The Multilateral Initiative on Malaria
IT - Connectivity a Vital Tool for Research in Africa
Andreas Heddini, MD, PhD
Secretariat Coordinator
Stockholm
Sweden
What is the MIM?
• An international alliance of organizations aiming to strengthen malaria research capacity in endemic countries
Science as a vehicle for capacity buildingand control
MIM Objectives
To build malaria research capacity and strengthen research in endemic countries
To promote global communication and cooperation to avoid duplication of effort and maximize impact
To ensure that research findings are applied to malaria
treatment, control, health policies
To raise international public awareness of the problem of malaria
History and
Evolution of MIM
• Investment in malaria research is low relative to the burden of disease
• Need to strengthen capacity in Africa
• Launched in 1997 in Dakar, Senegal
MIM organizational structure
Strategic Advisory Board
Uniqueness of the MIM lies in the organizational structure
RCS with additional support mechanisms
Successful model!
MIM/TDR
MIMCom
MIMCom Network
Technical setup
Internet Access
Lambarene, Gabon
Training workshops
Kilifi, Kenya
Document delivery service
Websites supporting research agendas
Evaluation
• Quantifiable Site Growth Indicators:
– Number of proposals written
– Number of proposals funded
– Number of papers written
– Number of people working at site
– Number of computers on site
– Number of conference presentations
– Site budget
Fundamental Considerations
• Can IT intervention make a difference in the morbidity &
mortality of malaria
• Is the goal more dots on a map or a change in health?
• Is the network an internet café or a scientific tool?
• How do we use the tool?
• Expanding the network
• What actions need to be performed in order to reach the
desired outcome (better health)?
Future
• New technologies to meet the needs of the scientific community
• Research networks• Bioinformatics, databases, data mining tools• Distance learning• Linkage with other institutions - international and in
Africa• Increased access to medical/scientific journals• New sites
Future II
• Promote African leadership of central management functions of the network
– Identify strong institutions and talented individuals– Providing means to increase relevant skills– Administer technical aspects
Research Networks
• Document archive with document history and version management,
• Project calendar where project members may add milestones, create meetings and send out invitations to the members and contacts involved,
• Tool for planning and tracking where project members may create, assign and prioritize work tasks as well as create time and status reports,
Research Networks II
• Shared list of contacts where project members may create contact journals,
• Discussion forum
Malaria Research Network
Enhanced Connectivitydirectly to the satellite or via ISP
Information Resources
TrainingIT WorkshopsPI Workshops
Searching/Information access
ToolsWebsites
FTP serversAgentsCaching
EvaluationQuantitative/Qualitative
End to End Network Performance
Research AgendasAntimalaria Drug Resistance Network
Severe Malaria in African Children
Better Health
Medical Informatics
MaliMali
Malaria Malaria Research Research
& & Training Training CenterCenter
Technical Technical Advisors & Advisors & Program Program
ManagersManagers
Ministry of Ministry of HealthHealth
GhanaGhanaDataData
District District LevelLevel
ResearchResearchSchool of School of
Public HealthPublic Health(Noguchi (Noguchi
Inst.)Inst.)
Policy Policy MakersMakers
MIM-KTH-SIDA Project
MIM Partnerships
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