and triumphant ways, and of the progress, they have made as they worked, taught, and attended meetings and conferences virtually.
Happy reading!
Read the full article here.
| |
CARTA Secretariat partners with PRB to host a Series of Webinars on Policy Communications | |
|
CARTA partnered with the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) to organize a series of webinars about experiences and challenges in policy communication.
On March 10, 2022 the first webinar on writing and communicating science to a non-scientific audience was held. Joel Maguta, John Alonge and Nkosiyazi Dube were the panelist in the round table discussions while Sharon Fonn moderated the session. A total of 32 participants attended the webinar. Link to webinar 1
On March 18, 2022, the second webinar on engaging policy makers to promote evidence-based decision making was held. Gloria Langat, Henry Zakumumpa, Violet Naanyu and Joel Alonge were the panelist in the round table discussion while Evelyn Gitau Moderated the session. A total of 36 participants attended the webinar. Link to webinar 2
| |
Graduations and Completions | |
Chimwemwe Defends PhD Thesis!
| |
|
Chimwemwe Kwanjo Banda (Cohort Six Fellow, Kamuzu University of Health Science) defended her PhD thesis titled 'diabetes self-management in Blantyre Malawi'
We congratulate her on this achievement and await her graduation!
| |
Sara Nieuwoudt appointed onto the International Steering Committee for the International SBCC Summit
| |
|
Sara Nieuwoudt (Cohort Four Fellow, University of the Witwatersrand) was appointed onto the International Steering Committee for the International SBCC Summit, which will convene in Morocco this December. As part of the team seeking to raise the profile of the Global South, she helped to convene a 2-day webinar entitled the Africa Social and Behaviour Change Communication Consultation on 22-23 March and was a panellist on the topic of SBCC Training and Practice in Africa: Lessons and Future Directors on the second day.
She is also a member of the Wits team that is a part of the winning consortium for a $38 million five-year USAID-funded project led the Center on Gender Equity and Health (GEH) at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science. The project, called Agency for All, is an international, multi-institutional effort to understand and promote agency for individuals, communities and local organizations in low- and middle-income countries.
| |
Presentations at Conferences | |
Jepchirchir Kiplagat Chairs a Session in the Lancet Summit
| |
Jepchirchir Kiplagat (Cohort Five Fellow, Moi University) was a member of the Organizing Committee and a Chair of a session in the recently completed conference The Lancet Summit: HIV and Healthy Longevity held virtually on March 17-18, 2022.
More details
| |
Stephen Wandera Moderates a Session at the UNFPA Expert Meeting on FGM | |
Stephen Wandera (Cohort Two Fellow, Moi University) was a panelist for two sessions and presented and moderated in one session of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) expert meeting on FGM on March 22-24, 2022 at Sarova Stanley Hotel in Nairobi
More details
| |
Henry's Visit to Uppsala Monitoring Centre (UMC) in Sweden | |
We are delighted to report that Henry Zakumumpa (Cohort Fellow Makerere University) was able to make the trip to Uppsala Monitoring Centre in the second week of March 2022.
He had a whole-day meeting at UMC on 10th March 2022, where he delivered a one-hour talk to staff of UMC on findings from their research on the safety of newer HIV medication called dolutegravir or DTG. He also talked about the CARTA consortium and its impact on revolutionizing PhD training in Africa.
In the afternoon, he had series of media interviews with the press team at UMC for their social media channels. A short clip is attached which has already been posted on You Tube.
During his time in Uppsala he also addressed the master of global health class at Uppsala University on the Covid-19 response in Uganda under the auspices of Prof Andreas Matternsson.
Henry thanks CARTA for this opportunity of traveling to Sweden and enabling him to initiate physical contact with Swedish researchers which potential to yield fruitful collaborations.
There was wide appreciation of the role of CARTA in birthing early-career researchers in Africa.
Click here to watch video
| |
Kudus to present his research at the University of Witwatersrand | |
Kudus Adebayo ( Cohort Six Fellow, University of Ibadan) is set to present his research titled pandemics and management of "dangerous communities": Ebola, Covid-19 and African in China at the university of Witwatersrand on April 8, 2022.
| |
APHRC receives USD 15 million gift from MacKenzie Scott & Dan Jewett
On March 23, 2022, APHRC was among the 465 non profit organizations to receive USD 15 Million grant from MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett.
Read more
| |
|
Effect of postpartum anaemia on maternal health-related quality of life: a systematic review and meta-analysis | |
Postpartum anaemia remains a persistent and severe public health issue in many parts of the world. Studies have reported mixed findings on the effects of anaemia during the postpartum period on maternal health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Ernest Moya (Cohort Nine Fellow, University of Malawi), conducted this systematic review to summarize available evidence to inform public health practitioners on whether 1) anaemia negatively impact maternal health-related quality of life and 2) whether iron supplementation in anaemic women can improve maternal HRQoL during the postpartum period.
Read more
| |  |
Treatment initiation among tuberculosis patients: the role of short message service (SMS) technology and Ward-based outreach teams (WBOTs) | |
Tuberculosis (TB) is a public health problem in South Africa. The incidence of this preventable infection is currently 615/100000 population and the HIV co-infection rate is 58%. Despite a decline in mortality, TB topped the country’s list of the ten leading underlying natural causes of death in 2015–2017. Patients whose TB test results are positive but never get initiated on treatment are known as initial loss to follow up (LTFU) patients. Judith Mwansa (Cohort Seven Fellow, University of the Witwatersrand) therefore, evaluated the effectiveness of the SMS technology and WBOTs in increasing the proportion who initiated treatment and in reducing the time to treatment initiation among TB patients.
Read more
| |
Assessment of independent comorbidities and comorbidity measures in predicting healthcare facility-onset Clostridioides difficile infection in Kenya
| |
Clostridioides difficile is primarily associated with hospital-acquired diarrhoea. The disease burden is aggravated in patients with comorbidities due to increased likelihood of polypharmacy, extended hospital stays and compromised immunity. Winnie Chepkurui (Cohort Four Fellow, University of Nairobi), in Journal of PLOS Global Public Health , set out to investigate comorbidity predictors of healthcare facility onset C. difficile infection (HO-CDI) in hospitalized patients.
Read more
| | |
Perceptions, attitudes and practices regarding canine zoonotic helminthiases among dog owners in Nyagatare district, Rwanda | |
Despite their roles, they also harbour a wide range of helminths including nematodes, trematodes and cestodes and some are zoonotic such as Ancylostoma spp, Toxocara canis, Echinococcus spp and Dipylidium caninum. François Niragire (Cohort One Fellow, University of Rwanda) aimed to understand perceptions, attitudes and practices (PAP) regarding canine zoonotic helminthiases (CZH) among dog owners in Rwanda.
Read more
| |
How health systems can adapt to a population ageing with HIV and comorbid disease | |
As people age with HIV, their needs increase beyond solely managing HIV care. Ageing people with HIV, defined as people with HIV who are 50 years or older, face increased risk of both age-regulated comorbidities and ageing-related issues. Jepchirchir Kiplagat (Cohort Five Fellow, Moi University), in The Lancet , provide a valuable contribution to the debate on health systems strengthening as the need for integrated, people-centred, health services increase
Read more
| | |
An insight into patients’ perspectives on barriers affecting participation in shared decision making among patients with diabetes mellitus in Malawi | |
Patient participation in decision making is a basic tenet for a patient centred care experience and, has potential to improve care experiences and responsiveness in chronic diseases such as Diabetes Mellitus (DM). However, documented experiences show that patient participation in decisions making is wanting. Martha Makwero (Cohort Seven Fellow, University of Malawi) sought to describe perspectives about barriers to participation in shared decision making among patients with DM in Malawi.
Read more
| |
Nutrition-related knowledge, practice, and weight status of patients with chronic diseases attending a district hospital in Nigeria | |
Africa is experiencing an epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and the projected mortality from NCDs by 2030 will overtake the combined mortality from communicable diseases. Nutrition is a key modality for preventing and treating NCDs, and optimal nutrition knowledge is essential for self-care. Temitope Ilori (Cohort Nine Fellow, University of Ibadan), assessed the nutritional-related knowledge, dietary practice, and weight status of patients with non-communicable diseases attending State Specialist Hospital, Ring Road, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Read more
| | |
Determinants of lifejacket use among boaters on Lake Albert, Uganda: a qualitative study | |
Drowning is a major cause of unintentional injury death worldwide. The toll is greatest in low and middle-income countries that suffer over 90% of the burden. Frederick Oporia (Cohort Ten Fellow, Makerere University) explored experiences with lifejacket use and to ‘understand the world’ from the lenses of boaters with varying ethnicities and cultures.
Read more
| |
|
TWAS (the World Academy of Sciences) Call for Applications for their Project Grants for Gender Equity and Climate Action, funded by the Elsevier Foundation.
Under this scheme, three (3) grants are awarded to collaborative teams of 2-5 women for action-based projects which, although scientific in nature, will take them outside the lab to promote practical and tangible change under the umbrella of the “climate action” SDG in their local context. The principal applicant and project leader must be a woman scientist, holding a PhD, living and working in a science and technology lagging country (STLC). Co-applicants are either scientists or technical experts in a field relevant to the project, from any developing country.
The team leaders from the three (3) awarded groups will be invited to an initial training workshop. In case travel restrictions due to the global COVID-19 pandemic allow it, the training will be held face to face in Europe: the programme will cover the costs for flights, accommodation, and food. This cost does not need to be included in your application’s project budget.
The project grant is designed to be flexible and modular, with a total value in the USD 24,000- 25,000 range. It will allow for a variety of expenses within a three-year timescale, if these are clearly justified by the work tasks.
Deadline: May 19, 2022
More details
| |
|
MA Program in African Sustainable Communities at Ben Gurion University Israel
“African Sustainable Communities,” is a program that includes a year of study at BGU, followed by the implementation of a three-month project in a local community in Africa. The program targets students from a wide range of disciplines, and aims to create a community of diverse interest and vibrant dialogue around questions of community development and sustainability. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, the program includes courses in history, politics, sociology, economics, development studies, and cultural studies, and also draws upon Ben-Gurion University’s strong reputation in environmental studies, desert studies, global health, and more. The aim is to provide students with the theoretical background, analytical skills and practical perspectives that are needed for realizing individual and communal endeavors across a broad spectrum of fields.
Deadline: April 16, 2022
More details
| |
|
Find more opportunities on our website here.
Disclaimer: The opportunities we share are mostly from external funders. Linking to an external site does not constitute an endorsement by CARTA.
| |
|
|
|
Carnegie Report
CARTA featured prominently in the Carnegie report that focused on their Corporation’s investments in higher education in Africa from 2010 to 2019 and the accomplishments they supported. In this report you will get to find out about their overview and detailed analysis of the Corporation’s three main investment objectives in the following areas: the Next Generation of African Academics initiative, or NextGen; the Diaspora Linkages Initiative; and Higher Education Policy and Research.
Read it here
Country ownership in global health
In this article Mohammed Noor breaks down some of the lessons he has learnt over the last twenty years on country ownership.
Read it here
| | | |
|
Research4Life Resources
Research4Life has partnered with Research Square Company to provide free access to AJE Digital Editing tool to researchers in Group A countries.
AJE Digital Editing tool uses Artificial Intelligence to reduce language disadvantages of researchers who have English as a second language by correcting grammar and phrasing, and helping researchers communicate their work effectively.
Researchers in 69 countries have free access to this tool! You can find the tool on their content portal here.
| |
WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU | |
|
Share with us news and updates such as upcoming events, meetings, story ideas, new collaborations, new trials/updates, upcoming and published papers, policy briefs, community engagement activities, scholarships, what you are reading, if you won a grant, attending or about an upcoming conference, a call for applications/funding/papers, etc.
Share these before April 21, 2022, to be included in the next CARTA news & updates, by sending an email to cartaenquiries@aphrc.org.
| | | | |
