AMPATH Research Program has Long-Term Impact

By 2010, sub-Saharan Africa will have over 53 million orphaned children, of whom 30% will be orphaned by AIDS. Half of orphaned children today are adolescents and two-thirds of these are double orphans. Evidence suggests that being an orphan can place children at high risk of economic and sexual exploitation, sexual risk taking behavior, excessive drug and alcohol use, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, malnutrition, and tuberculosis. To improve the health and well-being of children orphaned and separated from their parents, Dr. Paula Braitstein of Indiana University and Dr. David Ayuku of Moi University are leading a team of investigators determined to better understand their living conditions and the effect of the environment on children’s physical and mental health over time. This exciting project is one in a portfolio of studies conducted as part of the AMPATH Research Program. The AMPATH Research Program, currently led by Dr. William Tierney of Indiana University (IU) and Dr. Winstone Nyandiko of Moi University, was born in 1998. The research program was built on a solid foundation with an eye toward sustainability. A research office was established at Moi University. Both a Research and Sponsored Programs office and an Institutional Review Board were established at Moi University to provide oversight for research and grant funds. The laboratory capacity was enhanced to support research projects. This infrastructure has allowed the program to grow from a single research project to more than 70 active projects with research funding in excess of $40 M. There are currently more than 19 universities participating in the research program. More than 125 publications have resulted from these collaborations. The program structure has been adapted over the years to deal with its tremendous growth. Initially, there was one full-time IU researcher working and living in Kenya. Now, there are 5 co-field directors for Research; three are full-time in Kenya. To facilitate collaboration, the program is organized into 9 research working groups (adult medicine, public health & primary care, reproductive health, pediatrics, oncology, tuberculosis, economics, social & behavioral science, and prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV) and 7 cores (operations, data management, biostatistics, clinical informatics, pharmacy, laboratory, and bioethics). Additionally, each project must have both a North American and Kenyan principal investigator. In October 2010, the AMPATH Research Program will enter a new era of change when Dr. Tom Inui of Indiana University becomes the new Research Program Director.

In October 2010, the AMPATH Research Program will enter a new era of change when Dr. Tom Inui of Indiana University becomes the new Research Program Director.