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

描述(由申请者提供)：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。这一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和机构(内部分支机构)以及西非分区域15个国家的机构(外部分支机构)相连。它将得到爱荷华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，我们将在这些不同的伙伴之间建立合作关系，以制定以冈比亚为中心的地球卫生中心计划，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。该项目的总体重点领域将是农村卫生，这是过去11年来两个主要联盟成员之间合作的统一主题。该项目将更清楚地界定具体的重点领域，但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 (农药)、有毒废物(特别是倾倒)以及备灾和应对。方法将包括：(1)联系西非15国次区域的所有相关学术机构、非政府组织和政府机构，以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；以及 出版研究手稿和报告；以及(3)召开一次次区域协商一致讲习班，以 组织网络合作伙伴解决次区域需求，细化最需要的重点领域 研究和培训，并确定在选定的重点领域建设研究能力的活动。

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.