Science Gateways: needs, potentials and examples for Open Science in Africa focusing on pharmacology and community health portals Lars L Gustafsson MD PhD, professor Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

Needs I: ties between scientists within Africa Published scientific articles Few publications by African collaboration only

Needs II: epidemiological data across Africa 2012 Demographic surveillance sites in 43 countries with 2.1 million people follow population from birth to death Publications in epidemiology/country

Needs III: Essential medicines in Africa 2017 Population Strategy: 1. Pay for a basket of essential medicines, 2. Make essential medicines affordable, 3. Assure quality and safety of medicines, 4. Promote quality use of medicines and 5. Develop missing essential medicines. Points 2,3,4,5 require open access data. The Commission estimates that US$77-152 billion per year is needed to provide a basic package of 201 essential medicines to all low- and middle-income countries Spending on medicines

Needs of colleagues and Open Science in medicine in Africa Challenge: Bioscientists and medical practitioners in numerous fields are few in Africa Needs: Colleagues, expertise, knowledge, information, guidelines and tools Challenge: Affordable treatment options and techniques and trusted information scarce in African institutions and practices Needs: Transparent markets and resources, information and “communities of practices” Challenge: Lack of money Needs: Shared use of applications, computers and competitive markets driven by transparent price information for medicines and equipment

Needs in medical research and practice match potentials of Science Gateways concept Medical research and practice: Need of colleagues, advice, evidence, data and cost-effective tools and applications Potential of Science Gateways Concept: A shared virtual space for collaboration in a common theme with the same graphical intuitive interface for collaboration across distances allowing easy access to data and applications. A collection of computer resources at multiple locations can provide services to support, upload, search, manage, download and store data

Two examples of solutions with Science Gateways Aims: Provide support to emerging communities of practice (COPs) Specify structures, models, resources and competences needed to be able to host and use Science Gateways within the COP in a sustainable way to changes defined as production of papers, people trained and time gains in research and healthcare Focus on: African Pharmacology Science Gateway Community Health Portal

African Pharmacology Science Gateway (APSG) May 2013, AiBST & eI4Africa EU/F7 initiated collaboration with a pilot African Pharmacology Science Gateway (PSG) AiBST in Zimbabwe established consortium of 7 African countries to participate in the development of the APSG concept Institute Contacts Country Expertise 1 African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology (AiBST) Collen Masimirembwa Milcah Dhoro Roslyn Thelingwani Zimbabwe Genetics DMPK Bionalysis 2 Muhimbili University Omary Minzi Eliford Ngaimisi Tanzania Bioanalysis 3 Makerere University Jackson Mukonzo Norah Mwebaza Sarah Nanzigu Muhammad Ntale Uganda 4 Addis Ababa University , Eleni Aklillu Abiy Eyakem Ethiopia 5 University of Nairobi Anastasia Guantai Margaret Oluka Kenya Pharmacy 6 University of Ibadan Chinedum Peace Babalola Nigeria 7 University of Cape Town, Collet Dandara Simbarashe Zvada South Africa 8 Obafemi Awolow University Oluseye Bolaji PSG

What is the APSG? A virtual collaborative community linked to the African Grid Science Gateway Builds on easily accessible tools, preferably open access for affordability and sustainability Simplifies collaboration and sharing of resources in Africa Promotes and implements African medical science collaboration in: biomedical and pharmacological sciences clinical trials and clinical drug studies for improving African healthcare

Pharmacology Science Gateway

Pilot focus areas https://sgw.aAfrica-grid.org/pharmacology-science-gateway

Current tools https://sgw.africa-grid.org/pharmacology-science-gateway

Potentials and identified needs Prototype created based on COP wishes: close collaboration with Medicines Utilisation Research in Africa (MURIA) Identified needs of epidemiological tools for drug utilization studies and for laboratory work (online questionnaire 2016-17 by Dr Olayinka Ogunleye et al among 118 respondents across Africa) Continuous development, interest from IUPHAR (International Union of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology) Maintenance of COP requires resources and dedication

Aim of Community Health Portal (CHP) Rural African healthcare usually paper based data challenging to keep information accessible, updated and secure Limited access to updated scientific literature and guidelines Health workers work alone – no access to specialists Drug stock outs large problem at health facilities ICT could provide solutions for both healthcare staff and patients CHP objectives: Support health workers and patients in rural Africa Gather different applications under one hood

Pilot applications integrated into the CHP Drug Management Application On-the-Job training

Conclusions Scientific Gateways concept match the needs in health research and services ASPG can be refined and fulfill needs of epidemiological tools for drug utilisation studies whereby MURIA and other groups can provide new knowledge CHP concept initiated by Sci-GaIA needs standardization: has gained acceptance by Ministry of Health in Tanzania Needs for resources to initiate, develop and maintain Community of Practices and Knowledge Management of Science Gateways Pan-African support for Open Access Data and sharing?

In collaboration with Sci-GaIA team and contribution Thank you! In collaboration with Sci-GaIA team and contribution by dr Olayinka O. Ogunleye, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Nigeria lars-l.gustafsson@ki.se sci-gaia.eu Make things simple Guidelines