Building Capacity for Health Science Research in Africa. Justin Parkhurst, Associate Professor, Global Health Policy, London School of Economics

1. Building Capacity for
Health Science Research in Africa:
Justin Parkhurst
Associate Professor of Global Health Policy
Department of Health Policy, LSE

2. International collaboration
Wellcome Trust
African Academy of Sciences (AAS)
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

3. Objectives
To learn how health sciences research (HSR) capacity can
be improved and increased on the African continent
• Phase 1: Mapping of data sources to assess HSR
capacity across African countries
• Phase 2: Case studies of HSR in nine African countries
from the perspectives of the producers, funders, and
governors of HSR
• Phase 3: Facilitating peer-to-peer learning and problem
solving by officials responsible for HSR

4. Previous efforts exist…

5. Phase 1 – mapping data sources
• Publications (output):
• Publications (any vs. first-author ones);
• Citations;
• Collaboration patterns.
• Research and development expenditures and personnel (input):
• Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD);
• Ten largest public and philanthropic funders of health research globally-
funding allocated to researchers based at institutions in African countries.
• Clinical trial infrastructures, intellectual property rights, and
regulatory capacities (process);
• Research institutions (process);
• Research funding (process).

9. (Beyond national income)
Tanzania Lesotho
Per Capita GDP (2013 $) 2,365 2,494
% invested in research 0.28 0.08
Pubs/million pop. 770 16

10. Conjoint analysis

11. Phase 2 – Qualitative interviews
Interviews conducted in 9 African countries:
- Kenya, Uganda, Cote D’Ivoire, Tunisia, Liberia,
Botswana, Madagascar, Ethiopia, Zambia
- 175 interviews, 189 informants. 36% in French, 64%
English.
Key stakeholders included researchers (54%),
regulators/decision-makers (27%), funders (19%)

12. Themes emerging
Across all respondent groups – emphasis placed on need for:
• Research funding;
• Collaboration;
• Networking;
• Institutional and Human Capacity;
• Research use / uptake;
Further emphasis on the importance of: alignment, ownership, advocacy,
research leadership capacity, community participation and engagement,
and political will;
Little mention of the importance of private sector;
Key challenges: coordination, building capacity, prioritisation of health
research competing with urgent health system needs or other social
needs.

13. ‘Success stories’
Liberia – Capacity building:
Post-Ebola outbreak established rules that all local research
required joint co-PI and funds for training of Liberial
MSc/PhD students, infrastructure development, and
skills/technology transfer
Madagascar – Advocacy
Linking food safety research to economic goals of
government.
(Government desire to join Codex Alimentarius
Commission (CAC) which require data from members to
address commission in plenary.)