School of Medicine and Malaria Research UnitUniversity Teaching Hospital C/o Department of Paediatrics, P/B RW1X, Lusaka
Tel: No. 260-1-256141 / 253947 Ext. 3039 E-mail: secretar [email protected] / [email protected]
SMUTH-MRU
Malaria Training and Research Capacity Building in Southern Africa (MTCBSA) Project: 2009 Project Progress Report
MTCBSA Project Progress Report Publication Series Number: PPR/2009/12/02 (ZM)
PROJECT PROGRESS REPORT
2009 MALARIA TRAINING AND RESEARCH CAPACITY BUILDING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
(MTCBSA) PROJECT PROGRESS REPORT
A Fogarty International Center Training Grant (2D43TW001587-06A2)
With Partial Sponsorship by Malaria Control and Evaluation Partnership in Africa (MACEPA)
Published by:
MTCBSA Project Secretariat, the School of Medicine and University Teaching Hospital Malaria Research Unit (SMUTH-MRU)
Lusaka, Zambia
December 2009
MTCBSA Project: 2009 Project Progress Report
Table of Contents
Project Background and Objectives………………………………………………………………………4
2008-2009 Project Achievements and 2010 Projected Project Activities………………………………...5
2008-2009 Project Milestones and Timelines (Major project achievements so far)……………………...6
2010 Projected Project Milestones and Timelines (Major Project prospects for 2010)…………………19
Project Financial Report…………………………………………………………………………………20
MTCBSA Project: 2009 Project Progress Report
Project Background and Objectives
Malaria continues to be a major public health issue worldwide and despite the recently observed decline the disease burden is still high in the Southern African region, where it exerts its greatest toll on young children and pregnant women. More than 90% of malaria related deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and assessing the magnitude of the problem continues to pose a great challenge. Most people at risk of malaria in Africa live in areas of relatively intense and stable malaria transmission. As such, malaria impacts negatively on the well-being and economy of these resource-poor communities. There is a critical need for the development of scientific and malaria control program infrastructure and management to respond effectively to the new challenges. In addition, there is equally greater need for building the research capacities of these African countries at all levels, particularly in operational research. To this end mobilization of increased resources is quite evident from programs launched over the last 10 years, such as Multilateral Initiatives on Malaria in 1997, Roll Back Malaria in 1998, Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria in 2001, Grand Challenge Initiative of the Gates Foundation in 2003 and Presidential Malaria Initiative program launched in 2005.
During the malaria eradication era (1950-1970), a number of malaria control programs were successful most probably because various research issues, design and operations were in the hands of trained local scientists, health personnel and research workers who lived in the country and were accountable to local health authorities. However, for various economic and political reasons these infrastructures have been dismantled or have become defunct, and malaria endemic nations world-wide, especially in Africa, are unable to cope with ever growing need for newer strategies needed for malaria control. Without local expertise and proper infrastructure, the effectiveness of any malaria control program being implemented in endemic areas may be compromised. The Malaria Training and Research Capacity Building in Southern Africa (MTCBSA) project thus, in its objectives, targets to address these areas of capacity building in human resource and research. The MTCBSA program is a renewed five-year (2008-2013) Fogarty International Centre Training Grant (2D43TW001587-06A2) of the initial and former Malaria Research and Training Program in Zimbabwe (MRTPZ). The program targets to train local scientists at the School of Medicine and University Teaching Hospital Malaria Research Unit (SMUTH-MRU), the Ministry of Health’s National Malaria Control Centre (NMCC), Tropical Diseases Research Center (TDRC) and the Malaria Institute at Macha (MIAM) in conjunction with the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI). The overall program objective is to build research and manpower capacity in the area of malaria control and interventions at local and regional level with the following specific goals;
i) Increase national manpower capacity in malaria control and intervention by conducting short and medium term courses (seminars, workshops, Fellowships) in malaria disease control and case management.
ii) Build local and regional (Mainly Southern Africa) expertise in the field of malaria epidemiology, immunology, biology and entomology by facilitating and conducting medium to long term training activities (Postgraduate training: Masters of Science and PhDs).
iii) Build local and Regional malaria research capacity by conducting needs-based research.
MTCBSA Project: 2009 Project Progress Report
Anticipated specific outcomes of the program includes:
i. resultant increase in national manpower capacity in malaria control and intervention will provide high quality and effective control and management of malaria in the country as well as in the region.
ii. increased local and regional expertise in malaria epidemiology, immunology, Biology and Entomology and thereby improving capacity in disease control and management.
iii. increased local and regional expertise in malaria epidemiology, immunology, Biology and entomology will also entail improved malaria research capacity in the country and region.
iv. in addition, higher quality service will be made available for patient care and public disease control heralding possible centres of excellence in malaria management in the region.
2008-2009 Project Achievements and 2010 Projected Project Activities The grant was awarded in early 2008 with the program activities being formally launched at the School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia on 20th August, 2008. The School of Medicine and University Teaching hospital Malaria Research Unit (SMUTH-MRU) is the host project secretariat. Here, we give a summarized project progress report for the period August 2008 to December 2009. The report is presented in three sections as listed below;
A) 2008-2009 Project milestones and timelines (Major project achievements so far). B) 2010 Project projected milestones and timelines (Major prospects for 2010). C) Project Financial Report.
A. 2008-2009 Project Milestones and Timelines (Major project achievements so far)
For the period 2008 and 2009 the MTCBSA program has had activities covering most of its objectives including the project launch activities held at its inception in August 2008, a university public science lecture conducted at University of Zambia (main Campus: see Figure 1 below) by the 2003 Nobel laureate in Chemistry, Professor Peter Agre, partial support of Malaria research training activities and conducting of the 2009 MTCBSA international workshop held at MIAM in August 2009 (see Figure 2).
Figure 1. 2009 University of Zambia Public Science lecture by the 2003 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Dr. Peter Agre.
a) 2009 UNZA Public Science Lecture Coctail at Holiday Inn, Lusaka
i. Professor Peter Agre talking to UNZA’s Professor Siamwiza while USA’s Ambassador to Zambia looks on)
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ii. Professor Peter Agre talking with MTCBSA project Co-PI, Dr. James Chipeta at the cocktail.
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Figure 2. 2009 MTCBSA international Workshop at MIAM, Choma, Zambia:
i. 24 Participants from Southern and Eastern African Regions (Zambia 19, Kenya 1, Malawi 1, Zimbabwe 2 and Tanzania 1) and workshop faculty members led by Project PI, Professor N. Kumar (Extreme right).
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ii. MTCBSA Workshop participants during a lecture session
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iii. MTCBSA Workshop participants during a laboratory practical
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iv. MTCBSA Workshop participants’ field visit to Livingstone: Dambwa Clinic Malaria Case Detection and tracking record keeping
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v. MTCBSA Workshop participants’ field visit to Livingstone: Dambwa Community Health worker/Malaria agent.
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vi. MTCBSA Workshop participants’ field visit to Livingstone: Demonstration of IRS technique by a trained sprayer.
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vii. 2009 MTCBSA international Workshop at MIAM, Choma, Zambia: Closing Ceremony by Dr. V. Mtonga, Permanent Secretary-Ministry of Health
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Detailed narratives of the various project activities undertaken so far and major achievements of the period (2008-2009) covered by this report are as tabulated below.
Table 1. Detailed Milestones and Timelines with Project major achievements for 2008-2009.
PROJECT PERIOD PROJECT ACTIVITY
STATUS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
PREPARATORY PERIOD AND PROJECT LAUNCH
(August-December 2008)
Project Management and Planning activities
• At the time of project inception in August 2008 the MTCBSA Project Management team led by the PI, Prof. N. Kumar, with participation of all collaborating institutions (SMUTH-MRU,NMCC,MIAM,TDRC and JHUSPH) had a one week (18th-22nd August 2008) project planning meeting in Lusaka.
• Following this meeting the project management structures were set up including; i. General Grant Organizing Committee-Centrally located at JHUSPH ii. Project Academic/Workshops Curriculum Committee-PI, Co-PI and
Project Coordinators of collaborating institutions iii. Project Logistics Committee-Project Host Secretariat (SMUTH-MRU)
• Project major activities were spelt out to include; i. Short term training activities-Workshops/Seminars ii. Medium term training activities-short Fellowships iii. Long term training activities-MSc. Scholarships iv. Promotion of Research and popularising of science (Among the public,
Students and Faculty) • The project team projected three workshop training course themes to run over
three years namely; i. Biology, epidemiology and management of malaria -2009 ii. Entomology, ecology, GIS, vector control interventions-2010 iii. Immunology and malaria vaccines – 2011
• The project scheduled to partially sponsor at least four focused trainees per year (2 M.Scs.-Zambia and 2 Short fellowships at JHU).
Project Launch • The project activities were officially launched on 20th August 2008 with the following launch presentations;
i. Current Updates of Malaria Situation in Zambia (Dr. E. Chizema-NMCC Coordinator)
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ii. An Overview of SMUTH-MRU Activities (Dr. J. Chipeta-SMUTH-MRU Coordinator)
iii. An Overview of TDRC (Mr. Eric Njunju)
iv. An Overview of MIAM (Dr. P. Thuma-MIAM Director) v. Key note lecture (Dealing with Malaria – a training program based
on local and regional needs (Professor Kumar-Johns Hopkins University & MTCBSA PI)
vi. MTCBSA Official Launch Speech (General J. Sipungwe-Director, Directorate of Diagnostics and Clinical Care, Ministry of Health)
• At the Project launch cocktail, two of the M.Sc. Students in Parasitology, Miss Lungowe Sitali and Mrs. Mable Mutengo, made poster presentations of their respective dissertations entitled ‘Determination of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, Interluekin-10, Interluekin-12 and Intercellular Adhesion Molecule -1 Levels in Relation to Malaria Severity in Children’ and ‘Effect of HIV on anti-malarial treatment outcome in children co-infected with malaria and HIV in Zambia’ respectively.
• The attendance of the launch was close to 500 comprising students and members of staff of both the school of medicine and UTH.
2009 PROJECT ACTIVITIES
Public Science Lecture • MTCBSA organized the first ever University of Zambia Public Science lecture conducted by the 2003 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Professor Peter Agre, Director of Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI).
• Professor Agre’s Public science lecture was titled ‘A Life in Science’ • The lecture drew an attendance of close to 400 people including high school
pupils, university students, academicians and people from different organizations from the Lusaka area
• The lecture was followed by a cocktail at Holiday inn also attended by the USA Ambassador to Zambia
• Professor Agre also had a television interview on his life as a scientist and the work of JHMRI as well as that of MIAM on malaria. This interview was televised live country-wide.
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Fellowships/Student Scholarships
• Partial scholarships for M.Sc. research work to students were not offered as planned for a number of reasons mainly due to timing of funding and the unexpected over expenditure on the 2009 MTCBSA international workshop.
• However, one undergraduate student in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Mr. Nixon Muchindu, was sponsored for a short fellowship of 4 weeks at University of Copenhagen’s Centre for Medical Parasitology (CMP) in Denmark where he trained in the SSOP-ELISA PCR for detection of Plasmodium falciparum drug resistant mutants from 10th March to 10th April 2009. The assay is now being adopted at SMUTH-MRU molecular laboratory.
• There was also partial support for some malaria research activities conducted at UNZA-SOM and SMUTH-MRU including support for abstract presentations and publication of both student and faculty members’ work (see list of publications and abstract presentations below.
Workshops/Seminars • The 2009 MTCBSA International Workshop as stipulated above was on Biology,
epidemiology and management of malaria and was held at MIAM from 1-15th August 2009 and was partially funded by Malaria Control and Evaluation Partnership in Africa (MACEPA) besides the Fogarty International Center training Grant.
• The 2009 workshop targeted middle level malaria disease control and intervention managers of the Southern Africa region, drawing workshop participants from a total of five countries (Zambia 19, Tanzania 1 , Kenya 1, Malawi 1 and Zimbabwe 2).
• The workshop course was developed to meet the following three objectives; (i) To teach and update participants on what is current on the basic biology of
malaria parasites and their major vectors. (ii) To update participants on current epidemiology of Malaria (iii) To teach and update participants on the case management and control of
malaria • The two week long intensive and interactive workshop course was designed with
44 tutor contact hours, consisting of lectures, exercises, workshops (practicals including laboratory demonstrations, case presentations, etc) and a weekend field trip to Livingstone city. Daily sessions included morning and afternoon sessions.
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The workshop course content covered three modules (Module 1-Basic Biology of Malaria Parasites; Module 2- Epidemiology of Malaria; and Module 3- Case Management and Control of Malaria) with a total of 18 lectures, 9 exercises and 9 workshops.
• Participants had to attend all sessions throughout the workshop for which a separate record was kept. Throughout the workshop, participants were subjected to pre- and post-tests to determine the acquisition of knowledge, skill and competence. A certificate of completion was awarded to all participants, achieving the required standard of attendance.
• On completion of this course participants are now expected to implement the knowledge, skills and expertise gained in their respective places of work.
Publications, Abstract presentations and Conference Attendance
During the period of this project progress report the following publications and abstract presentations have been realized with the support of the project:
1. James Chipeta, Sungano Mharakurwa, Philip Thuma, and Nirbhay Kumar. A
synopsis of Current Malaria Diagnosis Trends. Medical Journal of Zambia 2009;36(2):95-101
2. James Chipeta, Chipepo Kankasa, Mable Mwale Mutengo, Pascalina Chanda , Lars Hviid, and Phillip Thuma. Prevalence of HIV-1 and Malaria Co-Infections among Children Presenting at University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia. Abstract Poster presentation at the 5th Pan-African MIM Conference, 1-6 November, 2009, Nairobi, Kenya
3. Lungowe Sitali,Mable Mutengo, James Chipeta ,Cecilia Shinondo. Serum Intercellular Adhesion Molecule -1 (ICAM-1) Levels are Invariably Raised in Children with Malaria and Correlate with Haemoglobin levels and parasiteamia. Abstract Poster presentation at the 5th Pan-African MIM Conference, 1-6 November, 2009, Nairobi, Kenya.
4. Mable Mutengo, James Chipeta and Cecilia J shinondo. Effect of HIV on anti-malarial treatment outcome in children co-infected with malaria and HIV in Zambia. Abstract presentation at the National Health Research Conference –Zambia, 28th -30th September, 2009
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B. 2010 Projected Project Milestones and Timelines (Major Project prospects for 2010)
Table 2 below shows the scheduled project activities for 2010.
Table 2. 2010 MTCBSA Project Activity implementation plan.
Project Activity Category
Project Activity
2010
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Fellowships/Student Scholarships
Advertise for 2 M.Sc. student Scholarships
Short listing & Selection of 2 M.Sc. scholars
Identify SMUTH‐MRU, NMCC, MIAM or TDRC staff members for short (3‐6 months) fellowship visit at JHUSPH or Tulane University
M.Sc. Student Scholars execute their respective research work
Identified SMUTH‐MRU, NMCC, MIAM or TDRC staff members go for their respective fellowships at JHUSPH or Tulane University
Public Science Lecture
Prepare for the 2010 University Public Science lecture (identify suitable guest speaker/s, logistics, etc)
Conduct the 2010 University Public Science Lecture
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Workshops/Seminars
Prepare for the 2010 MTCBSA International
Workshop on Malaria entomology, ecology, GIS and vector control interventions (Brain‐ storm workshop course curriculum, identify facilitators , logistics, etc)
Advertise the 2010 MTCBSA International Workshop
Short listing & Selection Workshop participants
Develop workshop curriculum and produce workshop materials
Conduct the 2010 MTCBSA International Workshop
Review and Publish 2010 MTCBSA Workshop Report
Project Management Activities
Project Academic Committee meetings (Bimonthly‐Last Friday of the month)
Monitoring and tracking Sponsored student research work progress (Monthly meetings‐Last Wednesday of the month)
Project Progress Report
Audit and Financial Report
C. Project Financial Report
The project financial report is presented in a separate report.
