1. Africa Centre for Systematic Reviews and Knowledge Translation “Africa Centre” Makerere University, KAMPALA, UGANDA www.chs.mak.ac.ug/afcen www.chs.mak.ac.ug/afcen Prof. SEWANKAMBO, Nelson (Principal Investigator) Dr. OBUKU, Ekwaro (Coordinator) 29 th September, 2014 Global Evidence Synthesis Initiative, 3 rd Global Symposium on Health Systems Research Cape Town International Convention Centre.

2. Project Goal: Building sustainable capacity for conducting & using systematic reviews; & developing a novel RRM for responding to policy makers needs in East Africa. The 6 objectives are: 1.Training reviewers (PY 1, 2) & curriculum (PY3) 2.Conducting reviews (PY 1, 2, 3) 3.Disseminating reviews (PY 2, 3) 4.How useful are reviews for RRM? (PY 2) 5.Evaluating RRM in four African countries* (PY 1) 6.Establishing the “Africa Centre” *RRM - Rapid Response Mechanism; PY – Project Year.

4. PHASE III 26 reviewers enrolled 20 (77%) Completed phase I 24 (92%) Completed phase II 8 (31%) Women scientists Active in phase III: 7 (27%) August 2013 – Feb 2015 2=Kenya 1=Tanzania 1=Cameroun 1=Botswana 19=Uganda 28 applicants Rwanda Ethiopia Tanzania Kenya Uganda Botswana Nov 2014 – April 2016 Introduction to systematic reviews: MSc. CEB/CEU, MakCHS 27 th – 31 st October, 2014

5. Progress with conducting reviews I 1.Antimicrobial self medication: *burden, risk factors and effects 2.Breast Cancer in Africa *burden, risk factors, biology 3.Depression and Diabetes Mellitus: *burden, risk factors, screening interventions 4.Depression and HIV/AIDS: *Rx with anti-depressants 5.Primary Health Care: *Non-state actors, Fragile states 6.Tuberculosis: *Implementation considerations for same-day diagnosis

6. Progress with conducting reviews II All protocols registered in PROSPERO except *Cochrane Collaboration (SACC) & § EPPI-Centre REVIEW TOPICPROTSEARSELDABSSYNTWUP 2011 - 2014 Antimicrobial self-medicationXXXXXX Breast Cancer in AfricaXXX TuberculosisXXXXXX 2013 - 2014 Depression and DiabetesXXX *Depression and HIV/AIDSXX β Primary Health CareXX

7. Our capacity POTENTIAL PhD (2) Psychiatry Information Science PhD Students (6) MA Social Sciences MSc Clinical Epi. & Biostatistics MSc Clinical Trials MPH (2) MSc Pharmacology Others (2) MMED Surgery BA Information Science AVAILABLE PI Oversight PRN Coordinator Administration Reviewing 1.5 days a week Research Scientist Reviewing 1 day a week

8. Challenges Transforming course participants into reviewers Gabriel Rada’s Model* From Homo medicus; Homo evidence; Homo synthesis; to Homo Cochrane Building review teams At least 3 reviewers in 3 other universities in Uganda Priority setting Conducting reviews in line with policy makers needs *Rada G. Models for developing capacity: inside or out? Cochrane Colloquium 2014, Hyderabad, India

9. THANK YOU!