Dear Centre Leaders,
We hope you have had a good week.
We have the following items for your attention:
INDEPTH adds more data to its publicly available archives
Guidelines for accurate and transparent health estimates reporting
Fellowships, funding opportunities, conferences
Exploration Grant to use medical-detection dogs to identify malaria parasites
Why African genomic studies can solve the continent’s health issues
1. INDEPTH adds more data to its publicly available archives
The INDEPTH Network continues to strengthen data management systems in health research and access to information for better science and health policy with the update of its Data Repository (www.indepth-ishare.org) and associated data visualization website, INDEPTHStats (www.indepth-ishare.org/indepthstats) on July 1.
With this update, the INDEPTH Data Repository would hold data on over 1.6 million individuals and more than 25 million person-years of observation representing the first harmonised database of longitudinal population-based data from LMICs. Read more
2. Guidelines for accurate and transparent health estimates reporting
The Guidelines for Accurate and Transparent Health Estimates Reporting (GATHER): the GATHER Statement has been published in the Lancet (attached) and in PLOS Medicine.
The GATHER statement promotes best practices in reporting health estimates, via a checklist of items that should be reported every time a new set of health estimates are published.
GATHER aims to define and promote good practice in reporting of global health estimates. Reporting of estimates should serve the needs of their two primary audiences: decision makers and researchers. Read more
*New * Application Deadline - 10 July 2016: BRO-UCT African Advanced School on Neuropsychiatric Genomics ( 1-14 December 2016 , Cape Town, South Africa)
Abstract Submission Deadline - 18 July 2016: From Basic Science to Biomarkers and Tools. This meeting is open to all researchers with limited travel grants. http://www.pasteur-network-meeting2016.org/
The Association of Research Administrators in Africa (ARAA) is an organization that has an annual meeting usually around December and will be in Rwanda this year: http://araafrica.org/
News from our member centres
1. Exploration Grant to use medical-detection dogs to identify malaria parasites
The Disease Control and Elimination Theme of MRC Unit The Gambia has been awarded a Grand Challenge Exploration grant, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to pursue an innovative global health and development research project using medical-detection dogs to identify people with malaria parasites.The MRC Unit (Farafenni HDSS) is an INDEPTH member centre in the Gambia. Read more
2. Why African genomic studies can solve the continent’s health issues
Nicholas Ngomi, the writer
Genomic research has proven to be a considerably valuable tool in global attempts to tackle disease.
One crucial part of this research has been identifying diseases and health problems that are more likely to be influenced by genetic factors and assessing the risk of a particular disease in an individual.
Eventually scientists will be in a position to develop new ways to treat, cure or even prevent the thousands of diseases that afflict humankind. And it will also allow them to assess the risk that exposure to toxic agents poses to individuals.
The African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC) is an INDEPTH member centre in Nairobi, Kenya. Read more
