Stop Brain Drain of African AIDS Scientists

Summary

Help build infrastructure and provide necessary local training so that scientists in Africa can do AIDS vaccine immunology work on site and have the opportunity for a career in their home country.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

There is an extreme shortage of trained professionals in clinical research centers & trial sites in Africa. IAVI has engaged in an extraordinary initiative to build clinical trial centers in East & Southern Africa. To ensure that partner labs in Africa meet international standards, IAVI has them trained & accredited under the stringent Good Clinical Laboratory Practices (GCLP) scheme. This high level of oversight provides credibility of results and provides consistency across the trial network.

How will this project solve this problem?

To ensure the lab network can be sustained locally, IAVI put in place a training program for clinical research & lab staff to enhance skills, qualify local trainers, establish quality assurance groups, and develop basic equipment maintenance skills.

Potential Long Term Impact

IAVI’s stress on building capacity is making a difference. The lab network is changing how African scientists work, expanding professional horizons & seeding a regional scientific community. As opportunities multiply, scientists abroad could return.

Project Message

We are internationally recognized, and that’s important. I’ve worked overseas, and it’s easy to see data coming from some developing countries and doubt its credibility.
- Josephine Birungi, Senior Scientist, UVRI-IAVI HIV Vaccine Program

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).

Resources