A framework for sustainable capacity-building for collaborative North-South translational health research and training in a resource-constrained setting

• Published in: Health research policy and systems 2023-03, Vol.21 (1), p.24-24, Article 24
• Main Authors: Maponga, Charles C, Mhazo, Alison T, Morse, Gene D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; AIDS; Antiretroviral agents; Antiretroviral therapy; Antiviral agents; Capacity Building; Capacity development; Collaboration; Developing countries; Development and progression; Drug therapy; Entrepreneurs; Entrepreneurship; Government Programs; Health research; Highly active antiretroviral therapy; HIV; HIV (Viruses); HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - prevention & control; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; LDCs; Medical personnel; Memory; Mnemonic acronym; Mnemonics; North–South research collaboration; Organizations; Pharmacology; Policy; Policy entrepreneurship; Prospective Studies; Review; Training
• ISSN: 1478-4505; 1478-4505
• DOI: 10.1186/s12961-023-00972-0

Success with highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART) for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in developing countries has been attributed to collaborative North-South resource-sharing and capacity-building. Academic research and training programmes have contributed towards policy entrepreneurship in a manner that influenced capacity-building within health systems. However, the documented capacity-building frameworks rarely elucidate how such programmes can be designed and implemented efficiently and sustainably. We implemented the University of Zimbabwe (UZ)-State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) collaborative HIV clinical pharmacology capacity-building programme in Zimbabwe in 1998. We intuitively operationalized the programme around a mnemonic acronym, "RSTUVW", which spells out a supportive framework consisting of "room (space), skills, tools (equipment)", underpinned by a set of core values, "understanding, voice (clout) and will". Subsequent to our two decades of successful collaborative experience, we tested the general validity and applicability of the framework within a prospective programme aimed at expanding the role of health professionals. Based on this collaborative North-South research and training capacity-building programme which has been positively validated in Zimbabwe, we propose this novel mnemonic acronym-based framework as an extra tool to guide sustainable capacity-building through collaborative North-South implementation research. Its extended use could also include assessment and evaluation of health systems within resource-constrained settings.