Abstract
BackgroundLow- and Middle-income countries (LMIC) face considerable health and nutrition challenges, many of which can be addressed through strong academic leadership and robust research translated into evidence-based practice. A North-South-South partnership between three universities was established to implement a master’s programme in nutritional epidemiology at the Kinshasa School of Public Health (KSPH), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The partnership aimed to develop academic leadership and research capacity in the field of nutrition in the DRC. In this article we describe the educational approach and processes used, and discuss successes, challenges, and lessons learned.MethodsSelf-administered questionnaires, which included both open and closed questions, were sent to all graduates and students on the master’s programme to explore students’ experiences and perceptions of all aspects of the educational programme. Quantitative data was analysed using frequencies, and a thematic approach was used to analyse responses to open-ended questions.ResultsA two-year master’s programme in Nutritional Epidemiology was established in 2014, and 40 students had graduated by 2020. Key elements included using principles of authentic learning, deployment of students for an internship at a rural residential research site, and support of selected students with bursaries. Academic staff from all partner universities participated in teaching and research supervision.The curriculum and teaching approach were well received by most students, although a number of challenges were identified. Most students reported benefits from the rural internship experience but were challenged by the isolation of the rural site, and felt unsupported by their supervisors, undermining students’ experiences and potentially the quality of the research. Financial barriers were also reported as challenges by students, even among those who received bursaries.ConclusionThe partnership was successful in establishing a Master Programme in Nutritional Epidemiology increasing the number of nutrition researchers in the DRC. This approach could be used in other LMIC settings to address health and nutrition challenges.
Highlights
Building research capacity in low- and Middle-income countries (LMIC) and embedding skilled researchers into health and management systems to develop evidence-based health policies is fundamental to tackle the substantial health challenges these countries face
The partnership was successful in establishing a Master Programme in Nutritional Epidemiology increasing the number of nutrition researchers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
This approach could be used in other Low- and Middle-income countries (LMIC) settings to address health and nutrition challenges
Summary
Building research capacity in low- and Middle-income countries (LMIC) and embedding skilled researchers into health and management systems to develop evidence-based health policies is fundamental to tackle the substantial health challenges these countries face. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified developing strong leadership in the global health workforce as a priority, and has established partnerships to strengthen the research infrastructure and capacity in the public health arena in African Universities [2]. This has led to the development of many collaborations between high-income countries, mainly from the global North, and LMICs in the global South, which have played a strong role in developing research capacity. In this article we describe the educational approach and processes used, and discuss successes, challenges, and lessons learned
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