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