This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement n° Supporting Communities of Practice through the Sci-GaIA platform Jaran Eriksen, MD PhD Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

2 Background Sci-GaIA Workpackage 2 – health 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 make a change defined as production of papers, people trained and time gains in research and healthcare  Focus on two COPs from eI4Africa: o African Pharmacology Science Gateway o Community Health Portal

3 African Pharmacology Science Gateway (APSG) Background and aim:  Many African scientists trained in high-income countries  Often technology transfer required for trained scientists to work at their African home institutions failed  Those who returned and remain in Africa have limited resources to maintain and develop strong research programs and institutions  To Design, Develop, Test, Implement and Evaluate a concept for cost-effective virtual e-infrastructure for African medical science collaboration (e-science) focusing on biomedical and pharmacological sciences and clinical trials for improving African healthcare

4 African Pharmacology Science Gateway (APSG)  May 2013, AiBST & eI4Africa EU/F7 initiated collaboration to establish a pilot African Pharmacology Science Gateway (PSG)  AiBST established consortium of 7 African countries to participate in the development of the APSG concept InstituteContactsCountryExpertise 1African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology (AiBST) Collen Masimirembwa Milcah Dhoro Roslyn Thelingwani ZimbabweGenetics DMPK Bionalysis 2Muhimbili UniversityOmary Minzi Eliford Ngaimisi TanzaniaBioanalysis DMPK 3Makerere UniversityJackson Mukonzo Norah Mwebaza Sarah Nanzigu Muhammad Ntale UgandaBioanalysis DMPK 4Addis Ababa University, Eleni Aklillu Abiy Eyakem EthiopiaGenetics 5University of NairobiAnastasia Guantai Margaret Oluka KenyaPharmacy 6University of IbadanChinedum Peace BabalolaNigeriaPharmacy 7University of Cape Town, Collet Dandara Simbarashe Zvada South Africa Genetics DMPK 8Obafemi Awolow University Oluseye BolajiNigeriaPharmacy PSG

5 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  Should promote and implement African medical science collaboration focusing on:  biomedical and pharmacological sciences  clinical trials and clinical drug studies for improving African healthcare

Pharmacology Science Gateway Outline

7 Pilot focus areas of APSG

8 Tools currently on/suggested for APSG

9 Potentials APSG  Prototype already created based on COP wishes  COPs to start using gateway for their research  Refine/revisit needs for tools  New tools  Continuous development

10 Background and aim Community Health Portal (CHP)  In rural Africa healthcare data are usually paper based  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 these challenges for both healthcare staff and patients  CHP objectives: o Support health workers and patients in rural Africa o Gather different applications under one hood

11 Pilot applications integrated into the CHP  Drug Management Application  On-the-Job training  On-line real-time Pulse Oximeter

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13 What can Sci-GaIa offer COPs  Data repository for data from e.g. clinical trials databases  Discussion forum for users  Adapt APSG and CHP to needs of potential users

14 Sci-GaIa support for APSG & CHP example  MURIA group – Medicines Utilization Research In Africa:  drug utilization and rational use of drugs  linked up with APSG  Sci-GaIa forum discussion  MURIA-initiated survey of African scientists in pharmacology o needs, skills, research areas

16 Conclusions  Sci-GaIA: o engage with new and emerging COPs o support new and emerging COPs on science gateways o further develop science gateways to COPs’ needs  We are here for the COPs, contact and interact with us!

Thank you! sci-gaia.eu

18 APSG objectives  To make accessible tools for research and training to ensure vibrancy in the N-S and S-S pharmacology research  To provide an e-platform which will remove/reduce physical barriers in research collaboration across Africa  To promote South-South collaboration, thus harvest on knowledge & technology acquired over years of North-South collaboration  To build critical mass of pharmacology research leaders  To build research capacity through training and mentoring of post-docs and middle career scientists to become independent research leaders