1. NEED ASSESMENTS OF AFRICAN SCIENTIST COMMUNITIES: EXAMPLE FROM PHARMACOLOGY USING A WEB BASED SURVEY APPROACH
Olayinka Ogunleye, Joseph Fadare, Jaran Eriksen, Omo Oaiya, Lars L Gustafsson.
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2. Background
There are gaps in capacity between African Scientists and their counterparts in developed countries due to:
Lack of required tools/infrastructures
Few opportunities/possibilities for global interactions to realize and build synergy (scientific isolation)
→Failed technology transfer
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3. “Africa needs scientists who are confident and able to harness the power of global partnerships, respond to the imperative of strategic alliances and set the agenda to forge closer collaboration between academia, policy-makers and the private sector’’ Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, University of Cambridge Vice-chancellor (At First Global Gathering for African Science, Senegal, March, 2016)

4. The Needs of African Scientists
Could be Complex and Diverse in Nature
Specific for Area or Community of Practice
Often Requiring Enormous Resources
The focus should be Team work in partnership with scientists and professionals globally to find solutions to African’s most pressing issues.
Requires platforms for interactions and exchange of ideas
Meeting of certain needs e.g. infrastructure, tools e.t.c.

5. Available Resources like ‘’The e-Infrastructures’’ therefore should address:
The “Felt Needs” and not ‘Perceived Needs’ of African Scientists
Priority Areas should be identified based on what will potentially provide solutions to Societal Most Pressing Needs.

6. Where Lies The Answer?
A Web Based Survey Approach to identify Needs Proves Helpful!
Defined Group of Interests/Community of Practice
Defined Goals and Objectives of The Community of Practice.
The Design of Appropriate Survey Tool That Captures Essential Information – Team Work
Illustrated by the African Pharmacological Science Gateway (APSG)/ Medicines Utilization Research in Africa Group (MURIA) Survey on Research Needs Assessments of African Pharmacologists and Biomedical Researchers facilitated by WACREN

7. What is APSG
A virtual collaborative community linked to the African Grid Science Gateway
Building on easily accessible tools, preferably open access for affordability and sustainability
To simplify collaboration and sharing of resources in Africa
Should promote and implement African Medical Sciences collaboration focusing on the following:
Drug Utilization Research (DUR)
Biomedical and Pharmacological Sciences
Clinical Trials and other Clinical Drug Studies
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8. Importance of Drug Utilization Research (DUR) in Africa
Widespread problems of irrational uses of medicines across Africa and the consequences: Drug Resistances (AMR), ↑ADRs, ↑ Hospitalization and Death (often unrecognized)
Unaffordable costs of medicines/ lack of access to essential medicines: Overall increased costs of health care
Need for focused national studies and Cross National Comparative Studies to shape future Policies
Need for an Interdisciplinary and multi-national group to foster DUR in Africa (MURIA) through Trainings, Collaboration, Information Sharing and Access to data across Africa.

9. Aim Of The APSG/MURIA Survey
The survey was carried out with the aim of assessing the areas of needs that could be met to enhance research and training capabilities across Africa in Drug Utilization (DU) and other areas of Biomedical Sciences.
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10. METHODS A cross sectional study
Study tool was a web-based questionnaire facilitated by WACREN
Study tool was developed by the collective efforts of the study team and pre-tested appropriately
The tool comprised of 4 sections (A,B,C and D)
Section A: Personal Information
Section B: Current Research Areas and Interests
Section C: Available Research Skills and Resources
Section D: Expressed Needs and Knowledge Gaps
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11. Potential respondents were identified through the available ‘e mails’ of members of some continental and regional pharmacological societies like:
Pharmacology for Africa Initiative (PharfA)
West Africa Society for Pharmacology
South African Society for Basic and Clinical Pharmacology
Some colleagues who have participated in some regional meetings/trainings were also included
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12. Pre-programmed serial reminders were sent to these individuals
Potential participants were invited through their ‘e mails’ with background information, instructions and a link to the web based survey.
A total of 472 individuals were invited with a spread across West, South, East and North Africa regions.
Pre-programmed serial reminders were sent to these individuals
The survey lasted a 6 months period: December 2015 till May 2016.
Data was analyzed using SPSS version 17 with the categorical variables expressed as proportions/percentages.
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13. Summary of Findings
Total Response Rate of 25%(118/472) from 13 countries (11 in Africa)
Diverse areas of research interests in Pharmacology but mostly in Drug Utilization Research with Identified Areas of Needs Summarized as ‘Priority Needs’ below.
There are pockets of individuals with some laboratory skills and competences but unable to utilize such as a result of lack of equipment and tools.
great clamor for provision of a wide array of laboratory equipment
Overwhelming desires for funding supports/grants for research/attendance at international conferences/ scientific publications in peer review journals.
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14. Identified Priority Areas of Need of African DU Researchers
The following key findings/priority areas of need will help to design an e-infrastructure useful for DUR in Africa.
Tools for DUR data analysis (e.g DDD, DU90%)
DUR techniques: On-line Courses
Drug-Drug Interactions Software e.g Micromedex
Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR) Monitoring Tools
Published drug utilization data base
Facilities for sharing data and discussing scientific and technical topics (collaboration and networking)
Data base for International Medicine Pricing and Costing Tools
PK/PD Software
Health Related Statistical Supports: SAS, STATA,R
Access to Journals and Multimedia library
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15. Conclusion
A well designed web based survey is proven to be useful in identifying key and priorities areas of need of African DU Researchers/Pharmacologists
This need approach could be applied to other Communities of Practice/Scientific Areas in Health Sciences, IT, Engineering, Technology e.t.c.
Information generated could also assist in mapping available resources (human and material) that could be used to facilitate collaborations and optimize the use of scarce resources.

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