1. 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

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

3. 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

4. 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$ billion per year is needed to provide a basic package of 201 essential medicines to all low- and middle-income countries
Spending on
medicines

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. Pharmacology Science Gateway

11. Pilot focus areas

12. Current tools

13. 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 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

15. 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

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

17. 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?

18. 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
sci-gaia.eu
Make things simple
Guidelines