Health & Demographic Surveil lance Systems (HDSS) Research Sites In Africa, Asia, Central America & Oceania

INDEPTH th

Network's 8 AGM and 10th Anniversary CelebrationsWhite Sands Hotel, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 22-26 September 2008

thThe INDEPTH Network held its 8 Annual General and Scientific Meeting (AGM) at White Sands Hotel, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania on 22-26 September 2009. The AGM was organised on behalf of the INDEPTH Network by the HDSS sites in Tanzania: Ifakara, Rufiji and Magu.

INDEPTH, which was inaugurated at White Sands hotel in 1998, also celebrated ten years of its existence. It is therefore no wonder that during this AGM, INDEPTH seized the opportunity to reflect on achievements in the past ten years, lessons learnt and plans for the way forward. The INDEPTH Network showcased its activities, products and impact, and examined the current status of the network.

The more than 250 participants and stakeholders at the AGM included scientists, policy-makers, researchers, government officials, diplomats, academics, students, funders and other development partners.

Among the INDEPTH participants were: INDEPTH Board members, members of the Scientific Advisory Committee, representatives of current funding organisations as well as of potential funders. Other participants included initiators of the network in 1998, collaborators, members of the various INDEPTH working groups, presenters (oral and poster) from INDEPTH sites, 16 young scientists who received travel support from the Secretariat, field supervisors, a site administrator, a Finance Manager attending an AGM for the first time, and site leaders.

Guided by the Theme: “INDEPTH@10: From knowledge generation to improved health policy and practice”, the major events at AGM included:

The meeting was officially opened by Dr. Aisha Kigoda, Deputy Minister, Tanzanian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and officially closed by the Chairperson of the INDEPTH Network Board of Trustees, Dr Seth Owusu-Agyei. The keynote address was delivered on behalf of Dr Tim Evans, WHO Director- General, by Carla AbouZahr. The address noted that, “INDEPTH is now well known and respected globally, the HDSS sites are healthy and 'vital' hotbeds of grounded, high quality research, training and service, and there are now more effective capacity-building and multi-country research opportunities”.

In her speech, the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Welfare thanked INDEPTH for the work done and said such organisations were crucial in realizing the health millennium development goals. Dr. Kigoda said: “As we hurtle towards 2015 and with only six and a half years to go, we still need to realize success in the health millennium development goals. It is through networks like INDEPTH that we can gauge our progress and sharpen the effectiveness and efficiency of our strategies...”

On his part, the Chair of the INDEPTH Board, Dr Seth Owusu-Agyei, who is Director of the Kintampo Health Research Centre in Ghana, noted that the future of INDEPTH was bright and interest in INDEPTH Network among funders, sites, scientists and learners was increasing. He said this was demonstrated by the increased funding and site leaders agreeing to bear the cost of travel to participate at the AGM. He commended Ifakara site for contributing USD 75,000 to the AGM.

The General Assembly marked the apogee of the AGM. It was attended by all INDEPTH Network stakeholders and chaired by the Board Chair, Dr. Seth Owusu-Agyei. The Executive Director, Dr Osman Sankoh, on behalf of the Board, presented a detailed account of INDEPTH's activities over the past year. He elaborated a wide and increased portfolio of activities undertaken over the past year. The final audited financial report for 2007 was presented by a representative of KPMG, Ghana. Following the ED's presentation, a general discussion followed, with members applauding the ED and his team at the Secretariat for the good work done.

Opening ceremony

The General Assembly

*INDEPTH's Vision* is to be an

international platform of

sentineldemographic

sites that provides health

and demographic

data and researchto enable

developing countries to set

health priorities and policies

based on longitudinal

evidence. INDEPTH's data

and research will guide

the cost effective use of

tools, interventions

and systems to ensure and

monitor progress towards

national goals.

Scientific Sessions

Other Sessions

Working Group Meetings

The Scientific Advisory Committee meeting

Poster Exhibitions

Presentation of awards to various outstanding contributors to the INDEPTH Network

Scientists and researchers from the various sites presented current research findings and breakthroughs on malaria, HIV/AIDS, and how this was being translated into policy decisions and practice. Plenary discussions centred on issues such as INDEPTH@10 – achievements, prospects and challenges; health systems experiments using HDSS; data access and dissemination; technological innovations, among others.

There were parallel sessions on clinical trials and strengthening health and demographic research capacity in developing countries; child and adult mortality - progress in reducing levels and challenges; using longitudinal HDSS platforms to understand demographic and health transitions; using longitudinal HDSS to understand the impact of HIV/AIDs interventions at the individual and population level; and technological innovations in health and demographic surveillance. Other scientific sessions included: clinical trials and strengthening health and demographic research capacity in developing countries; child and adult mortality-progress in reducing levels and challenges; health research using HDSS framework; vaccinations and immigration; environment and health; socioeconomic assessment of reproductive health; using longitudinal HDSS platforms to understand demographic and health transitions; MCTA; adult health and aging, and reproductive health.

As part of the AGM, site leaders usually meet to discuss relevant network issues. This time, site leaders confirmed the need for sites to submit minimum datasets as criteria for retaining full membership status in the network. There was a session that provided an update on the INDEPTH/Wits Scientific Development and Leadership Programme. Another special session held was on the development of INDEPTH's new strategic plan 2010-2014.

For the first time, and convened by Sida/SAREC, the funders held a session that reflected their commitment to INDEPTH. The funders agreed to make such a session an annual event. Funders present were: Sida/SAREC, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, DFiD, Hewlett Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Wellcome Trust, WHO/NIH

The AGM usually provides a forum for the various working groups to meet to update their members on progress of ndwork. The following working groups had special sessions: Migration and urbanisation, Adult Health and Aging, 2

Edition of Mortality Monograph, Educational Outcomes, Asia NCD group, Vaccinations and Child Survival, Environment and Health, Cost of illness, and University-HDSS collaborations. In addition, several research capacity sessions were conducted for the young scientists.

During the AGM, the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) met several times to discuss various issues pertaining to the scientific agenda of the network in order to help move forward the scientific agenda. Members were assigned to working group sessions.

Most sites participants brought posters of their sites which were exhibited at the AGM. In addition there were poster sessions by both young scientists and other researchers whose submissions had been selected for poster presentations.

Former members of the INDEPTH Board of Trustees and Co-ordinating Committee received leadership awards for their outstanding contributions to the Network. Prof. Fred Binka received an award for his exemplary leadership as the first Executive Director of the network. The best website award went to Africa Centre from South Africa, while the best young scientist poster went to Mr Oscar Bangre from Navrongo Health Research Centre.

*The mission of INDEPTH* is to

harness the collective

potential of thecommunity-

based longitudinal health and

demographic surveillanceinitiatives in

resource-constrained countries to

provide a better,

empirical understanding

of health, nutrition, food

security and social

issues, and to apply this

understanding to alleviate the

most severedevelopment

and social challenges.

N e w s l e t t e r A G M 2 0 0 8 S p e c i a l E d i t i o n

Mr Bangre presented his study of HIV seroconversion at the Africa Centre site, Mtubatuba, South Africa. This was an excellent example of how the INDEPTH Masters' programme run through Wits has been effective at linking research training across INDEPTH sites.

The 2008 INDEPTH Prize for Extraordinary Research in Population and Health was awarded to the Karongo HDSS for their publication: "Population-level effect of HIV on adult mortality and early evidence of reversal after introduction of antiretroviral therapy in Malawi.” Authors: Andreas Jahn, Sian Floyd,

Amelia C Crampin, Frank Mwaungulu, Hazzie Mvula, Fipson Munthali, Nuala McGrath, Johnbosco Mwafi laso, Venance Mwinuka, Bernard Mangongo, Paul E M Fine, Basia Zaba, Judith R Glynn; Lancet 2008; 371: 1603–11

There was an election of new members to the INDEPTH Board of Trustees. The newly elected members include the SAC Chair, Dr. Wendy Ewart (England), Dr. Kayla Laserson (Site Leader for Kisumu HDSS, Kenya) and Dr. Anand Krishna (Site Leader of Ballabgarh HDSS, India). Dr Osman Sankoh, Executive Director, was also nominated to serve on the Board. Dr Seth Owusu-Agyei retained his post as Chair. Dr. Siddhivinayak Hirve (India), Prof.Peter Aaby (Guinea Bissau), Dr. Cheikh Mbacke (Senegal), Dr. Andreas Heddini (Sweden), and Dr. Thomas Williams (Kilifi, Kenya), were re-elected as Board members

There was a press conference with the Chair of the Board of Trustees, the Executive Director, Dr Sidhi Hirve representing sites, the host, Dr Hassan Mshinda, and Prof. Fred Binka, the MCTA Project Manager. In attendance were over 25 journalists, mainly from Tanzania and Ghana. The panellists outlined the vision, mission, activities and way forward of the INDEPTH Network, to which journalists responded with more inquiries and requests for clarifications.

Some of the media activities in connection with the AGM included announcements about the event on the following:· Electronic Media: ITV, TBC1, Star TV, Radio One, RFA, TBC Taifa, and Pre-news;· Print Media: The Guardian, Daily News, The East African, Nipashe, Mwananchi, and Habari Leo; and· Website: Posted the programme and abstracts on the Ifakara and INDEPTH Network websites.

The event itself was covered in Tanzanian and Ghanaian newspapers, and on Tanzania TV and Radio stations.

INDEPTH Network will continue carrying out quality research, especially in areas of ART roll out, vaccination and immunization, cause-specific mortality, the adult health and aging group and NCD monitoring in Asia, data systems, malaria, environment and health, sexual and reproductive Health (SRH), migration, mental health and neurological disorders, cost of illness, and education. INDEPTH will also strengthen collaboration, capacity-building of the Secretariat and sites, fund-raising and networking. INDEPTH will strengthen north-south and south-south collaborations, widen the scope of research to meet emerging challenges such as climate change, and improve on the translation of research into policy and practice. Other areas of activity will include health systems research for the prevention and control of diseases, and monitoring the impact of interventions.

The new Board was introduced to the AGM by the Board Chair. The Executive Director thanked the hosts and other stakeholders present, including funders for supporting INDEPTH. The Secretariat, led by its Executive Director, Dr Osman Sankoh, presented gifts to deserving people for their contribution to the success of INDEPTH in their various capacities. Finally, The Executive Director introduced the INDEPTH staff. He said more had been recruited to meet the growing INDEPTH challenges.

Election of New Board Members

Press conference on 22 September 2008

Publicity

Way Forward

Closing

INDEPTH MEMBER SITES

ACDIS HDSS, (South Africa)

Agincourt HDSS, (South Africa)

The AMK - Abhoynagar,

Mirsarai and Kamalapur

Ballabgarh HDSS, (India)

Bandafassi HDSS, (Senegal)

Bandim HDSS, (Guinea Bissau)

Butajira HDSS, (Ethiopia)

Chililab HDSS (Vietnam)

Chakaria HDSS (Bangladesh)

Dikgale HDSS, (South Africa)

Dodowa HDSS, (Ghana)

Farafenni HDSS, (Gambia)

Filabavi HDSS, (Vietnam)

Iganga/Mayuge HDSS (Uganda

Ifakara HDSS, (Tanzania)

Karonga HDSS, Malawi

Kanchanaburi HDSS, (Thailand)

Kilifi HDSS (Kenya)

Kintampo HDSS, (Ghana)

Kisumu HDSS, (Kenya)

Leon HDSS, (Nicaragua)

Magu HDSS, (Tanzania)

Manhica HDSS, (Mozambique)

Matlab HDSS, (Bangladesh)

Mlomp HDSS, (Senegal)

Nairobi HDSS (Kenya)

Navrongo HDSS, (Ghana)

Niakhar HDSS, (Senegal)

Nouna HDSS, (Burkina Faso)

Ouagadougou HDSS (Burkina Faso)

Oubritenga HDSS, (Burkina Faso)

Purworejo HDSS, (Indonesia)

Rakai HDSS, (Uganda)

Rufiji HDSS, (Tanzania)

Sapone HDSS, (Burkina Faso)

Vadu HDSS, (India)

Watch HDSS (Bangladesh)

Wosera HDSS (Papua New Guinea)