2. Cnr Verwoerd and Van Velden Street, Brits
PO Box 2824, Brits, 0250, South Africa
Tel/fax: +27-12-2521140
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3. Contents
1. Proposition, vision and mission
2. MCR Structure and Services
3. MCR Training
4. Completed, running and planned MCR Research Projects
1. Proposition, vision and mission
Single-minded proposition:
Promoting community health through information
Vision:
To be the enabling resource for the promotion of community health status
through research
Mission:
To establish a development mindset amongst the relevant stakeholders in
Madibeng to promote the health status of communities through a process of
generating and disseminating information and capacity building
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4. 2. MCR Structure and Services
MCR provides:
Commissioned, requested and self-generated medical and social
science research and projects, research training and consultancy
services.
Organisational structure
The Madibeng Centre for Research (MCR) is an independent trust, which exists
and functions as a private-public partnership. The Board of Trustees is drawn
from a wide range of interests in the community and include a Member of the
Mayoral Executive Committee of the Madibeng Municipality, a member of the
district health management team, the CEO of Brits Hospital, representatives from
local business and industry, representatives of the local general practitioners, a
representative of the religious and community groups in the area and
representatives from MEDUNSA, WITWATERSRAND and PRETORIA
universities.
The centre’s management team consists of the centre manager, a senior project
manager running and a social scientist. This centre, seated in Brits, was
established in 2001 in the Madibeng district as a community based research
centre with a focus on district health. It is a partnership between academic
personnel of MEDUNSA (the Medical University of Southern Africa), the
University of the Witwatersrand, the University of Pretoria, North West University,
the Madibeng District Health Management Team, the Madibeng Local Authority,
private general practitioners and local Madibeng business and industry. It has the
objective of addressing the ever-increasing research needs in this community
and of empowering the community of the Madibeng district (formerly known as
Brits and Odi districts) to seek appropriate solutions to health challenges afflicting
it. Its foundation is based on the principle that research done by the local
community is more likely to be appropriate, relevant, need-oriented and focused.
The results of such research and the implementation of recommendations gain
acceptability and ownership by the community.
Capacity building
As part of the community-based nature of MCR and the need for significant
capacity building activities, the centre has recruited 30 research assistants from
the local villages in the Madibeng area. These young people, who were
unemployed and have Matric or higher qualifications, have been trained
intensively in the various aspects of research, such as proposal writing, sampling
and data collection, analysis and validation as well as report writing (see section
5. 3). They have been and still are involved in practical projects in which literature
studies, quantitative inquiry, qualitative exploration, participatory action research,
narrative development and quality improvement cycles are featured. This is to
encourage them to develop into competent researchers with an interest in the
local community. They are appointed on either a permanent or fixed term
contracts and remunerated in line with the RSA Constitution, Bill of Human
Rights and Labour Laws.
Research sites
This centre has developed a network of research sites for its activities, including
Brits hospital, provincial clinics, local council clinics, NGO clinics, the farms, local
municipality departments and the local private sector. For the long-term medical
projects dedicated teams have been established consisting of researchers, site
coordinators, lay health care workers, research assistants as field workers and
counselors.
Funding for the establishment is mainly from the research projects. Some of the
funders include WHO, UNICEF, the EU, SANPAD (South African-Netherlands
Partnership on Alternative Development), NUGU, CMMB (Catholic Medical
Missions Board), MRC (Medical Research Council), Health Systems Trust, drug
companies such as Glaxo Smith Kline and Wyeth, Brits Industrial Association
and also the North West Province Department of Health.
3. MCR Training
The MCR has provided and facilitated the following training courses:
2002
Internal weekly training on Fridays, equipping research assistants with
research skills:
Research Paradigms and Traditions:
• Positivistic Paradigm:
Quantitative Research
Epidemiology
Health Economics
• Hermeneutical-Interpretative Paradigm:
Qualitative Research
• Critical-Emancipative Paradigm:
Participatory Action Research
Narrative Research
Quality Improvement Research
Proposal Writing
Data Collection
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6. • Questionnaires
• Interviews: Basic, Non-Structured, Semi-Structured, Structured, Focus
Groups
Analysis
• Statistical Analysis (Manually and Computerized, eg. EPI-INFO)
• Content Analysis
• Discourse Analysis
Validation
Research Ethics
Report Writing
Internal weekly training on Wednesdays, equipping research assistants in
health and health-related matters, especially a course in HIV/AIDS
counseling.
Conducted by:
Prof. Jannie Hugo
Dr John Tumbo
Dr Steve Carpenter
Ms Gerda Botha
External training opportunities for research assistants
Research Assistants were and are given the opportunity to attend meetings,
workshops, seminars and conferences as part of further capacity building, e.g.:
• Attending Annual Academic Day at MEDUNSA
• Participating in Annual Bojanala Research Day
Internal course for professional nurses in HIV and AIDS counseling
(ROTA SITE SISTERS AND OTHERS)
This course has three components:
• Pre-Counselling
• Post-Counselling
• VCT Training
Conducted by: Ms Gerda Botha, Social Worker, Clinical
Psychologist and Lecturer at the Department of Family
Medicine, MEDUNSA and Mrs Idah Kgomonyane, Co-
ordinator of HIV-AIDS Services, Brits District, Northwest
Province.
Training of regional health managers at the Bojanala research day at
Rustenburg
General Introduction
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7. Dr Wilhelm van Deventer and Six Research Assistants
Workshops in Four Traditions
Quantitative: Dr Vincent Agache
Qualitative: Prof Jannie Hugo and Dr John Tumbo
PAR: Dr Claire van Deventer
Narrative: Dr Wilhelm van Deventer
2003
Academic attendance courses
• MEDUNSA Research Methodology Course (REME)
• Polokwane Research Course
Accredited computer courses
From September 2003 all research assistants were enrolled for computer
courses at different levels of advancement. This program will continue into 2004.
Capacity building
Conducted by the Centre Manager on alternative Fridays:
• Personal capacity building
• Centre capacity building
• Research capacity building
• Redress capacity building
2004
Research training course for research assistant trainee at MCR
In January a 5-day course in basic research methods was offered to young
people from surrounding communities.
Conducted by:
Dr. Wilhelm van Deventer: Introduction, Literature Research, Quantitative
Research, Participatory Action Research, Quality Improvement Studies,
Narrative Research, Ethics of Research, Co-ordination of a small research
project. Dr. John Tumbo: Clinical Research. Ms. Marije Versteeg: Qualitative
Social Science Research
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8. 4 MCR Research Projects
The MCR has been involved or is currently involved in the following projects:
Projects In Process
1. Rotavirus Vaccine Trial: Phase 3 Efficacy
2. Rotavirus Vaccine Trial: HIV positive babies
3. Rota: Burden of Disease
4. Rota: Health Utilization Survey Diarrhea
5. Microbicide Trial: Feasability study
6. Curriculum Development Medical Assistants
7. Quality of Mental Care in clinics
8. Health and Work in Brits Industries: health-related absenteeism
9. Enablemed: health insurance for low-income groups
10. Wits Student Research Training and Operational Programme: a KAP project in
rural village Maboloka: HIV and AIDS Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices
11. Wits Student Research Training and Operational Programme: a KAP project in
rural town Segwaelane: HIV and AIDS Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices
12. Wits Student Research Training and Operational Programme: a KAP project in
town Damonsville: HIV and AIDS Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices
Projects Planned
1. Quality of Care Chronicle Illness
2. Situation Analysis of Rural Hospital Staffing
3. Microbicide Clinical Trial
Projects Completed
1. Rota Virus Vaccine Trial 013
2. North West Department of Health Evaluation of the HIV and AIDS programmes
3. Sonop: HIV and AIDS Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices
4. BIA-Evaluation of HIV/AIDS workplace responses
5. Equity 1: GP’s visiting clinics
6. Equity 2: Hospital doctors visiting clinics
7. Client Satisfaction Survey Brits Hospital 2005
8. HIV/AIDS in the Construction Industry-Ekhuruleni
9. PMTCT Programme Winterveldt (CMMB)
10. Farm Labour General Health
11. Vanedium Health Study
12. MADIBENG/MEDUNSA Joint Research Training Programme
13. Private Doctors visiting Clinics
14. Evaluation of Private STI Care in Odi District
15. Integrated Management of Childhood Illness
16. Madibeng District Health Survey
17. Client Satisfaction Survey Amandelbuldt Mine
18. Quality Improvement Patient Satisfaction Survey: Brits District Hospital 2002
19. Assessment of South African Family Practice Journal
20. Health Systems Trust Project: Evaluating the impact of decentralization on
reproductive health services in Northwest Province. Comparative study among
four African countries.
21. Evaluation of the Saving Mothers Project Policy at District Hospitals
22. Survivors of Sexual and Domestic Violence in Rural Areas
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9. 23. Winterveldt NGO’s Evaluation (EU and CATHCA)
24. Patient Waiting Time at Brits Hospital (QI)
25. HPCSA Examination March 2003
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10. 23. Winterveldt NGO’s Evaluation (EU and CATHCA)
24. Patient Waiting Time at Brits Hospital (QI)
25. HPCSA Examination March 2003
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