Designing Research Training for Rwandans in Emerging HIV & Drug Therapy

Rasd Rwanda, Kigali

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Designing Research Trainings for Rwandans in Emerging HIV- and cART- associated Cardiovascular, Diabetes and Metabolic Complications Treatment program for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Rwanda is highly successful, with national HIV treatment services available to 90% of the population eligible for combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). As Rwanda strives to become a middle-income country, it is undergoing rapid transition to development with increasing aging population, urbanization, potential higher rates of obesity, and will potentially be affected by two separate epidemics of non- communicable diseases and effects HIV and ART treatment. Although data are limited on metabolic, cardiovascular and diabetes complications associated with HIV infection and treatment with cART, the country's disease burden is gradually increasing due the burden of HIV- and cART- associated metabolic, cardiovascular and diabetes complications. In this planning research training program, our goal is to strengthen inter-institutional research training partnerships for our institutions of Women's Equity in Access to Care and Treatment (WE-ACTx Rwanda) (applicant institution), King Faisal Hospital, Kigali and National University of Rwanda to collaborate with Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University to leverage research capacity for Rwandans to address emerging HIV- and cART-associated metabolic, diabetes and cardiovascular complications including the recently described entity of malnutrition diabetes which is unstudied in the presence of HIV- infection and cART use. Our second goal is to enable Rwandan applicants and their Einstein collaborators to solidify relationships, assess scientific and infrastructure needs required to implement relevant research training program, identify potential trainees and the necessary staff development in Rwanda to apply and implement a successful 5-year HIV Research Training Program (HRTP) after 2- years of planning period. We envisage to carry out the following: 1) assess availability and gaps for scientific research training needs and infrastructure in Rwanda that will be required to implement the 5-year HRTP; 2) carry out interactive Teleconference presentations by Einstein faculty using KFH, K Telemedicine facilities on HIV- and ART- cardiovascular, diabetes and metabolic complications; 3) visit out Einstein faculty's research sites and training facilities by Rwandan trainees to study and appreciate various research training settings and programs to plan relevant research trainings for the future 5-year HRTP; 4) develop an application for the 5-year HRTP that will include short-term and long-term training programs. These activities will leverage the Government of Rwanda (GoR) and Ministry of Health (MoH) mission to improve availability of, and capacity of Rwandan scientists and clinicians, and to reinforce institutional capacity. Thus, these planning grant activities will contribute to greater understanding of the requirements for research trainings to foster strong and coherent Einstein-Rwandan institutional collaborations.