1/2 GEOHealth Development of a West Africa GEOHealth Hub: U.S.

描述（由申请人提供）：该项目的目标是进行需求和机会评估，以及其他探索性活动，以规划西非环境和职业健康中心的发展。这个多学科的全球环境和职业健康中心（GEOHealth Hub）将由冈比亚大学与爱荷华州大学合作开发并领导。该中心将与冈比亚境内的其他研究和培训机构（内部分支）以及西非次区域15个国家的机构（外部分支）相连。它将得到爱荷华州大学的几个研究和培训中心以及其他几个高收入和中等收入国家的机构的支持。在西非卫生组织的协助下，我们将在这些合作伙伴之间建立合作关系，以制定以冈比亚为中心的GEOHealth Hub计划，以最好地满足研究，研究培训和课程的需求 西非次区域的发展。该项目的主要重点领域是农村保健，这是过去11年来两个主要联合会成员之间合作的统一主题。该项目将更明确地界定具体的重点领域，但该次区域最紧迫的农村卫生问题似乎是：水质、工作场所安全（特别是农业工作）、农业卫生（特别是农业卫生）、农业卫生（特别是农业 农药）、有毒废物（特别是倾倒）以及备灾和救灾。方法将包括：（1）联系西非次区域15国的所有相关学术机构、非政府组织和政府机构，评估它们扩大区域合作的潜力;（2）建立环境和职业伤害和疾病、相关法规和政策的数据库， 出版研究手稿和报告;（3）召开次区域共识研讨会， 组织网络伙伴解决次区域需求，完善最需要的重点领域， 研究和培训，并确定在选定的重点领域建立研究能力的活动。 公共卫生相关性：这一拟议项目旨在改善西非分区域的健康状况，该区域包括世界上11个“最不发达”国家。该地区的地球健康中心将提供独特的机会，研究气候变化，水污染，空气污染，农药暴露，废物管理，工作实践和类似的健康风险的影响，以及预防，控制和消除这些风险的干预措施。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this project is to conduct a needs and opportunities assessment, and other exploratory activities, in order to plan the development of the West Africa Hub for Environmental and Occupational Health. This multidisciplinary Global Environmental and Occupational Health Hub (GEOHealth Hub) will be developed at, and led by, the University of The Gambia in partnership with the University of Iowa. This Hub will be connected to other research and training institutions and agencies within The Gambia (internal spokes) and to institutions located throughout the fifteen-country West Africa sub-region (external spokes). It will be supported by several research and training centers at the University of Iowa and by institutions in several other high- and middle-income countries. With the assistance of the West Africa Health Organization, we will establish collaborative relationships among these various partners to develop a plan for a GEOHealth Hub centered in The Gambia to best meet the needs for research, research training, and curriculum development in the West Africa sub-region. The general focal area of this project will be rural health, which has been the unifying theme of the collaborations between the two primary consortium members for the last eleven years. Specific focal areas will be more clearly delineated by this project, but the most pressing rural health issues in the sub-region appear to be: water quality, workplace safety (especially agricultural work), agricultural health (especially pesticides), toxic waste (especially dumping), and disaster preparedness and response. Methods will include: (1) contacting all relevant academic institutions, NGOs, and government agencies in the 15-country West Africa sub-region to assess their potential for expanded regional collaborations; (2) constructing a data base of environmental and occupational injuries and illnesses, relevant regulations and policies, and published research manuscripts and reports; and (3) convening a sub-regional consensus workshop to organize network partners to address sub-regional needs, refine focal areas which are most in need of research and training, and identify activities for building research capacities in the selected focl areas. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This proposed project is directed at improving health in the West Africa sub-region, which contains 11 of the "least developed" countries in the world. A GEOHealth Hub in this region would provide unique opportunities to study the effects of climate change, water pollution, air pollution, pesticide exposure, waste management, work practices and similar health risks, and interventions to prevent, control, and eliminate them.