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INDEPTH
NEWS BULLETIN
Vol. 2004, No.2
In this issue, you will read:
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The INDEPTH
Starter kit workshop ends
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The INDEPTH health intervention trials
platform takes off this March
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Health Informatics - The way forward
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Two more months to the 4th
INDEPTH AGM - Hanoi, Vietman
1.The
INDEPTH
Starter
Kit workshop ends
The
one-week INDEPTH Starter Kit Workshop successfully ended in Accra, Ghana
on
20th
February 2004.
Participants spent their time to develop a kit that potential new sites
will use in establishing a demographic surveillance system (DSS). At the
end of the Workshop, the DSS experts introduced a prototype of the
Starter Kit thus:
“There is no single manual on how to conduct demographic surveillance.
However there is much experience in running long-term longitudinal DSS
sites which resides mainly in the staff of such sites. The increasing
recognition of the value of DSS in contributing to both research and
development agendas has meant that there has been a steady proliferation
in the number of DSS sites in recent years. Many new sites have
suffered unnecessary start-up difficulties and delays because of lack of
timely access to expertise and technical know-how associated with the
practical aspects of starting and running a DSS site. This INDEPTH DSS
Starter Kit is intended for use by all those settings that have decided
to implement DSS from scratch, and have already secured their start-up
funding, but still need practical guidance in getting started”.
Efforts are ongoing to get the starter kit finalised so that it will be
presented at the AGM in Hanoi in early May.
INDEPTH wishes to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of the
following participants: Anastasia Wahome, Nairobi DSS, Kenya; Adjima
Gbangou, Nouna DSS, Burkina Faso; Honorati Masanja, Ifakara DSS / Rufiji
DSS, Tanzania; Sureeporn Punpuing and Jongjit Rittirong, Kanchanaburi
DSS, Thailand; Everest Dery and Ayaga Bawah, Navrongo DSS, Ghana; Edward
Galiwango, Iganga DSS, Uganda; Don de Savigny, Kwabena Owusu-Boateng and
Osman Sankoh, INDEPTH Network. Bruce Macleod,
University of South Maime, USA gave a presentation on the HRS software
and advised on IT-related issues.
2.
The
INDEPTH health intervention trials platform takes off this March
With
an initial focus
on Africa, the INDEPTH Health Intervention Trials
Platform will take off this March when Principal Investigators from
INDEPTH sites will meet for the first time in Accra, Ghana from 15-19
March 2004. This meeting will enable INDEPTH to get an idea where each
site is with respect to their future ability to conduct trials and to
determine what are the immediate steps to take with respect to
preparations for trials.
PIs
will come from Bandim DSS, Guinea-Bissau; Navrongo DSS, Ghana;
Nouna DSS, Burkina Faso; Ifakara DSS, Tanzania; Butajira
DSS, Ethiopia; Magu DSS, Tanzania; Farafenni DSS, The
Gambia; Africa Centre DSS, South Africa; Agincourt DSS,
South Africa; Rakai DSS, Uganda; and Manhica DSS,
Mozambique.
3.
Health Informatics - The
way forward
In
line with its capacity building/strengthening activities, INDEPTH is
taking advantage of a new programme in health informatics at the
University of Ghana to strengthen capacity of its member sites in
research and use of computer-based tools and information management in
health care delivery. These will include data storage, information
retrieval, data analysis, and data communication. INDEPTH will be
supporting 2-3 students from INDEPTH sites to participate in this
programme.
A
2-day meeting was organised at the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical
Research by the school of School of Public Health (SPH),
University
of Ghana -Legon (16 – 17 February 2004). The meeting brought together
experts from diverse fields to discuss and agree
on
the curriculum for the
proposed Master’s Degree programme in Health Informatics.
Based on inputs from the meeting, the curriculum is being finalised
and will
be submitted to the University’s Academic Board. INDEPTH facilitated the
participation of Professor Bruce Macleod from the University of South Maime, USA. Bruce Macleod has
been working
with many INDEPTH sites in the deployment of the Household Registration
System (HRS) and is helping the SPH to develop the IT component of the
course.
4.
Two more months to the 4th
INDEPTH AGM - Hanoi, Vietman
Just
two more months to the 4th INDEPTH Annual General and
Scientific Meeting (AGM). It will take place on 3-7 May 2004 in
Hanoi,
Vietnam. The Organising and Scientific Committees are working hard to
ensure a successful AGM in Hanoi. A provisional programme will be
available soon. For further details, please visit the AGM pages on the
INDEPTH website.
The
INDEPTH AGMs are attended largely by INDEPTH-funded participants.
However, self-sponsorship is also encouraged but this must be approved
by the Executive Director. If you wish to attend this AGM as a
self-sponsored participant, please contact the INDEPTH Secretariat now
for further details. The Secretariat will be prepared to help you with
travel arrangements and cost estimates for your participation.
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