School of Biological Sciences. Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, Ashworth Laboratories, Edinburgh, UK
Tackling Infections to Benefit Africa (TIBA) Partnership, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
BMJ Glob Health. 2023 Mar;8(3). doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-011028.
There is a current global push to identify and implement best practice for delivering maximum impact from development research in low-income and middle-income countries. Here, we describe a model of research and capacity building that challenges traditional approaches taken by western funders in Africa. Tackling Infections to Benefit Africa (TIBA) is a global health research and delivery partnership with a focus on strengthening health systems to combat neglected tropical diseases, malaria and emerging pathogens in Africa. Partners are academic and research institutions based in Ghana, Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa and the UK. Fifteen other African countries have participated in TIBA activities. With a starting budget of under £7 million, and in just 4 years, TIBA has had a verified impact on knowledge, policy practice and capacity building, and on national and international COVID-19 responses in multiple African countries. TIBA's impact is shown in context-specific metrics including: strengthening the evidence base underpinning international policy on neglected tropical diseases; 77% of research publications having Africa-based first and/or last authors; postgraduate, postdoctoral and professional training; career progression for African researchers and health professionals with no net brain drain from participating countries; and supporting African institutions. Training in real-time SARS-CoV-2 viral genome sequencing provided new national capabilities and capacities that contributed to both national responses and global health security through variant detection and tracking. TIBA's experience confirms that health research for Africa thrives when the agenda and priorities are set in Africa, by Africans, and the work is done in Africa. Here, we share 10 actionable recommendations for researchers and funders from our lessons learnt.
当前，全球范围内正在努力确定并实施最佳实践，以确保在低收入和中等收入国家开展的发展研究产生最大影响。在这里，我们描述了一种研究和能力建设模式，该模式挑战了西方资助者在非洲采取的传统方法。“非洲有益于防治传染病”（Tackling Infections to Benefit Africa，简称 TIBA）是一个全球卫生研究和实施伙伴关系，其重点是加强卫生系统，以抗击非洲的被忽视热带病、疟疾和新出现的病原体。合作伙伴是加纳、苏丹、卢旺达、乌干达、肯尼亚、坦桑尼亚、津巴布韦、博茨瓦纳、南非和英国的学术和研究机构。还有另外 15 个非洲国家参与了 TIBA 的活动。TIBA 的起始预算不到 700 万英镑，仅在 4 年内，就在多个非洲国家的知识、政策实践和能力建设方面，以及在国家和国际层面的 COVID-19 应对方面产生了可核实的影响。TIBA 的影响体现在具体国情的指标中，包括：加强关于被忽视热带病的国际政策的证据基础；77%的研究出版物拥有非洲籍的第一作者和/或最后作者；研究生、博士后和专业培训；非洲研究人员和卫生专业人员的职业发展，没有参与国出现人才流失；以及支持非洲机构。实时 SARS-CoV-2 病毒基因组测序培训提供了新的国家能力，通过检测和跟踪变异，为国家应对和全球卫生安全做出了贡献。TIBA 的经验证实，当议程和优先事项由非洲人在非洲确定、由非洲人制定、并在非洲开展工作时，非洲健康研究就会蓬勃发展。在这里，我们根据经验教训分享了 10 条对研究人员和资助者的可操作建议。
