Improving public health training and research capacity in Africa: a replicable model for linking training to health and socio-demographic surveillance data

Background: Research training for public health professionals is key to the future of public health and policy in Africa. A growing number of schools of public health are connected to health and socio-demographic surveillance system field sites in developing countries, in Africa and Asia in particul...

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Main Authors: Jill R. Williams, Enid J. Schatz, Benjamin D. Clark, Mark A. Collinson, Samuel J. Clark, Jane Menken, Kathleen Kahn, Stephen M. Tollman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2010-08-01
Series:Global Health Action
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/5287/5955
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author Jill R. Williams
Enid J. Schatz
Benjamin D. Clark
Mark A. Collinson
Samuel J. Clark
Jane Menken
Kathleen Kahn
Stephen M. Tollman
author_facet Jill R. Williams
Enid J. Schatz
Benjamin D. Clark
Mark A. Collinson
Samuel J. Clark
Jane Menken
Kathleen Kahn
Stephen M. Tollman
author_sort Jill R. Williams
collection DOAJ
description Background: Research training for public health professionals is key to the future of public health and policy in Africa. A growing number of schools of public health are connected to health and socio-demographic surveillance system field sites in developing countries, in Africa and Asia in particular. Linking training programs with these sites provides important opportunities to improve training, build local research capacity, foreground local health priorities, and increase the relevance of research to local health policy. Objective: To increase research training capacity in public health programs by providing targeted training to students and increasing the accessibility of existing data. Design: This report is a case study of an approach to linking public health research and training at the University of the Witwatersrand. We discuss the development of a sample training database from the Agincourt Health and Socio-demographic Surveillance System in South Africa and outline a concordant transnational intensive short course on longitudinal data analysis offered by the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Colorado-Boulder. This case study highlights ways common barriers to linking research and training can be overcome. Results and Conclusions: This collaborative effort demonstrates that linking training to ongoing data collection can improve student research, accelerate student training, and connect students to an international network of scholars. Importantly, the approach can be adapted to other partnerships between schools of public health and longitudinal research sites.
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spelling doaj.art-1a17622c3ebd47fab8f46481b688424e2022-12-21T21:19:37ZengTaylor & Francis GroupGlobal Health Action1654-98802010-08-01301610.3402/gha.v3i0.5287Improving public health training and research capacity in Africa: a replicable model for linking training to health and socio-demographic surveillance dataJill R. WilliamsEnid J. SchatzBenjamin D. ClarkMark A. CollinsonSamuel J. ClarkJane MenkenKathleen KahnStephen M. TollmanBackground: Research training for public health professionals is key to the future of public health and policy in Africa. A growing number of schools of public health are connected to health and socio-demographic surveillance system field sites in developing countries, in Africa and Asia in particular. Linking training programs with these sites provides important opportunities to improve training, build local research capacity, foreground local health priorities, and increase the relevance of research to local health policy. Objective: To increase research training capacity in public health programs by providing targeted training to students and increasing the accessibility of existing data. Design: This report is a case study of an approach to linking public health research and training at the University of the Witwatersrand. We discuss the development of a sample training database from the Agincourt Health and Socio-demographic Surveillance System in South Africa and outline a concordant transnational intensive short course on longitudinal data analysis offered by the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Colorado-Boulder. This case study highlights ways common barriers to linking research and training can be overcome. Results and Conclusions: This collaborative effort demonstrates that linking training to ongoing data collection can improve student research, accelerate student training, and connect students to an international network of scholars. Importantly, the approach can be adapted to other partnerships between schools of public health and longitudinal research sites.http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/5287/5955Africapublic health trainingdata accessibilityresearch capacityhealth policy
spellingShingle Jill R. Williams
Enid J. Schatz
Benjamin D. Clark
Mark A. Collinson
Samuel J. Clark
Jane Menken
Kathleen Kahn
Stephen M. Tollman
Improving public health training and research capacity in Africa: a replicable model for linking training to health and socio-demographic surveillance data
Global Health Action
Africa
public health training
data accessibility
research capacity
health policy
title Improving public health training and research capacity in Africa: a replicable model for linking training to health and socio-demographic surveillance data
title_full Improving public health training and research capacity in Africa: a replicable model for linking training to health and socio-demographic surveillance data
title_fullStr Improving public health training and research capacity in Africa: a replicable model for linking training to health and socio-demographic surveillance data
title_full_unstemmed Improving public health training and research capacity in Africa: a replicable model for linking training to health and socio-demographic surveillance data
title_short Improving public health training and research capacity in Africa: a replicable model for linking training to health and socio-demographic surveillance data
title_sort improving public health training and research capacity in africa a replicable model for linking training to health and socio demographic surveillance data
topic Africa
public health training
data accessibility
research capacity
health policy
url http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/5287/5955
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