Air Pollution, Silica, Mining and Allergen Exposures in Asthma and Lung Fibrosis

University Of Michigan At Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

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Abstract

The overarching goal of this five-year competing renewal application is research capacity building, outside of South Africa, leading to greater self-sufficiency in environmental and occupational health (EOH) in the 14-nation Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region. The major strategy for sustainable capacity building is through support of four Single Country Resource Centers (SCRCs) located in Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to assist their development into academic research and training Centers of Excellence (CoEs). Based on an analysis of these factors, the program plan emphasizes: 1) assisting the SCRCs with curriculum development and the launching of new high-quality degree programs, with an emphasis on environmental health, through direct support of infrastructure, holding curriculum and other relevant workshops, sharing existent written and distance learning materials, and providing guest lectures, 2) fully supporting tuition and stipends for students nominated by SCRCs to complete diplomas, Masters degrees, and doctoral degrees in EOH at South African universities, 3) augmenting doctoral degree programs with intensive three-month research training at the University of Michigan, 4) directly funding and co-supervising Masters and doctoral in-country research projects. Expected exposures and health outcomes of research focus include: occupational and environmental exposures: air pollution, PM2.5, SO2, silica, mining, allergens, seafood processing; health outcomes: asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, contact dermatitis, coal workers pneumoconiosis, nonspecific bronchial hyperreactivity.[unreadable]