Ethiopia-Emory TB Research Training Program

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Tuberculosis (TB) is a public health emergency in Ethiopia. HIV/TB co-infection and the emergence and spread of multidrug resistant (MDR)-TB present major new challenges to TB control. Ethiopia is one of the 22 "high burden countries" which account for >80% of the global burden of TB and one of 27 MDR-TB high burden countries. Ethiopia has the 7th highest burden of TB in the world and the first ever population-based national TB prevalence survey carried out in 2010-2011 found that 87% of those with culture-confirmed TB had not been previously detected. In order to enhance TB control in Ethiopia and globally, new tools are needed (new drugs, diagnostics and an effective vaccine) as well as better implementation and scale up of existing tools. A major barrier to improved research, treatment and control of TB in Ethiopia is the scarcity of Ethiopian scientists and health professionals with the relevant research knowledge and expertise to carry out internationally recognized research which can then be translated to improve public health practices in Ethiopia. This application entitled, "Ethiopia-Emory TB Research Training Program (EETB-RTP)" represents collaboration between Emory University in Atlanta and three Ethiopian institutions in Addis Ababa which have a history of close collaborations. The Ethiopian institutions include an internationally respected research institute focused on TB investigation (Armauer-Hansen Research Institute [AHRI]), a degree granting university (Addis Ababa University [AAU]) which is the oldest and largest university in Ethiopia, and a national public health institution (Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Institute [EHNRI]) which is part of the Ethiopia Ministry of Health (MOH), and provides all the TB laboratory support for the Ethiopian MOH. Additional collaborations with CDC-Ethiopia, CDC-Atlanta and PEPFAR will also enhance research training opportunities. The EETB-RTP is focused on providing in-country didactic and mentored research training and building human resource capacity to enhance the research infrastructure for high quality TB-related research in Ethiopia by providing long, medium and short-term research training and research opportunities to a diverse group of Ethiopian researchers with outstanding potential. We will augment training occurring in- country including that provided to our trainees through Master and PhD-degree programs at AAU by using information technology (e.g., video conferencing) in order to leverage resources developed by the Emory Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR) program and the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute (ACTSI, the Emory NIH-funded CTSA) and through enhanced mentoring. To enhance opportunities for multidisciplinary TB-related research and collaboration, we will focus on a general theme for research training that is tied to a major public health prioriy in Ethiopia, namely enhancing TB case detection including drug resistant TB. This theme will be emphasized for different types of research training including laboratory, clinical/translational, epidemiologic, implementation science, and behavioral/social science.