Zambia, with a population of 10.4 million inhabitants, has what is considered to be the world's 13th highest neonatal and childhood death rate. University Teaching Hospital (UTH), located in the Zambian capital of Lusaka, houses the nation's only school that trains physicians. Within UTH, researchers who are part of the Maternal Newborn and Child Health Partnership (MNCHP) work to reduce the neonatal and childhood mortality rate by translating research outcomes into governmental policy. This application seeks to strengthen MNCHP research capabilities by funding an International Extramural Associate (IEA), Dr. Elwyn Chomba, for a period of 5 years. During this period, Dr. Chomba would work actively with UTH faculty, the Ministry of Health, and other ancillaries to increase funding for neonatal research in Zambia. Dr. Chomba and the MNCHP staff would train the next generation of biomedical researchers by conducting workshops and seminars on the fundamentals of grant submission and management. In addition, IEA training would increase the ability of the MNCHP research office to pursue additional funding opportunities and provide better administrative management of existing projects. By the end of the project period, the MNCHP office hopes to have contributed significantly to the reduction of the neonatal mortality rate in Zambia through the addition of new pediatric researchers and innovative projects.
The Maternal Newborn and Child Health Partnership at University Teaching Hospital seeks to reduce the neonatal and childhood death rate in Zambia through research and subsequent policy change. The addition of an International Extramural Associate to the MNCHP office would provide the necessary infrastructure to train new Zambian biomedical researchers in grant submission and grant administration. In turn, allowing these investigators to compete nationally and internationally for research funding aimed at improving neonatal mortality and associated child health outcomes.
