From the Executive Director
As the year 2015 has just started, it is with a grateful heart that I thank everyone, on behalf of my management and myself, for all their efforts throughout the year.

The success of INDEPTH is built on the efforts of all of you and during the year under review, we have enjoyed many successes. Thank you for the commitment, dedication, partnership, advice and loyalty that you have shown.

We have come through a year that was filled with both challenges and successes. We will mention some of the key ones.

The INDEPTH family expanded with three new centres joining the Network. They are the Chokwe HDSS in Mozambique; Cross River HDSS in Nigeria and Kyamulibwa HDSS in Uganda.

With these additions, INDEPTH Network currently has 45 member centres operating 52 HDSS field sites in 20 countries in Africa, Asia and Oceania. This calls for celebrations because we have crossed the 50 mark, starting with 17 HDSSs in 1998.

True to our word, on July 1, 2014, INDEPTH announced important updates on the INDEPTH Data Repository (www.indepth-ishare.org) and INDEPTHStats (www.indepth-ishare.org/indepthstats), two online data archives that continue to build and strengthen capacity for research data management and sharing and improve free access to health and science research in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to individuals working in the public health space globally.

INDEPTH Data Repository was established on July 1, 2013 with six datasets on its repository. As of July 1, 2014, it had new data from 13 HDSSs on the repository. INDEPTHStats at the launch on July 1, 2013, had data from 18 HDSSs. As at July 1, 2014, ‎INDEPTHStats contained new data from 27 HDSSs in 14 countries. INDEPTH has become a leader in the Big / Open Data Revolution from the Global South.

In addition to these new datasets, INDEPTH also launched the beta versions of INDEPTHStats app for tablets or android mobile phones as well as for iPads and iPhones. The indicators are visualised by interactive, animated charts and tables.‎

During the year under review, INDEPTH published a special issue of groundbreaking research papers on cause-specific mortality in Africa and Asia in Global Health Action and their associated dataset was published on the INDEPTH Data Repository. The dataset was the largest ever dataset on individual deaths in Africa and Asia which revealed the changing health of the developing world. There were six multisite papers dealing with specific causes of death: HIV/AIDS, malaria, pregnancy-related, external causes (including accidental death and suicide), adult non-communicable diseases and childhood illness.

The year 2013 saw INDEPTH making efforts to improve the Network’s activities to impact on policy and practice. Thus in early 2014, we revived the Research to Policy Working Group. The group agreed on the terms of reference, developed strategies for research to policy that can be adopted by all INDEPTH member centres and created a work plan to enhance research to policy culture in all the centres. The Policy Engagement and Communications (PEC) Section at the Secretariat will see INDEPTH moving in high gear to bridge the gap between research findings and policy-making.

The year 2014 also saw the Network improve on its core mandate of conducting research to understanding demographic and health transitions in LMICs and also train and strengthen the capacities of young scientists in its member centres. These activities were championed by the following INDEPTH working groups and projects:

• Vaccinations and child survival
• Adult health and ageing
• Sexual and reproductive health
• Family planning
• Fertility
• Maternal and newborn health
• Migration, urbanisation and health
• Environment and health
• Genetics/genomics
• Cause of death determination
• Data analysis (transitions)
• Data management
• Health intervention trials (INESS)
• Household dynamics
• Health systems (UHC, OOP)
• Antimicrobial resistance
• Social sciences
• Research to Policy

The Secretariat benefitted in 2014 from committed funding from funding partners including the following:

• Hewlett Foundation (continuing core and project support and a new OE grant)
• Sida (continuing core support and additional core in 2014)
• Wellcome Trust (continuing Strategic Award)
• Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (new project support)
• Gates Foundation (continuing and new project support)
• GAVI Alliance (new project support)
• Population Council / USAID (new project support)
• States Serum Institut /EU/DANIDA (continuing project support)

An INDEPTH delegation will be visiting Stanford University in the US in mid January to deliberate on avenues for an INDEPTH-Stanford collaboration on Big Data.

In February 2015, the SAC and the Board will hold their face-to-face meetings in Dubai. The SAC will review INDEPTH working groups and projects while the Board will review the status of the Network.