More Programs in Sub-Saharan Africa

Medical Geography Project

IGHID is partnering with UNC's Spatial Health Research Group to use spatial analysis and geography information systems (GIS) to assist with clnical trials on HIV and malaria at UNC Project-Malawi.

The research team uses GPS devices to develop accurate mapping of Lilongwe, enabling researchers to analyze geographic patterns of disease transmission and reduce loss-to-follow-up in UNC Project’s many clinical trials. Community workers at the project are trained in the use of GPS devices.

The Spatial Health Research Group is assisting a major malaria vaccine trial that will measure the efficacy of a GlaxoSmithKline malaria vaccine (RTS,S/AS01E). The study is a multi-center Phase III randomized double-blind trial that will be implemented across diverse malaria settings throughout Africa. UNC is implementing the trial in Lilongwe.

The research group is assisting with measuring the vaccine's efficacy under different transmission settings by providing data and data analysis of factors such as (a) population density, (b) proximity of households to standing water locations, (c) neighborhood-level household ecology (e.g. bed net usage) and d) mosquito trap data.

Contact: Michael Emch

PACT - Providing AIDS Care and Treatment in the Democratic Republic of Congo under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

In 2006, an estimated 1 million people were living with HIV/AIDS in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), yet HIV prevention, care and treatment needs of its population remain largely unmet.

The overall goal of this project is to increase access to quality services and to improve health outcomes of PEPFAR beneficiaries by strengthening the capacity of health care facilities to provide family-centered HIV prevention, care and treatment in Kinshasa. Through a partnership between the Gillings School of Global Public Health and the Kinshasa School of Public Health, collaborations with public sector health care facilities and clinics managed by non-governmental organizations, and in alliance with the DRC Ministry of Health and its National Programs for HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis, this program consolidates and expands existing activities while fostering sustainability of HIV services.

Contact: Frieda Behets

University of North Carolina-Democratic Republic of Congo Prevention of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission (PMTCT) Program

This program provides technical assistance to antenatal care clinics in Kinshasa, DRC, to integrate quality PMTCT services into antenatal care, while also improving basic antenatal care services. The UNC program has successfully implemented these services in 31 Kinshasa clinics. UNC PMTCT Program provides assistance with the following:

This program program monitoring and evaluation through the collection, interpretation and reporting of monitoring data
acquisition of PMTCT-related supplies
holding routine feedback meetings with clinic staff members who engage in PMTCT services, which provide an opportunity for clinic staff and UNC personnel to identify potential obstacles to providing quality services and solutions to overcome these obstacles

Contact: Frieda Behets, PhD

UNC-MAD Research Project

The University of North Carolina has been working in Madagascar since 1995. Led by Dr. Frieda Behets, UNC has built research infrastructure that includes more than 100 full-time employees. The in-country director at UNC-MAD is Dr. Kathleen Van Damme. The project has study sites in five cities in Madagascar. Central offices are located in the National Institute of Public and Community Health in Antananarivo.

Research at UNC-MAD is focused on sexually transmitted infections among a cohort of sex workers. UNC-MAD has trained local lab technicians in the testing of study specimens as part of its goal of establishing a sustainable workforce. Ongoing research directed by Dr. Behets includes a NIH-funded clinical trial for treatment of syphilis and prevention methods for chlamydial infections in high-risk women.

Contact: Frieda Behets

HIV and Tuberculosis Research Training in South Africa

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is one of the world's greatest public health challenges. The epidemic has aggravated the pre-existing tuberculosis (TB) epidemic, and escalating TB case-rates complicate the HIV epidemic. By 2007, there were approximately 1.37 million HIV-positive TB patients globally, about 80% of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. South Africa is among the top 5 countries in terms of TB burden, HIV burden, and TB/HIV burden.

South African TB/HIV Training Program (SATBAT)

This TB/HIV research training initiative aims to improve TB research in South Africa by providing short-, medium-, and long-term training to South African investigators in TB and HIV research in programs in both the United States and South Africa. The project is funded by an NIH International Clinical, Operational, and Health Services Research and Training Award for AIDS and Tuberculosis (ICOHRTA-AIDS/TB).

The program is a collaboration between UNC, University of the Witwatersrand, University of Cape Town, and Stellenbosch University.

Contact: Charles van der Horst

Building Capacity in HIV/TB Research: the WITS/UNC Training Program

Capacity building in clinical, operational and health system TB/HIV/AIDS research in both the academic and governmental sectors in South Africa is urgently needed. This collaboration between UNC and University of the Witwatersrand is creating a comprehensive plan to build capacity for training and research in the fields of TB and HIV/AIDS. The program fosters the development of a multidisciplinary Research Training Unit (R&T Unit) for TB/HIV research and training in South Africa and the sub-Saharan African region. The R&T Unit will have expertise in clinical, operational and health service research methodologies, both quantitative and qualitative, onsite and distance learning teaching capacity and substantial core research support capabilities.