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Winter 2023
Global Programs Update
Happy Holidays!
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Managing Director, Global Research Administration & Management Services (GRAMS)
Global Programs Uganda Administrative Partner
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GRAMS is a private entity that offers research and grants management support to research-intensive institutions, like UCSF, in Eastern Africa. We are proud to have played a role in the inception and successful registration of the Global Programs Uganda office, where our company provides the following services:
- Payroll and accounting
- Banking and financial reporting
- Uganda government regulatory filings
- Legal and HR advice and support
At GRAMS, our primary goal is to bolster and improve research administration services within Africa and beyond. Feel free to reach out if we can be of assistance at [email protected].
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Mary Mwangome has been selected as the new Director of Strategic Information for Kenya Surveillance. She replaces Wanjiru Waruiru, who has transitioned to the Director of the Global Portfolio for UCSF's Center for Pandemic Preparedness and Response. Mwangome, a medical doctor with a Master's and Ph.D. in epidemiology, has vast experience in public health and clinical research in sub-Saharan Africa. She has worked with GP Kenya for more than six years, first as a surveillance team lead and later as the deputy director for strategic information.
Contact: [email protected]
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Goodluck Mlungusye
HIS Intern
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Focus Shao
Senior HIS Developer
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Mental Health Workshop
Since March 2022, GP Namibia has been evaluating the social impacts of providing HIV testing results and partner notification services at 37 sites across five districts. The study explores whether individuals receiving these services are more likely to face social harms, perpetrate them, or experience benefits. The data collectors who interviewed study participants were found to have experienced post-interview psychological reactions due to shared participant trauma. In response, GP Namibia organized a three-day mental health workshop for data collectors to address these challenges, promote reflection, and improve engagement, concluding with certificates of appreciation. The experience underscores the importance of prioritizing mental well-being in sensitive research settings and recognizing the need for proactive support for employees facing emotional challenges. The UCSF team expresses gratitude to GP Namibia for their guidance and leadership in organizing the workshop.
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Mental health workshop participants are (front row, left to right) Lot Sheethen, Taimi Shipepe, Cherizaan Willemse, Sarafina Muyamba, Ntombizodwa Makurira, Florence Tchisuku, Hermbert Katota, and Ifeoma Ndozi-Okia; and (back row, left to right) Feni Shikongo, Bruce Liswaniso, Paulus Shilongo, Helaria Haushona, Thelsah Kasuka, Imogene Naruses, and Blasius Murorua. | |
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Data collectors receiving certificates of appreciation are (front row, left to right) Lot Sheethen, Hermbert Katota, and Bruce Liswaniso; and (back row, left to right) Feni Shikongo, Paulus Shilongo, Blasius Murorua, Sarafina Muyamba, Helaria Haushona, and Thelsah Kasuka.
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PTRACKER Training of Trainers
The country's Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) program, supported by PEPFAR and guided by the technical expertise of GP Namibia, has successfully implemented the electronic system PTracker across 332 PMTCT facilities, covering 89 percent of the targeted sites nationwide. PTracker, an Electronic Medical Record based on the OpenMRS framework, supports PMTCT Monitoring and Evaluation as well as quality improvement systems. PTracker will soon be updated which will provide enhanced navigation, streamlined access between visit information and client summaries, and improved patient history. Additionally, the upgrade will enhance the tracking of mother-infant pairs by incorporating key metrics within the system.
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The HIS Development Team responsible for the MPI, NDW, and PTracker projects are (front) Herobiam Heita and Collin Nehemia and (back) Asen Mwandemele and Sam Naholo.
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DREAMS Auxiliary Monitoring and Evaluation Update
Managing and reporting data for the DREAMS project in Tanzania, overseen by DATIM (PEPFAR's health information platform), has been complex and intricate due to the variety of tools used by different partners. UCSF and GP Tanzania addressed this complexity by introducing a centralized data management system that cleans, harmonizes, and merges data from various partners into a unified source. The system features a user-friendly dashboard extracting key indicators, simplifying project tracking, and generating DATIM reports effortlessly. The focus of UCSF and Global Programs on training and technical support for partners ensures accurate data input, complemented by regular audits to maintain data integrity. These improvements have significantly streamlined the reporting process, providing more reliable insights for program monitoring and evaluation, ultimately enhancing the efficiency and quality of data outcomes for the DREAMS project.
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Zanzibar Integrated Biobehavioral Survey (IBBS)
The GP Tanzania team, in support of the Zanzibar Ministry of Health (MoH), conducted an IBBS among three key populations in Zanzibar. The successful survey led the team to participate in a dissemination event for the MoH and an invitation to present a webinar to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta as well as CDC country offices. Presentations included sharing best practices with an emphasis on the strong collaboration with the MoH that led to the survey's success.
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Celebrating a successful project outcome are Ali Kimwaga, Hannat Said Rahman, Christen Said, Hafidh Said Saleh, Husna Khamis Said, Joel Ndayongeje, Farhat Jowhar Khalid, Ahmed Khatibu, and Faki Haji Faki. | |
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eHealth Strategy Implementation
The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MHSS) in Namibia is actively implementing its eHealth Strategy (2021-2025) to enhance the accessibility of health information. Central to this effort are key initiatives, including developing a unique patient identifier known as the Health ID, and the establishment of a National Data Warehouse (NDW) to store health data. Since 2019, collaborative efforts involving the government work group the Health Information Research Directorate and GP Namibia have been dedicated to crafting a prototype for the Master Patient Index (MPI), a critical component for issuing Health IDs. The NDW, equipped with specialized dashboards, prioritizes data privacy and security, with training sessions conducted by GP Namibia. As the ministry prepares to pilot the MPI and launch the NDW, a collaborative workshop with GP Namibia was held to update stakeholders and explore avenues for continued collaboration.
|  | GP Namibia and MHSS celebrating a successful collaboration are Asen Mwandemele, Sam Naholo, Joseph Mudjuu, Rosaline Hendricks, Philomena Ochurus, and Ifeoma Ndozi-Okia. | |
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Guideline Updates for HEI Registration
GP Tanzania recently collaborated with the Ministry of Health to update national guidelines for registering HIV-exposed infants (HEI) from four to six weeks to within seven days of birth. Through consultative meetings, the team developed and implemented a national standard operating procedure, training materials, and job aids. Additionally, monitoring and evaluation cascades were integrated into the Monthly Portal platform to track the initiative's impact on early HEI registration and HIV diagnosis, supporting continuous quality assessment indicators for the HIV program.
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Data, Innovation, and Technology Hub (DITHub)
The Institute for Global Health Sciences unveiled the DITHub at a gathering in San Francisco in October. GP participants included Koki Kinagwi (GP Kenya Country Director), Wanjiru Waruiru (Director of the Global Portfolio for UCSF's Center for Pandemic Preparedness and Response), and Fitti Weissglas (Kenya-based DITHub Co-Director). GP partners, including the University of Nairobi and Makerere University, were also present. DITHub's primary objective is to tackle global health inequalities by facilitating the exchange of the latest data and technological innovations among partners. Additionally, the hub aims to enhance the capacity of its collaborators to apply these tools effectively across various public health focus areas.
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DITHub attendees included Michelle Moghadassi, Daudi Jjingo, Julius Oyugi, Francis Kakooza (back), Susie Welty (front), Koki Kinagwi (back), Maria Namaganda, and Jeremy Alberga. | |
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IGHS and GP Kenya partner with MMUST
IGHS has partnered with Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) in Western Kenya. The university, which specializes in training the next generation of medical, public health, biomedical sciences, and technology professionals, is interested in biosafety, antimicrobial resistance, and neglected tropical diseases collaborations. Other ventures include digital health diagnostics to push the boundaries of healthcare innovation. GP Kenya will support linking UCSF researchers with MMUST on mutual areas of interest; contact Dr. Koki Kinagwi for more information.
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GP Uganda Writing Workshop
In the last four years, the Uganda Ministry of Health, in collaboration with various partners, has actively conducted HIV recent infection testing in over 1000 health facilities, producing valuable programmatic data. To present this data for publication, a workshop led by UCSF and CDC experts addressed key aspects of manuscript writing. A team of 24 technical experts from organizations including MoH, Uganda Virus Research Institute, CDC Uganda, USAID, Makerere University Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Support Program, Infectious Diseases Institute, Mild May Uganda, Rakai Health Sciences Program, and GP Uganda collaborated on crafting four draft manuscripts. These manuscripts, covering topics such as characterizing HIV recent infections, training models for HIV recent infection surveillance, Quality Assurance, and insights from Continuous Quality Improvement, underwent further refinement in a subsequent workshop in September. The team is now in the process of submitting these manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals. The success of this collaborative effort highlights the importance of timely input from facilitators and reviewers. The writing team expresses gratitude to Laura Buback, Rachel King, Herbert Kiyingi, Mubiru Anthony, Wilford Kirungi, and Peruth Kyomugisha for their vital contributions and support.
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Celebrating a successful writing workshop are Geoffrey Taasi, Alice Namale, Christine Katusiime, Laura Buback, and Emmy Muramuzi. | |
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IGHS, University of Nairobi, and GP Kenya: ENGAGE
Starting in January, the University of Nairobi and the Institute for Global Health Sciences are teaming up with six other Kenyan universities for an exciting five-year project. The Enabling Girls in AI and Growing Expertise (ENGAGE) initiative aims to empower over 800 underprivileged girls and young women in Kenya through a machine learning and data science program focused on public health. GP Kenya will provide implementation support for this project. Learn more.
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Photo by Jonathan Torgovnik/Getty Images/Images of Empowerment (edited slightly for use here) | |
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Dr. Mylo Schaaf, a Global Programs Director since 2015, retired from UCSF and the Board in October 2023. As UCSF's Director of Global Outreach and Senior International Officer, Schaaf provided a valuable perspective on international research and global partnerships. Her commitment and dedication to providing responsible leadership and guidance for the last eight years is recognized and greatly appreciated. We will miss her participation on the Board and wish her all the best!
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Dr. Payam Nahid has been elected to fill a recently vacated position on the Board of Directors. Nahid holds various roles, including professor of medicine, director of clinical trials operations in the UCSF Office of Research, director of the UCSF CTSA Trials Innovation Network Hub, and director of the UCSF Center for Tuberculosis. With over two decades of experience in global health research, he specializes in clinical trials and translational research, particularly in the areas of TB and HIV/TB. Global Programs welcomes his expertise and perspective to the Board of Directors as we strive to enhance our foreign affiliate offices. | |
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January 23, 2024: Global Programs Country Forum (10 am - 11 am PST)
Contact [email protected] for an invite; the agenda will be sent in early January.
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Created by the IRSO Office at UCSF, the Global Programs e-newsletter is a quarterly publication sent to all GP staff and selected UCSF audiences. Submit feedback or content suggestions to [email protected]. | |
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