Microbicide Trials Network

NOTE: THE CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS IS FRIDAY 5TH MARCH 2010.
 

The Reproductive Health & HIV Research Unit (RHRU) is the organiser of the RHRMC which is recognised for maximum CPD points for South African doctors and as a short course by the University of the Witwatersrand. This will be the 14th year of this course set up by an organising committee, constituted from the RHRU, the SA Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Population Council. The course was envisioned for Africans by African professionals in the field of S & RH and later widened to include HIV/AIDS. It has been externally evaluated thanks to funding from the Wellcome Trust, UK as “world class” and “unique in its provision” by expert and highly committed regional facilitators. These include Professor Helen Rees (RHRU Executive Director), Professor Rachel Jewkes (Unit Director, MRC Gender & Health Research Unit), Dr Saiqa Mullick (Country Representative, Population Council), Professor Michael Mbizvo (WHO, Geneva) and facilitators from the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand Medical School.

The course is supported by The Belgian Government via Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC), the Ford Foundation, the HIV Research Trust UK, the Welcome Trust and the World Health Organisation who make a limited number of partial bursaries available. The course facilitators are selected from a range of eminent international and local experts in reproductive health and HIV research and employ a range of both quantitative and qualitative research methods.

COURSE OBJECTIVES & CONTENT

• To increase research capacity in the African Region by strengthening the research capabilities of participants
• To provide skills in research methodology allowing participants to initiate research, participate in research and critically appraise research findings
• To familiarise participants with the major SRH/HIV issues affecting the African Region
• To create a network of alumni to facilitate information exchange and research collaboration in the African region

The content covers a spectrum of related topics and subjects in depth including an overview of reproductive health, qualitative and quantitative research methods, epidemiology, operations research, statistics, questionnaire design, Epi-info, proposal development, dissemination and utilisation of research results, clinical audit, research ethics and the role of research in policy. Specific issues in reproductive health are covered; Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV, Mother to Child Transmission, Gender Based Violence and gender considerations in health research and policy. There is also a participant project of critical analysis of a research publication and there are selected site visits to ongoing research projects.

IMPACT & PARTICIPANTS

The minimum qualification for acceptance onto the course is a medical degree or a relevant honours degree and substantive experience in the field of sexual and reproductive health and/or HIV/AIDS and the competitive standard is high. Participants have been trained from nineteen African countries; Botswana, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Some of the reported outcomes are: abstracts and presentations at conferences, career advancement, dissemination & mentoring of course to colleagues, higher degree, proposal development, networking (information exchange and support for other alumni / offers of help and expertise), prizes, awards and scholarships, publications and research output increased

Further details and applications forms for 2010 are available from the Course Coordinator: Sandra McIntosh

E-mail: smcintosh@rhru.co.za

Or on the RHRU Website: www.rhru.co.za

Once again, the closing date for applications is Friday 5th March 2010.