Malaria is a significant public health problem in Uganda. The overall goal of the proposed research training is to strengthen the national capacity to carry out malaria control related activities. An important objective is to provide capacity to Ugandan malaria researchers in the basic elements of ethical considerations including internationally accepted ICH-GCP/GLP standards, epidemiological methods and study design, data management and statistical analysis, quality assurance/quality control considerations in all laboratory manipulations including microscopy, molecular biology techniques used in malaria research, immunology of malaria, entomology and vector studies, drug resistance and national drug policy, and the ability to carry out ICH-GCP-compliant clinical trials. Another objective is to strengthen the capacity of the Institutional Review Board to provide internationally acceptable ethical reviews and oversight. Training and capacity building for malaria control will be undertaken in the context of field research to be undertaken at Apac Hospital in Apac District, Northern Uganda or at Nagongera Health Center in Tororo District in Eastern Uganda. The primary reason for the choice of these regions is that they have high malaria transmission rates throughout the year and are ideal sites for the evaluation of the real usefulness of new antimalarial interventions. Detailed studies of P. falciparum infection, morbidity and mortality have not been carried out over the past 40 years, resulting in a paucity of baseline data required for the optimal design of clinical trials. In this regard, we will undertake field studies to collect vital information about the local epidemiological profile of malaria, transmission patterns, circulating parasite genotypes, vector biology and ecology, insecticide and drug resistance, seasonal dynamics of infection, attack rates in the under 5 year-olds, anti-malaria immunity, and morbidity trends. Ugandans will be trained at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and during mentored research and workshops in Uganda. Workshops will cover grant writing, writing scientific papers, malaria in infants and pregnancy, immunology, entomology, statistical methods and epidemiology, drug resistance, microscopy, to data management, preparation of dossiers for product registration, IRB training, and ICH-GCP training. An important outcome will be a significant increase in the critical mass of researchers capable of mobilizing resources, communicating findings to stakeholders, and undertaking research relevant to malaria control. ? ? ?
