The Africa Centre Perspective Of Public Engagement

Presented By

Mbongiseni Buthelezi(Head Of External Relations)

Presentation Outline• What is the Africa Centre?• How does the Africa Centre conduct its research?• What research does the Africa Centre do?• What is Public Engagement for Africa Centre?• What is the value of Public Engagement for the Africa

Centre?• How do we do Public Engagement?• What has been the effect of Public Engagement?

What is the Africa Centre?

Africa Centre

University of KwaZulu-Natal•College of Health Sciences

Governing CommitteeChair : Vice-Chancellor

Members: MRC, University, Community

UKZN Research Ethics Committee

Relevant Research Committees

Service Providers• Dept of Health•Hlabisa Hospital & sub-district•Umkhanyakude Health District•Dept of Education•Dept of Social Development

Authorities• Umkhanyakude District Municipality•Hlabisa Local Municipality•Mtubatuba Local Municipality•Traditional Councils (x4)

Community Advisory Board•Ward Committee Representatives•Izigodi Representatives• Service Depts Representatives

Mission Statement

“To conduct policy-relevant health and population research, in an ethical manner, in partnership with the community in which we work, and to enhance the capacity of the people of sub-Saharan Africa to do research”

How is research conducted?

Africa Centre

Community-based Research

•Surveillance area•Mobile teams – Household consent, Individual written consent

Facility-based Research

•In partnership with public service providers•Linked to capacity enhancement of public service

Community Liaison

•Dedicated CLO team•Integrated communications strategy•Capacity building of community members

Policy Liaison

•Dedicated PL Officer•Understanding research needs of policy makers•Communicating research results

What do we do? (Research Objectives)

1. To improve understanding of HIV dynamics and the impact of ART roll-out at individual, household, clinic, community level

2. To identify approaches to and target groups for interventions

3. To evaluate interventions at individual, household and community level

4. To implement and further evaluate HIV treatment and prevention programmes

What Is Public Engagement (PE)?

• It means different things to different people• Our working definition: As a term that has recently

been used, particularly in the UK, it refers to "the involvement of specialists listening to, developing their understanding of, and interacting with, non-specialists" (as defined by England's university funding agency, HEFCE in 2006).

Why Public Engagement?

• We believe in its value & importance • To realize our core mission (raison d'être) • Our major research donor, WT, believes it is

important• To ensure that the public voice is fed into our

research activities• To provide meaningful research, advice, information

& capacity development

Cont....

• To ensure the responsiveness of Government programmes & services to the needs of local people

• To promote the policy-influencing value of our research with policy-makers

• To promote greater use of research-based evidence in health and population policy formulation

How Do We Do Engagement?

• Community meetings & workshops• Internal newsletter – Umbiko & Community Input

Questionaire (COMIQ)• Community feedback roadshows • Annual research reports• Print & web publications• Weekly scientific meetings (Colloquia)• Policy workshops, dialogues & seminars• Conferences

Cont…..

• Media events & briefings• Collaborative research projects (UCT, UKZN,

LSHTM, Agincourt)• Youth Engagement Project (Welcome Trust)• Research donors’ reports & publications• Science Café (Planned)• KZN Prevention Research Network (Planned)

Positive Effect Of Engagement?

• The Africa Centre has worked for more than 10 years with (in) the same community & is still doing ground-breaking research!

• In 2008: 47 publications with 13 in press• Research input: UKZN came second after UP,

Africa Centre took first place within UKZN.• A DoH HIV Treatment & Care Programme – 16

PHCs, 5800 patients, 20 HBC organizations

Ngiyabonga! Thank you!!