Building capacity for public and population health research in Africa: the consortium for advanced research training in Africa (CARTA) model.

Authors

Alex C Ezeh, African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya
Chimaraoke O Izugbara, African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya
Caroline W Kabiru, African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya
Sharon Fonn, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Kathleen Kahn, MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Lenore Manderson, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Ashiwel S. Undieh, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Akinyinka Omigbodun, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Margaret Thorogood, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2010

Comments

This article has been peer reviewed. It was published in: Global Health Action.

2010 Nov 12;3.

The published version is available at DOI: 10.3402/gha.v3i0.5693. Copyright © Global Health Action.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Globally, sub-Saharan Africa bears the greatest burden of disease. Strengthened research capacity to understand the social determinants of health among different African populations is key to addressing the drivers of poor health and developing interventions to improve health outcomes and health systems in the region. Yet, the continent clearly lacks centers of research excellence that can generate a strong evidence base to address the region's socio-economic and health problems.

OBJECTIVE AND PROGRAM OVERVIEW: We describe the recently launched Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA), which brings together a network of nine academic and four research institutions from West, East, Central, and Southern Africa, and select northern universities and training institutes. CARTA's program of activities comprises two primary, interrelated, and mutually reinforcing objectives: to strengthen research infrastructure and capacity at African universities; and to support doctoral training through the creation of a collaborative doctoral training program in population and public health. The ultimate goal of CARTA is to build local research capacity to understand the determinants of population health and effectively intervene to improve health outcomes and health systems.

CONCLUSIONS: CARTA's focus on the local production of networked and high-skilled researchers committed to working in sub-Saharan Africa, and on the concomitant increase in local research and training capacity of African universities and research institutes addresses the inability of existing programs to create a critical mass of well-trained and networked researchers across the continent. The initiative's goal of strengthening human resources and university-wide systems critical to the success and sustainability of research productivity in public and population health will rejuvenate institutional teaching, research, and administrative systems.

Recommended Citation

Ezeh, Alex C; Izugbara, Chimaraoke O; Kabiru, Caroline W; Fonn, Sharon; Kahn, Kathleen; Manderson, Lenore; Undieh, Ashiwel S.; Omigbodun, Akinyinka; and Thorogood, Margaret, "Building capacity for public and population health research in Africa: the consortium for advanced research training in Africa (CARTA) model." (2010). College of Pharmacy Faculty Papers. Paper 18.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/pharmacyfp/18

PubMed ID

21085517