Dear Centre Leaders,
Greetings from the INDEPTH Secretariat. We hope you have had a good week.

We have the following items for your attention:

1. First meeting of INDEPTH’s Strategic Group on Capacity Strengthening and Training held in Accra

Ten Centre Leaders and a member of the INDEPTH Scientific Advisory Committee were among 20 participants of a meeting held in Accra, Ghana from 17- 19 August 2015 for HDSSs to deliberate on capacity strengthening and training issues.

Giving a background of the meeting, the Executive Director of the INDEPTH Network, Prof Osman Sankoh, said one of the three strategic objectives of Network is “to strengthen the capacity of INDEPTH member centres to conduct longitudinal health and demographic studies” as well as their capacity to collect quality data to enhance understanding of health and social issues.

He said the Secretariat has constituted a Capacity Strengthening and Training Strategic Group that will regularly discuss capacity strengthening and training issues of the Network.

During the meeting, the participants discussed possible capacity strengthening and training options and policies; results of Network-wide survey and proposed ways for the Network to effectively tackle issues on capacity strengthening and training, and opportunities and challenges in policy engagement and communication.

They also agreed on key resolutions for the effective and efficient network-wide capacity activities to be tabled for INDEPTH’s annual general meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in November 2015. See appendix 1 for pictures of the meeting.

2. Dikgale site profile

Please find attached the Health & Demographic Surveillance System Profile: The Dikgale Health and Demographic Surveillance System which has been published by IJE. You can also download here

3. ISC/AGM 2015 Registration

All sites/centres that have not registered for the ISC 2015 are encouraged to do so.

The ISC will take place from 11 - 13, November 2015 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Arrival: 10 November 2015, Departure : 14 November 2015
Annual General Meeting: 14 November 2015 for Centre Leaders (Departure : 15 November 2015)

The registration link is http://indepth-network.org/isc2015.php
Please note that it is a membership requirement to attend the AGM in Addis Ababa.