Research Training on Chronic Lung Diseases in Southern Africa

说明(由申请人提供)：本提案的总体目标是加强南部非洲发展共同体(南共体)14个成员国的区域研究能力，以应对与环境(如环境空气污染、住宅燃烧生物质燃料、室内和室外暴露于生物气溶胶、环境烟草烟雾)和职业(如采矿和建筑业的二氧化硅、煤矿呼吸性粉尘)有关的非传染性慢性呼吸系统疾病(即慢性阻塞性肺病、成人和儿童慢性哮喘和尘肺病)的挑战。与农业和食品加工有关的过敏原和内毒素)暴露。这一重点反映了对该区域的情况分析，表明：a)非传染性疾病的发病率和死亡率很高，b)环境和/或职业暴露在很大一部分非传染性疾病的原因中发挥了重要作用，以及c)在环境和职业暴露发挥关键作用的非传染性疾病中，公共卫生干预成功的潜力很大。我们为实现在整个区域加强NCCRDS研究能力的目标而制定的战略侧重于：a)对将成为本国未来NCCRD研究带头人的个人进行长期、全面的培训；b)通过加强主要学术机构教员的指导技能，以及利用最先进的远程教育方法编写和传播研究培训材料，建设机构能力；以及c)加强学术机构与负责执行循证政策的政府组织的联盟。实现这些目标的具体方法包括：a)全面支持在南非4所大学注册的12名博士生，包括学费、津贴、对论文研究的直接支持，以及密歇根大学为期4个月的翻译研究强化学习计划；b)将10名南部非洲研究导师带到密歇根大学进行为期4个月的强化计划，以增加指导和研究技能；c)开发远程学习模块，作为开放获取的研究培训资源；以及d)在南部非洲提供有针对性的短期课程。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall objective of this proposal is the strengthening of regional research capacity in the 14-country Southern African Development Community (SADC) to address the challenges of non-communicable chronic respiratory diseases (NCCRDs) (i.e., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic asthma in adults and children, and pneumoconioses) associated with environmental (e.g., ambient air pollution, burning of biomass fuels in domiciles, indoor and outdoor exposure to bioaerosols, environmental tobacco smoke)and occupational (e.g., silica associated with mining & construction industries, respirable dust in coal mines, allergens and endotoxin associated with agriculture and food processing) exposures. This focus reflects the situational analysis ofthe region suggesting: a) substantial morbidity and mortality from NCCRDs, b) a significant role of environmental and/or occupational exposures in the causation of a large fraction of NCCRDs, and, c) the high potential for successful public health interventions among those NCCRDs in which environmental and occupational exposures play key roles. Our strategies for achieving the goal of region-wide strengthening of research capacity in NCCRDs focus on: a) the long-term, comprehensive training of individuals who will become future leaders of research on NCCRDs in their home countries; b) the building of institutional capacity through a combination of strengthening of mentoring skills of faculty of the lead academic institutions, and development and dissemination of research training materials using state-of-the-art distance learning methodologies; and c) strengthening an alliance of academic institutions with governmental organizations responsible for evidence-based policy implementation. Specific methods to achieve these objectives include: a) fully supporting 12 doctoral students enrolled in 4 South African universities including tuition, stipend, direct support of dissertation research, and a 4-month intensive program of study in translational research at the University of Michigan; b) bringing 10 Southern African research mentors for 4 months to the University of Michigan for an intensive program to increase mentoring and research skills; c) development of distance learning modules as an open access research training resource; and, d) provision of focused short courses in southern Africa.