Building health research capacity in Africa: the Einstein-Rwanda research and capacity building program
Abstract The growing demand for healthcare services and the burden of diseases such as cancer in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) requires locally-led and setting-relevant evidence that should be driven by local investigators. However, there is a huge gap in the health research capacity to generate such evi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-02-01
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| Series: | BMC Global and Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s44263-025-00134-0 |
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| author | Gad Murenzi Gallican Kubwimana Fidel Rubagumya Pacifique Mugenzi Alex Buteera Emmanuel Rudakemwa Jonathan Ross Tiffany Hebert Adebola Adedimeji Sabin Nsanzimana Marcel Yotebieng Joel Palefsky Leon Mutesa Philip E. Castle Kathryn Anastos |
| author_facet | Gad Murenzi Gallican Kubwimana Fidel Rubagumya Pacifique Mugenzi Alex Buteera Emmanuel Rudakemwa Jonathan Ross Tiffany Hebert Adebola Adedimeji Sabin Nsanzimana Marcel Yotebieng Joel Palefsky Leon Mutesa Philip E. Castle Kathryn Anastos |
| author_sort | Gad Murenzi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The growing demand for healthcare services and the burden of diseases such as cancer in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) requires locally-led and setting-relevant evidence that should be driven by local investigators. However, there is a huge gap in the health research capacity to generate such evidence in most of SSA, particularly in Rwanda. With a changing focus and the willingness of investigators and funders from high-income countries (HICs) to support investigators and research from SSA, it is important to build strong, successful, and sustained partnerships. In this perspective, we describe the Einstein-Rwanda Research and Capacity Building Program (ER-RCBP), which represents almost two decades of a fruitful and sustained partnership that has contributed to the development of research physical and human resources in Rwanda. We have established a broad range of health research infrastructure that involves human resources, including training three pathologists, leadership and administrative personnel and structures, clinical research operations, laboratory capacity, and data collection and management systems, and are implementing a long-term plan to transfer most of the leadership to local investigators and the local lead institution. Our experience demonstrates that collaborations between high- and low-income countries can be leveraged to strengthen research capacity in SSA but that such efforts require putting in place structures and systems to ensure success. Building strong partnerships and collaborations, good leadership, empowering local teams, and having buy-in from national governments are key to achieving sustainable research capacity in SSA. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c6d30a442e9f4e90ad71ec1f95f74f95 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2731-913X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Global and Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-c6d30a442e9f4e90ad71ec1f95f74f952025-08-20T03:40:52ZengBMCBMC Global and Public Health2731-913X2025-02-01311910.1186/s44263-025-00134-0Building health research capacity in Africa: the Einstein-Rwanda research and capacity building programGad Murenzi0Gallican Kubwimana1Fidel Rubagumya2Pacifique Mugenzi3Alex Buteera4Emmanuel Rudakemwa5Jonathan Ross6Tiffany Hebert7Adebola Adedimeji8Sabin Nsanzimana9Marcel Yotebieng10Joel Palefsky11Leon Mutesa12Philip E. Castle13Kathryn Anastos14Research for Development (RD Rwanda)Research for Development (RD Rwanda)Rwanda Military Referral and Teaching HospitalRwanda Military Referral and Teaching HospitalRwanda Military Referral and Teaching HospitalRwanda Military Referral and Teaching HospitalAlbert Einstein College of MedicineAlbert Einstein College of MedicineWake Forest University School of MedicineMinistry of HealthAlbert Einstein College of MedicineUniversity of California San FranciscoUniversity of RwandaNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthAlbert Einstein College of MedicineAbstract The growing demand for healthcare services and the burden of diseases such as cancer in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) requires locally-led and setting-relevant evidence that should be driven by local investigators. However, there is a huge gap in the health research capacity to generate such evidence in most of SSA, particularly in Rwanda. With a changing focus and the willingness of investigators and funders from high-income countries (HICs) to support investigators and research from SSA, it is important to build strong, successful, and sustained partnerships. In this perspective, we describe the Einstein-Rwanda Research and Capacity Building Program (ER-RCBP), which represents almost two decades of a fruitful and sustained partnership that has contributed to the development of research physical and human resources in Rwanda. We have established a broad range of health research infrastructure that involves human resources, including training three pathologists, leadership and administrative personnel and structures, clinical research operations, laboratory capacity, and data collection and management systems, and are implementing a long-term plan to transfer most of the leadership to local investigators and the local lead institution. Our experience demonstrates that collaborations between high- and low-income countries can be leveraged to strengthen research capacity in SSA but that such efforts require putting in place structures and systems to ensure success. Building strong partnerships and collaborations, good leadership, empowering local teams, and having buy-in from national governments are key to achieving sustainable research capacity in SSA.https://doi.org/10.1186/s44263-025-00134-0Research capacity strengtheningResearch collaboration and partnershipsEinsteinRwanda and sub-Saharan Africa |
| spellingShingle | Gad Murenzi Gallican Kubwimana Fidel Rubagumya Pacifique Mugenzi Alex Buteera Emmanuel Rudakemwa Jonathan Ross Tiffany Hebert Adebola Adedimeji Sabin Nsanzimana Marcel Yotebieng Joel Palefsky Leon Mutesa Philip E. Castle Kathryn Anastos Building health research capacity in Africa: the Einstein-Rwanda research and capacity building program BMC Global and Public Health Research capacity strengthening Research collaboration and partnerships Einstein Rwanda and sub-Saharan Africa |
| title | Building health research capacity in Africa: the Einstein-Rwanda research and capacity building program |
| title_full | Building health research capacity in Africa: the Einstein-Rwanda research and capacity building program |
| title_fullStr | Building health research capacity in Africa: the Einstein-Rwanda research and capacity building program |
| title_full_unstemmed | Building health research capacity in Africa: the Einstein-Rwanda research and capacity building program |
| title_short | Building health research capacity in Africa: the Einstein-Rwanda research and capacity building program |
| title_sort | building health research capacity in africa the einstein rwanda research and capacity building program |
| topic | Research capacity strengthening Research collaboration and partnerships Einstein Rwanda and sub-Saharan Africa |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s44263-025-00134-0 |
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