The V-BRCH Project: building clinical trial research capacity for HIV and noncommunicable diseases in Nigeria

Abstract

Antiretroviral therapy has turned HIV into a chronic condition, with morbidity from HIV-associated noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) becoming more common as HIV-infected individuals live longer. In Nigeria, the additional challenge of an under-capacitated health system highlights the need for skilled clinical investigators who can generate evidence to tackle the double burden of HIV and NCDs. The Vanderbilt-Nigeria Building Research Capacity in HIV and Non-communicable Diseases (V-BRCH) programme is a training platform to create a cohort of skilled Nigerian investigators with the capacity to lead independent clinical trial research focused on the intersection of HIV and NCDs. V-BRCH will solidify an atmosphere of continuous mentoring and skills acquisition for physician faculty at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital via short- and medium-term learning opportunities, paired mentoring arrangements, and mentored research projects. Trainees will attend an annual faculty enrichment programme in Nashville, in addition to on-site workshops in Nigeria on HIV-associated NCD epidemiology, clinical trials methodology, evidence synthesis, qualitative research methods, stakeholder engagement, knowledge translation, and grant writing. Research-oriented junior faculty will undergo focused training in clinical trials administration and regulatory oversight. Scholars will share best practices through mentoring panels, regular ‘Works in Progress’ meetings, and monthly career development seminars. Competitive seed grants will be provided to mentor–mentee teams to promote targeted in-country pilot studies focused on HIV-associated NCDs. For long-term training, physician scientists will be supported to undergo enhanced Master of Public Health (MPH) training at Bayero University in Nigeria and Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI) training at Vanderbilt. Short-term regional courses, staff development workshops, and MPH curriculum refinement will help to strengthen institutional capacity in HIV-associated NCD clinical trial research. V-BRCH will create a cohort of skilled Nigerian scientists who will be able to compete for independent funding and design and implement high quality research that will generate evidence to inform policy and practice and lead to improved outcomes for Nigerians impacted by HIV-associated NCDs.

Building a national framework for multicentre research and clinical trials: experience from the Nigeria Implementation Science Alliance

“…This inequity poses significant challenges to the achievement of global goals like the UNAIDS 95-55-95, WHO cervical cancer elimination 90-70-90 goals, and the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 56–58. It is also important to note that clinical trials need to be established on strong pre-existing institutional infrastructures, so as to achieve smooth operationalisation and sustained outcomes which both builds on and further strengthens the pre-existing infrastructure, making it available for other substudies, clinical trials or implementation research 59. In this instance, collaborations are critical; Africa cannot afford to continue with research infrastructure that fails and collapses when the external funding ends 3 4 28 59…”

Building Physician-Scientist Skills in R Programming: A Short Workshop Report

“…As part of this effort, several workshops were proposed, covering multiple areas of identified training needs. 3 One such workshop focused on building physician-scientists’ knowledge and proficiency in statistical programming using R. In this article, we describe the key findings from the workshop and post-workshop activities to sustain the impact of training. We also offer recommendations for the development and implementation of similar training models for building capacity in statistical analysis in LMICs globally.…”

“…The parent program for this workshop (Vanderbilt-Nigeria Building Capacity in HIV and NCDs, ‘V-BRCH’) was funded by the FIC/NIH as a platform to create a cohort of skilled Nigerian physician-scientists trained to lead independent clinical trials focused on the intersection of HIV and NCDs. 3 The grant was based at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) in Kano, Nigeria. As part of the grant, short-term learning opportunities included biannual, on-site, interactive workshops focused on building knowledge and proficiency in essential areas, including clinical trials methodology, evidence synthesis, qualitative and quantitative research methodology, stakeholder engagement, knowledge translation, responsible conduct of research, mentoring and leadership, as well as grant writing.…”

The V-RAMP program: Building research administration and management capacity in Nigeria

“…A recently awarded HIV and non-communicable diseases training grant is working to further capacitate AKTH investigators to become independent clinical researchers, with a specific focus on building clinical trials expertise. 4 Other grants at AKTH support clinical trials in HIV-associated kidney disease, sickle cell disease and childhood epilepsy. [5][6][7][8] Sustaining and scaling up this level of productivity requires complementary investments in research administration infrastructure.…”