Supporting%20Health%20Research%20Networks%20in%20Sub-Saharan%20Africa%20%20an%20initiative%20of%20the%20German%20Federal%20Ministry%20of%20Education%20and%20Research%20(BMBF)

1
Supporting Health Research Networks in
Sub-Saharan Africaan initiative of the German
Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

• Dr. Detlef Böcking
• PT-DLR Project Management, Health Research

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Health Research Networks in Sub-Saharan Africa

• Introduction
• BMBF activities
• the problem(s)
• a bit of history and background information
• G8/G20 process and national policies
• implementation
• Goals
• Funding
• Timelines

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Health Research Networks in Sub-Saharan Africa
elements in BMBFs funding portfolio (I)

• national funding within the Frame-work Programme
  for Health Research
• e. g. German Malaria Initiative (2001)
• e. g. Junior Research Groups for neglected
  diseases (2009)
• e. g. project funding initatives for HIV/AIDS,
  Malaria, TB, health care research (ongoing)
• e.g. German Centres for Health Research (DZG)
  with current focus on poverty associated diseases
  and partner sites in SSA
• 20 Mio. / year (estimated)

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Health Research Networks in Sub-Saharan Africa
elements in BMBFs funding portfolio (II)

• 2) Contribution to International Activities

• 2.1) European and Developing Countries Clinical
  Trials Partnership
• EDCTP I, 2003 2015, total German Co-funding 8
  -10 Mio
• Germany supports EDCTP II, 2014 2020, 25 Mio
  envisaged
• 2.2) Financial contribution to Product
  Development Partnerships (PDPs)
  2011-2015, 20 Mio.

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Health Research Networks in Sub-Saharan Africa
elements in BMBFs funding portfolio (III)

• 3) funding activities of the International bureau
  of BMBF (health research and beyond)
• e.g. call on knowledge-based partnerships for
  sustainable solutions with Sub-Saharan Africa
  (health, climate, nutrition)
• e.g. funding of travel and workshops for the
  preparation of RD cooperation projects
• e. g. trilateral DE/FR/AFR research initiatives
• e.g. participation in Network Initiatives between
  the EU and Africa

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Health Research Networks in Sub-Saharan Africa
elements in BMBFs funding portfolio
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Health Research Networks in Sub-Saharan Africa

• Problems
• (Health) research in Sub-Saharan Africa
• is largely North driven (science, politics,
  economy charity)
• is often not related to academy
• is not really seen as a priority by African
  governments
• has many actors but lacks coordination
• lacks capacity
• The need for more and better (health) research
  has often been addressed (WHO, G8, etc.)
• Until recently, health research for development
  hasnt been an important element of German
  development aid and/or research policies.

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Health Research Networks in Sub-Saharan Africa
background and history

• G8/ G20 initiative
• 2007 - G8-Summit, Heiligendamm Draft concept for
  Health Research centres in SSA by the German
  Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
• 2009 - G8 Summit, lAquilaDeclaration We will
  also begin to address substantial gaps .. by
  developing networks of researchers and by working
  with our African partners to establish a
  consortium of interdisciplinary centres of health
  innovation.
• 2009 - Follow-Up, RomeDE represented by BMZ
  BMBF
• 2010 - Follow Up, NIH, Bethesda DE represented
  by BMBF Leopoldina
• Process not followed up by G8/G20 due to focus on
  MDGs 5 6but taken up by the German Federal
  Government as a possible future activity

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Health Research Networks in Sub-Saharan Africa
background and history

• G8/ G20 initiative

• BMBF / Federal Government
• Internationalization Strategy (2008) Goal 3
  Intensifying the cooperation with developing
  countries in education, research and development
  Goal 4 Assuming international responsibility
  and mastering global challenges
• Concept for Africa of the Federal Government
  (2011) The German Government will be promoting
  research networks focusing on diseases of
  particular relevance to health care policy in
  Africa, in order to improve existing structures
  within health care research, training and
  provision..
• Funding concept neglected and poverty associated
  diseases (2011)

Funding initiative Strengthening of Health
Research in Sub-Saharan Africa by networking,
North-South Partnerships and Capacity-Building
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Health Research Networks in Sub-Saharan Africa
Funding initiative Strengthening of Health
Research in Sub-Saharan Africa by networking,
North-South Partnerships and Capacity-Building

• Financial Volume (envisaged) up to 10 Mio/
  year
• Duration (envisaged) 5 years (2014 onward)
• Steps so far
• Consultational Process
• November 8, 2011, Stakeholder Workshop (natl.
  intnl.) in Berlin
• February 6, 2012, Round Table of German Funding
  Institutions, Bonn
• June 25 26, 2012, Workshop with African
  Stakeholders Addis Ababa

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Health Research Networks in Sub-Saharan Africa
The consultation Whom we talked to

• Nationwide

• Europe-wide and North America

• Multilaterals

• Africa-wide

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Health Research Networks in Sub-Saharan Africa
The Consultational Process major
recommendations (1)

• Build partnerships on mutual trust and true
  sharing of benefits and risks
• Build on existing structures and networks, avoid
  white elephants
• Research subjects to be defined predominantly by
  African partners
• Strengthen Research Capacities in Universities
• Successful implementation requires early contact
  to and integration of responsible authorities
  (regional, national, district)
• Primary contact must established by researchers
• Existing initiatives, such as COHRED or WHO/TDR
  may help
• Germany should be committed to direct interaction
  with African authorities

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Health Research Networks in Sub-Saharan Africa
The Consultational Process major
recommendations (2)

• Consider to put sufficient resources in
  management capacities (financial, project
  management)
• Allow for building capacities in documentation
  (libraries, archives, publication and grant
  writing skills)
• Training is key! Create career options on the
  Post-Doc/ junior professorship level
• Welcome explicitly projects dedicated to the
  operationalization of research results
  (implementation research, health-systems
  research, PH in general)
• Dont restrict thematic focus too narrowly.
  Research projects must be in alignment with
  national/regional research and/or health
  priorities.

14
Health Research Networks in Sub-Saharan
Africa Attempting a scenario (1)
Health research networks Subsahara- Africa
Health Research
Education / Training
Health care system
Outreach activities
Capacity building
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Health Research Networks in Sub-Saharan Africa
Attempting a scenario (2) - Possible basic
elements

• Prerequisites
• German institutions participate
• the African Institutions contribute appropriately
  (money, ressources, administrative requirements)
• Networks are backed by African Authorities

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• Health research networks in Africa
• the way forward (as we see it now)

• 26 Sept 2012 2nd Consultation with German
  Funding Partners (DAAD, GIZ, DFG) on the
  possibility of joint actions
• Summer/Autumn 2012 Drafting of a funding
  concept
• Autumn/Winter 2012 Finalisation of the funding
  concept
• Winter 2012/2013 Announcement of Call for
  expressions of interest / partnering event
• Spring 2013 Selection of Applicants for full
  proposal
• Winter/Spring 2014 Start of funding

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• Thank you very much
• Questions?
• detlef.boecking_at_dlr.de
• anne.pflug_at_dlr.de