Strengthening Nurses’ Capacity in HIV Policy Development in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean: 2007-2012
This work is carried out with the aid of a grant from the International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada on behalf of the Global Health Research Initiative
PARTNER COUNTRIES: Canada, Kenya, Jamaica, Uganda, and South Africa
PROGRAM GOAL
To contribute to health systems strengthening for HIV and AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean by:
- Improving the quality of HIV and AIDS nursing care
- Supporting the scaling-up of innovative HIV and AIDS programs and practices
- Fostering dynamic and sustained engagement of researchers and research users in the policy development process.
Research Projects
International Research Internship for Nurse Researchers
Conceptual Framework
RESEARCH TEAM
| Principal Investigator |
Nancy Edwards, University of Ottawa, Canada |
Co-Principal Investigator and Kenya Country Program Director |
Dan Kaseje, Great Lakes University of Kisumu, Kenya |
Co-Principal Investigator and Jamaica Country Program Director |
Eulalia Kahwa, University of the West Indies, Jamaica |
Uganda Country Program Director |
Mariam Walusimbi, Mulago Hospital, Uganda |
South Africa Country Program Director |
Hester Klopper, North-West University, South Africa |
Co-investigators |
Canada: June Webber, Judy Mill, Susan Roelofs, Josephine Etowa, Colleen Davison, Jean Harrowing, Solina Richter, Greta Cummings, Walter Kipp, Frances Legault, Ann Tourangeau; Kenya: Pamela Juma, Jane Raburu, Clementine Gwoswar; Jamaica: Cerese Hepburn-Brown, Tania Rae, Pauline Dawkins, Joyette Aiken; South Africa: Christa van der Walt, Karin Minnie |
Collaborators |
Kenya: Nicky Okeyo, Irene Obago, Perez Akello; Jamaica: Uki Atkinson; Uganda: Eric Ssegujja, Joseph Mwizerwa, Scovia Mbalinda, Rose Nabirye, Edward Kumakech, Godfrey Katende; South Africa: Rina Muller, Francois Watson, Siedine Knobloch, Emmerentia du Plessis |
RESEARCH PROJECTS
Project 1 - Nursing Practice in HIV Prevention and AIDS Care in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean: To describe and understand issues that affect the role of nurses and midwives in HIV prevention and AIDS care for individuals and families living with HIV and AIDS.
Project 2 - The Interface among Health System Priorities, Capacity-Building, and Policy Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean: To understand the impact of the HIV and AIDS epidemic on the nursing workforce, the influence of international donors and national HIV and AIDS strategies on workplace policies; and to examine the influence of national and bottom-up (nurse-led) program innovations on nurses’ provision of HIV and AIDS services.
Project 3 - Dynamic Collaborations to Strengthen Health Care Systems for HIV and AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean: To examine how leadership hubs of decision-makers, community representatives, front-line nurses and managers, and researchers influence nurses’ engagement in policy development and collaborative action to address HIV and AIDS in order to strengthen health care delivery systems.
Project 4 - International Comparative Case Studies: To compare across study countries, the process and short-term impact of involving decision-makers, community representatives, front-line nurses and managers, and researchers in a participatory process of critical inquiry, capacity building and action to strengthen the health care system for patients and families living with HIV and AIDS.
CAPACITY-BUILDING STRATEGIES
Leadership Hubs: Three leadership hubs in each country will link nursing leaders with government, NGO and community stakeholders. Hubs will act as a lever policy and practice change, developing leadership capacity in research, knowledge translation, and collaboration.
International Research Internship for Nurse Researchers: This intensive research training program for junior nurse researchers from partner countries will develop a critical mass of nurse researchers addressing local health priorities, with a leadership role in improving health policy and practice. Interns will collaborate with local decision-makers, and local and Canadian research mentors.
The 2008 internship, held in Ottawa, Canada, successfully graduated 13 interns from Kenya, Jamaica, Uganda, South Africa, and Barbados and five self-funded Canadian interns. The 2009 internship will be held at the Great Lakes University of Kisumu, Kenya and the 2010 internship will be held at the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica.
Other capacity-building strategies:
- Policy and Knowledge Translation Workshop for Leadership Hubs
- Focused mentorship structures:
- Opportunities for Graduate Student and Junior Researchers
GOVERNANCE
Executive Committee: Co-Principal Investigators, Country Program Directors, and project Co-Leads provide direction for the overall program of research and capacity building. Five Task Groups guide issues relating to capacity building, partnership, technical integrity, evaluation, and communications.
National Advisory Committees: A National Advisory Committee in each partner country advises local team members on research priorities, cultural and contextual relevance, certain data collection activities, and acts as networks for translating research into action.
International Advisory Committee: Advises on opportunities and strategies to maximize impact, sustainability, and capacity-building related to international knowledge translation, gender analysis and accessing regional and international levers for policy change.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Susan Roelofs
Program Manager
Strengthening Nurses’ Capacity in HIV Policy Development in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean
School of Nursing, University of Ottawa
451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M5 CANADA
Tel: 613-562-5800 ext. 8438;
Fax: 613-562-5658;
Email: sroelofs@uottawa.ca
Conceptual Framework Guiding the Program of Research and Capacity Building
|
|
