Cardiovascular Disease Research Training Program in Haiti

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ABSTRACT Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common non-communicable disease and the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Haiti. It has surpassed infectious diseases over the past decade. Hypertension (HTN) is the single most common CVD risk factor in Haitian adults and its onset is 10-20 years earlier than among Black Americans in the US. Potential drivers of HTN in Haiti include social determinants such as extreme poverty, food insecurity, a high salt diet, psychological stress, and also environmental pollutants such as high lead exposure. Concurrently, Haiti continues to have the highest HIV prevalence in the region with over 35% of persons living with HIV having HTN. To curb this alarming CVD epidemic, Haiti urgently needs CVD research training for both young investigators and research staff in order to increase its capacity to conduct interdisciplinary, impactful CVD research. This proposal builds on a ~40-year history in Haiti of NIH research and Fogarty training by the Groupe d’Etude du Sarcome et des Infections Opportunistes (GHESKIO) and its US collaborating partner, Weill Cornell Medicine. The Cornell-GHESKIO partnership began with a focus on HIV and since 2015 has expanded to address the CVD epidemic in Haiti. We have built a strong foundation with 8 active NIH and foundation grants in CVD research and the creation of the GHESKIO NCD Clinical and Research Unit. We now need to train a skilled workforce of specialized CVD researchers who can expand Haiti’s research portfolio and transform research findings into practice. The goal of this training program is to strengthen research that will ultimately improve CVD-related health outcomes in Haiti and the world. Our three training objectives include: 1) to provide long-term mentored CVD research training to 8 Haitian clinician scientists through MPH coursework at Quisqueya University with mentored CVD research in Haiti; 2) to train 24 medium-term research staff in CVD knowledge and technical research skills through a new 1-year CVD Core Research Course taught by Haitian and international faculty; and 3) to establish a CVD Implementation Network of 6 CVD clinics to increase the uptake, optimization, and evaluation of high-impact CVD interventions in Haiti. Staff at the Network clinics will have opportunities for short-term training including participation in monthly CVD Grand Rounds and participation in 1-week workshops within the CVD Core Research Course. In addition, we will sponsor an annual national CVD Research Conference with a focus on trainee leadership and career development. The proposed program is the first CVD research training program in Haiti and brings innovation in CVD coursework, new research mentors and faculty, and a platform for building implementation capacity for CVD interventions across the country. We are committed to training the next generation of CVD researchers in Haiti.