The NIH-Fogarty supported UNZA-Vanderbilt Training Partnership for HIV-Nutrition-Metabolic Research (UVP) continues a multi-decade training collaboration between the University of Zambia School of Medicine/University Teaching Hospital (UNZA/UTH) and the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH). In February, UVP held its annual workshop for researchers and clinicians in Lusaka, Zambia. Almost 200 faculty, graduate students, clinical staff, and community members attended the three-day workshop. This year's focus was, "Clinical Trials: Study Design, Management, and Resources." The training workshop was closely aligned with efforts to expand clinical trial capacity in Zambia led by the Zambian Ministry of Health and the National Health Research Authority (NHRA).
The three-day program included presentations from 20 dynamic speakers from VUMC and a variety of local organizations including the Centre for Infectious Disease Research Zambia (CIDRZ), Ministry of Health Zambia, NHRA, Zambart, Zambian Statistics Agency, and UNZA/UTH. These presenters covered topics in clinical trial research related to study design, statistical considerations, regulatory matters, and trial safety, biorepositories, grant management, and a panel discussion on building a community of research in Zambia. Highlights of the workshop included presentations by Dr. Godfrey Biemba, the director and chief executive officer of the NHRA; daily site visits to local clinical trials research sites and laboratories including the UTH Adult Infectious Disease Centre (AIDC); and research presentations by UVP-sponsored PhD candidates.
UVP is led by Douglas C. Heimburger, M.D., M.S., Professor of Medicine, Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, and Selestine H. Nzala, MBChB, MPH, Head, Department of Medical Education, University of Zambia School of Medicine. The workshop was coordinated by UVP and hosted by both UVP and the UNC-UNZA-Wits Partnership for Women’s Health Research (UUW). UVP and UUW are supported by the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health grants D43TW009744 (UVP) and D43TW010558 (UUW).