Global Programs for Research and Training is launching this quarterly newsletter to increase awareness of our in-country activities and strengthen the connection between UCSF stakeholders and Global Programs staff across our seven country offices.

Global Programs continues to provide a great opportunity for UCSF faculty and research groups to directly engage with local partners and communities on their international projects, including hiring local staff and managing day-to-day implementation activities. We hope this newsletter is informative and increases engagement with UCSF’s overseas offices.

Learn more about Global Programs.

Global Programs employees provide more than reliable operations support to UCSF international projects:

Staff have expert program and technical skills and are knowledgeable about the local context.

Staff have long-term professional relationships with Ministries of Health and other local partners.

Staff efforts may be allocated to various projects as needed to support similar projects across countries and regions, including Africa, the Caribbean, South America, and Asia.

Contact Jane Drake to learn more!

Global Programs Kenya, which officially began operations in September 2015, has 84 staff located in Nairobi and Kisumu. With a mission to promote sustainable healthcare, education, and infrastructure that leads to a measurable enhancement of the quality of life, the office facilitates operations support for UCSF researchers. Support includes human resource management, finance, procurement, information technology, logistics, and partner and sponsor engagement, as needed, while ensuring compliance with both Kenya laws and UC policies.

Collaborations include the Ministry of Health, the Kenya Medical Research Institute, and local universities and other partners to implement programs and ensure project goals are met. Current projects supported include HIV/AIDS, malaria, maternal health, enteric pathogens, mental health, kidney disease, and improving quality of life.

Global Programs Tanzania, established in 2013, has grown from a team of four to a staff of 28. Led by Christen Said, the office provides technical assistance to the Ministry of Health; the National AIDS Control Programme; and the Zanzibar Integrated Hepatitis, HIV, TB, and Leprosy Programme in strategic information and disease surveillance.

The GP Tanzania portfolio supports the full spectrum of the data value chain from developing solutions, to improving data quality, to data integration and visualization for use. These include in-house development of applications that provide detailed analyses and visualizations of priority indicators to improve HIV and laboratory service delivery and promote data analysis and use at the facility level.

The office is also supporting the fourth round of bio-behavioral surveillance in Zanzibar and HIV recent infection surveillance throughout the country.

The GP Kenya office is excited to announce that Amos Ochieng has joined the team as procurement manager! With an impressive background working in multinational organizations both locally and overseas, including companies such as Dawa Group and Nestle EAR, Amos is a valuable addition to the office. Holding a BA and MBA in Procurement and Supply Chain Management from the University of Nairobi, Amos is a certified Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (MCIPS) and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table. Email: Amos.Ochieng@ucglobalprograms.org.

Dr Emmy Muramuzi, Uganda’s HIV Recent Infection Project Coordinator, effectively coordinated recent HIV infection surveillance in collaboration with stakeholders in HIV response. His efforts led to the successful phased rollout of recent infection testing from an initial 35 health facilities in 2019 to 993 today. Dr Muramuzi also spearheaded the development of data use and Public Health Response (PHR) guidelines that have directed the use of recent HIV infection results in initiating and refocusing HIV prevention interventions in identified potential hot spots. He is now dedicating his efforts towards rollout of PHR guidelines in Uganda.

Additionally, he has disseminated the results of recent infections surveillance at national and international conferences such as the 2023 PEFPAR Uganda Science Summit and the 2022 International AIDS Conference. Dr Muramuzi, who has been part of the GP Uganda team since 2019, said, "I strongly value the commitment, teamwork, and technical skills exhibited by the GP staff in Uganda and UCSF at large."

GP Namibia Technical Aids Consortium Project Coordinator Ntombizodwa "Ntombi" Makurira Nyoni currently supports the Ministry of Health and Social Services in implementing research to advance the quality of life for PLWHIV (People Living with HIV) and research projects to improve the life of HIV/AIDS population (PANTHER-95 and SHIRE, respectively). Ntombi, who joined the office in 2021, has over 11 years of experience in HIV prevention programming and team capacity building.

Working closely with a team of 15 data collectors and a project officer in five regions of Namibia, Ntombi’s overall objectives are to improve the quality of life for women living with HIV, reduce intimate partner violence in communities, and help achieve viral load suppression for PLWHIV. To accomplish these goals, she collaborates with local community organizations to increase awareness and access to HIV testing and treatment services.

Ntombi is a firm believer in teamwork, collaboration, and the spirit of Ubuntu, "I am because we are." She supports her team wholeheartedly and recognizes their invaluable contributions. "Organizations that are innovative and looking for new opportunities to expand not only impacts an employee’s professional growth, but also their personal growth. As a team, we value that GP Namibia appreciates and recognizes employee efforts, allows freedom of expression, and supports personal and professional development," she said.