Global Network for Women's and Children's Health

描述（由申请人提供）：我们建议在肯尼亚埃尔多雷特建立一个全球妇女和儿童健康研究网络站点。这个东非站点将是印第安纳大学和肯尼亚两所医学院之一的莫伊大学医学院（Moi University School of Medicine）的联合伙伴关系。莫伊大学和印第安纳大学长达17年的伙伴关系将为全球网络带来独特的优势。这些措施包括：各机构之间已建立的行政、科学和学院关系；广泛的研究基础设施，包括已建立的农村卫生中心网络，从中抽取研究对象；一个运作良好的肯尼亚机构审查委员会，拥有OHRP保证编号；以及已建立的电子病历不断扩大研究对象的覆盖范围。高级外国调查员是医学院院长，与卫生部高层人员建立了良好的关系。莫伊大学在产科、公共卫生、营养、流行病学和行为科学方面的大量其他研究人员也渴望加入全球网络。美国的专业知识也存在于产科、生物统计学和生物伦理学。我们向该网络提出了一个集群随机方案，以评估社区动员对使用安全水系统（SWS）和对6个月以下部分断奶婴儿补充锌的有效性。SWS包括专门设计的窄颈储水容器和使用稀释次氯酸钠进行家庭氯化处理。待检验的假设是1)。社区动员将导致持续、一致地使用用水点水处理。这将减少6个月以下婴儿腹泻的发生率。3)。在部分断奶时开始补充锌将导致这些婴儿腹泻发生率进一步降低。4)。在实验组中，生长将得到改善，生长失败将减少。5)。在试验组中，bb0 - 6个月婴儿的全因死亡率将下降。如果显示出效果，这些是高度可持续的干预措施，将改善弱势婴儿的健康和福祉。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose to develop a Global Network for Women's and Children's Health Research site in Eldoret, Kenya. This East African site will be a joint partnership between Indiana University and Moi University School of Medicine, one of two medical schools in Kenya. The 17 year partnership of Moi University and Indiana University will bring unique strengths to the Global Network. These include an established administrative, scientific, and collegial relationship between the institutions, an extensive research infrastructure that includes an established network of rural health centers from which to draw subjects, a well functioning Kenyan Institutional Review Board with a OHRP Assurance number, and an established expanding coverage of subjects by an electronic medical record. The Senior Foreign Investigator is Dean of the Medical School, and has well established relationships with high level Ministry of Health personnel. A large number of other Moi University investigators with expertise in Obstetrics, Public Health, Nutrition, Epidemiology, and Behavioral Sciences are also eager to join the Global Network. US based expertise is also present in Obstetrics, Biostatistics, and Bioethics. We propose to the Network a cluster randomized protocol evaluating the efficacy of both Community Mobilization for the use of a Safe Water System (SWS) and for zinc supplementation in partially weaned infants less than 6 months of age. The SWS includes specially designed narrow neck water storage containers and point of use home chlorination using dilute sodium hypochlorite. Hypotheses to be tested are that 1.) Community Mobilization will result in sustained, consistent use of point of use water treatment 2.) This will lead to a decreased incidence of diarrhea in less than 6 month old infants. 3.) Zinc supplementation beginning at partial weaning will lead to a further decrease in the incidence of diarrhea in these infants. 4.) Growth will be improved and failure to thrive decreased in experimental groups. 5.) All cause mortality in >6 month old infants will be decreased in experimental groups. If efficacy is shown, these are highly sustainable interventions that will improve the health and well being of vulnerable infants.