Two decades (1998 to 2018) of collaborative human immunodeficiency virus clinical pharmacology capacity building in a resource constrained setting

Abstract

While important advances have been made in the prevention and treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, limited expertise and resource constraints to effectively manage rollout of HIV programs often contribute to poor treatment outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 1998, the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) and the University at Buffalo, State University of New York (UB), developed a collaborative clinical pharmacology capacity building program in Zimbabwe to train the next generation of HIV researchers and support rollout of the national HIV program. The collaboration was funded by research and training grants that were competitively acquired through United States of America government funding mechanisms, between 1998 and 2016. Thirty-eight research fellows were trained and a specialty clinical pharmacology laboratory was established during this period. Knowledge and skills transfer were achieved through faculty and student exchange visits. Scientific dissemination output included sixty-two scholarly publications that influenced three national policies and provided development of guidelines for strategic leadership for an HIV infection-patient adherence support group. The clinical pharmacology capacity building program trained fellows that were subsequently incorporated into the national technical working group at the Ministry of Health and Child Care, who are responsible for optimizing HIV treatment guidelines in Zimbabwe. Despite serious economic challenges, consistent collaboration between UZ and UB strengthened UZ faculty scholarly capacity, retention of HIV clinical research workforce was achieved, and the program made additional contributions toward optimization of antiretroviral therapy in Zimbabwe.

Keywords: Capacity building; Clinical pharmacology; Collaboration; HIV; Research; Resource-limited.

Fig. 1

Number of student exchanges between UB and UZ from 1998 to 2018. UB: State University of New York at Buffalo; UZ: University of Zimbabwe

Fig. 2

Timing of HIV Research and Training grants awarded between 1998 and 2018. IAS: International Aids Society; ARV: Antiretroviral; UB: State University of New York at Buffalo; MOU: Memorandum of Understanding; AITRP: Aids Research and Training Program; HRTP: HIV Research and Training Program

Fig. 3

Number Graduate Fellows trained between UB and UZ from 1998–2018 by fellowship type. PharmD: Doctor of Pharmacy; MPhil: Master of Philosophy, DPhil: Doctor of Philosophy