Ethiopia Global Infectious Disease (GID) Training Grant
Program Overview
Supported by the Fogarty International Center at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Ethiopia Global Infectious Disease (GID) training grant is a 5-year project that aims to strengthen research capacity in Ethiopia in the area of childhood infectious diseases and nutrition. This grant is jointly led by Addis Continental Institute of Public Health (ACIPH) and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in the United States. The program provides research training to junior- and mid-level researchers and health college faculty in substantive areas of pediatric infectious diseases, epidemiological methods, implementation science, and in career advancement areas.
The specific aims of the proposed training program are to:
- Develop a critical mass of mid-level public health researchers who can address priority childhood infectious disease, nutrition, and implementation science issues in the Ethiopian context by leading research programs and building additional capacity.
- Build a critical mass of junior public health researchers who can design and successfully carry out rigorous research projects in pediatric infectious diseases and nutrition using training and mentoring approaches designed to advance research with potential for significant impact on the nutritional status and health of the Ethiopian population.
Training methods include:
- Long-term postdoctoral fellowships
- Short-term doctoral fellowships
- Short courses
- Monthly seminar series
- Annual symposia
Program Team
Principal Investigators:
- Yemane Berhane, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health and Director, Addis Continental Institute of Public Health
- Wafaie Fawzi, Richard Saltonstall Professor of Population Sciences, and Professor of Nutrition, Epidemiology, and Global Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Program Director:
-Alemayehu Worku, Professor of Biostatistics, Addis Continental Institute of Public Health
Program Administrators:
- Hanna Gulema, Program Coordinator, Addis Continental Institute of Public Health
- Patricie Niyitegeka, Program Director, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
- Tara Young, Program Coordinator, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Training Activities
Current Trainees
Postdoctoral trainees
- Walelegn Yallew, Associate Professor, Addis Continental Institute of Public Health
- Hanna Berhane, Assistant Professor, Addis Continental Institute of Public Health
Short Courses
The Ethiopia GID Training Program hosts two intensive short courses each year designed to build capacity in pediatric infectious disease and nutrition research skills and general professional skills. These courses will be open to masters and doctoral level students, as well as postdoctoral researchers and junior faculty from ACIPH, Haramaya University, and Addis Ababa University. The short courses will be a four-week commitment, including: one week of pre-course preparation, one-week of in-class instruction with faculty, and two weeks of post-course wrap-up and evaluation.
Previous and upcoming short courses include:
- April 2021: Implementation Science Research of Interventions for Nutrition and Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- December 2020: Manuscript Writing
Annual Symposia
Each year, the Ethiopia GID Training Program will host a symposium focused on pediatric infectious diseases and nutrition. The annual symposium will be open to the broader scientific and public health communities in the country and will provide a forum to share collective experiences and lessons learned, and to build a cross-discipline network of researchers, academicians, policymakers and beyond.
Listserv
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Contact Information
For any questions regarding the Ethiopia GID Training Program, please contact:
- Alemayehu Worku, Program Director, Addis Continental Institute of Public Health: alemayehuwy@yahoo.com
- Hanna Gulema, Program Coordinator, Addis Continental Institute of Public Health: hannagaciph@gmail.com
- Tara Young, Program Coordinator, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: tyoung@hsph.harvard.edu
NEWS
Grant Management trainingShort training on grant management was organized by GID-Ethiopia ACIPH and Harvard University from October 2 to 27, 2023. The grant management course is designed to introduce participants to the practical issues of managing a grant and help them confidently manage grants.The course covers topics such as understanding the funder’s expectations from grant recipients and using templates/forms to enhance grant management practices. The course is structured into four phases.
-Phase I: Independent reading and preparation;
-Phase II: In person lectures/discussions on Grant management topics;
-Phase III: Independent work on a group work assignment and virtual presentation; and
-Phase IV: revising the presentation and submission of assignment report with coaching session and reviewing participant’s group work.
The in-person lecture was held from October 09 to 13,2023 at ACIPH Hall in Addis Ababa. The participants came from different universities, Hospitals, and NGO.
GID-Ethiopia at Addis Continental Institute of Public Health and Harvard University organized a face-to-face training session on vaccine strategies for pediatric infections from April 11 to April 15, 2022. This vaccine strategies for pediatric infections course aims at training health care providers, researchers and academicians by providing participants with a comprehensive overview of the vaccinology principles, mechanisms of action, from immunology to vaccine development and clinical trials, and the social, economic, political and ethical issues of vaccination. The training was conducted at ACIPH Hall in Addis Ababa. The participants were from different universities, institutions, Hospitals, FMOH and NGO.”
GID Grant Management Course: Audits and Monitoring
Dr. Nebiyou Fasil
Assistant Professor of Global Helath, Addis Continental Institute of Public Health
Estimating the effect of Improving Adolescent Reproductive Health and Nutrition through structural Level Interventions
(Abdiboru) on adolescent girls’ agency and norms in West Hararghe, rural Eastern Ethiopia
Link
Dr Mekonnen Assefa Assistant Professor of Public Health,
Debre Tabor University
Diagnostic Performance of BMI, Waist Circumference, and Waist-HIP Ratio in identifying
Obesity Based on Body Adiposity in Adults:A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Dr Abera Kenay
Associate Professor of Maternal and Child Health, College of Health and Medical Sciences,Haramaya University
Establishing Obstetric Surveillance Systems in low resource settings:the Case Ethiopian Obstetrics Surveillance System (EthOSS)
Recording
Dr Saro Abdella
Deputy Director General,
Ethiopian Public Health Institute
HIV among female sex workers in Ethiopia:
The Burden, Access to Interventions and Effect of Drop-in Centers
Recording
Dr. Muluwas Amentie
Assistant Professor of Reproductive Health and Public Health, College of Health Science, Assosa University
The effects of completion of continuum of care in maternal health services on adverse birth outcomes in Northwestern Ethiopia: A prospective follow up study.
Recording
Nina Rehn-Mendoza
Analyst, Public Health Reporting and Evaluation Unit, PHAS
Rosita Wigand
Analyst, Department of Public Health Analysis and Data Management, PHAS
Dr. Messeret Shibeshi
Medical Epidemiologist, World HealthOrganization Zimbabwe
Dr. Shibeshi is the immunization system focal person for the WHO inter-country support team in East
and Southern Africa
Recording
Dr. Mulugeta Nega
Senior Research Scientist,Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT) of the University of Tübingen, German
Recording
Prof Abera Kumie
Professor of Environmental Health at the School of Public Health,
Addis Ababa University
The status of particulate air pollution in Addis Ababa and its possible health effect
March 2017-April 2022
Dr. Semira Abdelmenan
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Head of the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department at the Addis Continental Institute of Public Health
Addis Yeka Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System (AYU-HDSS): findings from baseline survey
Accurate population-based information is critical for evidence based public health practice. Assessing the occurrence of health events and evaluating interventions in a population-based platform help in timely decision making in rapidly growing urban areas. Establishing a health and demographic surveillance system in Addis Ababa, a rapidly growing city, is critical to generate essential health and demographic information and to host essential research. The aim of the AYU-HDSS is to generate health and demographic information in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This seminar will present results from the AYU-HDSS baseline survey.
Zoom Link
Dr. Liya Wassie
Senior Scientist, Immunologist,
Armauer Hansen Research Institute
(AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Significance of latent TB infection (LTBI) in TB burden in Ethiopia Tuberculosis (TB), one of the oldest scourge, poses a
significant public health threat globally, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Aerosol seems the primary route of
transmission to establish infection in humans. Latent TB infection, a silent form of the disease, is often considered as
one of the conditions contributing to the high rates of primary TB infections seen in SSA. This webinar will discuss
the impact of LTBI on the overall TB burden and what it means in terms of TB control in Ethiopia.
Recording
Prof. Nega Assefa
Professor of Maternal and Child Health at Haramaya University and site director for CHAMPS Ethiopia
Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS)
The aim of CHAMPS) is to determine the cause of child samples from still births and deaths in children aged<5
years are collected. Cause of death( CoD) is determined by an expert panel integrating clinical data, verbal autopsies,
molecular and conventional microbiology and histopathology of post-mortem tissue biopsies, molecular and conventional microbiology and histopathology
of post-mortem tissue biopsies. Causes were classified as underlying, comorbid and immediate causes.
Recording
Dr Honelgn Nahusenay
GID Ethiopia Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
The effect of infection on growth of children in Tanzania
The presentation aims to assess the effect of infections such as malaria, diarrhea, and respiratory tract infection on
the nutritional status and growth of children. The study is an in-depth analysis of a longitudinal birth cohort from
Tanzania.
Stanley Chitekwe
Chief of Nutrition at UNICEF office in Ethiopia
Dr Hanna Yemane
Associate Professor of Nutrition and Deputy director for research and community services at the Addis Continental Institute of Public Health
Timeliness and completeness of routine childhood vaccinations among children residing in Bahir Dar city, Northern Ethiopia
The implementation of routine vaccinations for infants of different ages; from birth to 24 months, has contributed to the aversion of 37 million deaths and reduced the number of zero-dose children. Despite this, in the last decade, the number of unvaccinated children increasing by 3.4 million. The increase in the number of unvaccinated children is related to several factors, especially in Ethiopia which has one of the highest numbers of unvaccinated children in the world. The current study evaluates the completeness and timeliness of routine childhood vaccinations and seeks to understand if COVID-19 has affected vaccination services in a selected city in Ethiopia.
Dr Walelegn Worku
Associate Professor of Public Health at Addis Continental Institute of Public Health
Pneumonia among under-five children in Addis Ababa
Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in under-five children in low-income countries. The burden of Pneumonia in Hospital admission is not well traced systematically. Contextual data are critical to implement relevant interventions. The seminar presentation will focus on the magnitude of under-five children admitted due to pneumonia in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Recording
Dr. Adane Kebede
Assistant Professor of Public Health and Health Service Management, University of Gondar
Residential Food environment, Consumption of Vitamin A-rich and Ultra-processed Foods, Association of ultra-processed Food Consumption and Overweight-obesity among preschoolers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The presentation addresses the global and national burden of urbanization on food environment and its influences on children’s diet behaviors. Moreover, the presentation discusses about the nature of problems related to malnutrition and consumption of vitamin A-rich plant-based food and ultra-processed food.
Recording
Dr. Zemichael Gizaw
Associate Professor of Public Health at the University of Gondar
Enteric infections and environmental enteric dysfunction explain a high prevalence of linear growth faltering in a rural northwest Ethiopia.
The presentation aims to discuss the effects of water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH); enteric infections ((particularly diarrhea and intestinal parasites);and dysfunction(EED) on linear growth faltering among children.
Recording
Complicated Pneumonia in Children
Dr. Kassa Ayalew
Division Director for the Division of Clinical Copliance Evaluation in the Office of Scientific Investigation in Center for Drug Evaluation and Research ath the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Evaluation and Management of Acute Bacterial Meningitis in Children
Children with suspected bacterial meningitis require urgent evaluation and management, including propt administration of appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Even with available optimal therapy, morbidity and mortality are to recognize the infectious etiologiew of bacterial meningitis, formulate a differential diagnosis, learn about factors related tot the outcome of meningitis and plan appropriate management.
Dr. Richard Cash
Senior Lecturer Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard Chan School of Public Health
Taking Science to the People: The development and Dissemination of Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) and the impact of Diarrhea on Children Diarrhea remains a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. The session will explore the development and dissemination of ORT, a major intervention in reducing the health impact of diarrhea and review ways to increase use.
Dr. Bikes Destaw
Associate Professor and Vice Coordinator of DabatResearch Center (DRC) HDSS site at the University of Gondar, Ethiopia
Effectiveness and Acceptability of Solar Disinfection (SODIS) for Prevention of Childhood Diarrheal Disease in Northwest Ethiopia
The main findings of a study on the effectiveness and acceptability of SODIS as a method of household water treatment for prevention of the incidence of diarrheal diseases among under-five-children in Northwest Ethiopia are presented. The study employed cross-sectional, randomized control trial and phenomenological designs.
Dr. GizachewTadele
Director of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research at JSI Research & Training Institute Inc., The Last 10 Kilometers Project
Continuum of Maternal and Newborn Health Care (including care for neonatal infections) in Ethiopia: Its Determinants, Community’s Experience, and Perceptions
Despite the national efforts in expanding access to primary health care services and huge investments to improve utilization of maternal and newborn health care (including neonatal infections) over the last decades, women and babies are not receiving an appropriate continuum of care in Ethiopia that contributes to the unacceptably high maternal and newborn mortality. This presentation, therefore, highlights the individual-and community-level factors limiting the use of maternal and newborn health care along the pathway of the continuum of care in Ethiopia.
Dr. Ismael Ahmed
Honorary Assistant Professor at Addis Continental Institute of Public Health
Effectiveness of Same–day Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation in Clinical Outcomes among People Living with HIV in Ethiopia: empirical evidence
Since the launch of universal “test and treat” (UTT) approach by the World Health Organization in 2015, significantly higher proportion of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in low–income settings have been initiated on ART. Ethiopia adopted and implemented UTT approach since 2016. This presentation highlights the effectiveness of same–day ART initiation in clinical outcomes of PLHIV in routine clinical care settings in Ethiopia.
Dr. Ayele Zewde
Chief of Party for the USAID–funded
SMMES Project at ACIPH
Malaria elimination in Ethiopia; is it a possibility or a dream?
The progressive gain in malariaprevention andcontrol since 2005 in Ethiopia encouraged the MoHof Ethiopia and its partners to aim
for malaria elimination in the country. With all the challenges faced since the launching of malaria elimination in March 2017, the
national malaria elimination program (NMEP) developed an ambitious plan of malaria elimination in Ethiopia by 2030. The aim
of this presentation is to highlight the malaria prevention, control and elimination gains in the country and show experience of two
countries who recently eliminated malaria.
Prof. Aron Troen
Director, Nutrition and Brain Health Laboratory, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Dr. Tomer Malchi
Executive Director and Co-Founder of CultivAid
Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture: Addressing Health through Agriculture
Population growth, urbanization, climate change, conflict and Covid-19 are ever more stressing the need for an agricultural transformation that empowers farmers to be resilient in face of these challenges. The presentation will elaborate on the SeqotaDeclaration and various models of implementation in Ethiopia by CultivAidwhich are related to Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture with emphasis on value chains, technologies, economic development and an agricultural knowledge infrastructure. The talk will highlight the importance of developing a common language between agricultural and health experts in order to address malnutrition.
Dr Tegbar Yigzaw
Chief of Party, Health Workforce Improvement Program, Jhpiego
The Global Commission for Education of Health Professionals for the 21st century called for competency-based education in order to better address complex health challenges of our time. One of the cardinal features of competency-based education is a greater emphasis on quality of student assessment. Attributes of a good assessment are validity, reliability, feasibility, educational effect, catalytic effect and acceptability. In this webinar, participants will learn about the rationale for introducing OSPHE and steps to implement OSPHE in their programs.
Dr. Solomon Memire
Director, Addis Center for Ethics and Priority Setting
Priority-setting in health: a case study of the 2019 EHSP revision in Ethiopia
The seminar will discuss why priority setting in health is required and important on the path towards universal health coverage. Key criteria and process of health priority setting will be presented. The presentation also deals with the process and criteria used in 2019 Ethiopia’s Essential Health Services Package (EHSP) Revision.
Mahlet Kifle, MD, MPH
Principal Programme Officer, Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Priority setting challenges during public health emergencies
The presentation focuses on the challenges drawing from the experience in responding to COVID-19 and other outbreaks on the African continent.
Dr. Teshome Gebre
Consultant , Health Science Specialist
Rethinking disease eradication: putting countries first
The presentation focuses on the factors that played major roles in hindering the attainment of eradication goals and outlines possible recommendations for the way forward.
Professor Lulu Muhe
Honorary Professor, Addis
Ababa University
WHO Consultant
Major causes of death and complications among preterm infants in selected hospitals in Ethiopia The presentation will be based on a prospective observational study in 5 tertiary hospitals in Ethiopia. The study identifies deficiencies in the existing public health measures taking place in the country. It makes recommendations to address the high neonatal mortality in the country to meet SDG3.
Professor Tsinuel Girma
Country Director
Fenot:Achieving Excellence in Achieving Excellence in Primary Health Care Project
Nutrition-inflammation-infection complex: clinical and public health implications
Infection-and nutrition-related conditions are major contributors of the global burden of morbidity and premature death. The seminar will provide an overview of the evolution and intricate relationship of the nutrient-and pathogen-sensitive physiologic systems. It also highlights the implications of this complex interplay in both clinical and public health contexts.
Recording
Dereje Birhanu, PhD
Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
Children with secure acute malnutrition (SAM) without complications & those with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) may be treated in the community setting without requiring admission to a health facility (Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition). Prevalence of relapse of SAM or MAM following recovery are high. Understanding the magnitude and factors associated with relapse in a local context is important to design solutions and appreciate the consequences
Dr. Wondwossen Amogne
Director, Research and Technology Transfer
College of Health Sciences
Addis Ababa University
The options for Ethiopia towards a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine
Identifying COVID-19 vaccines that best suit Ethiopian setting is vital. Prioritizing whom to vaccinate in Ethiopia will help the country to prepare for the vaccine. Understanding the epidemiological significance of having a vaccine in Ethiopia is important.
Wondwossen Gebreyes, DVM, PhDHazel C. Youngberg Distinguished ProfessorExecutive Director, Global One Health Initiative
The Global One Health initiative (GOHi): Strengthening Global Capacity to address Complex Priorities
GOHiis a grass-root initiative that has brought together U.S. and developing region strategic university and research institute partners in eastern Africa, Latin America and Asia since 2009. Within a joint venture, the collaborative initiative identified key priorities based on local and regional needs. To that goal, GOHihas been working on various foodborne, waterborne and vector-borne diseases as well as associated issues such as antimicrobial resistance and cancer. GOHi’sprojects have been building capacity of research, training and outreach. With sponsorship provided from multiple sources including the NIH Fogarty International Center, CDC Global Health Security, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other foundations, we have been strengthening integrated one health capacity in emerging infectious zoonotic diseases as well as non-communicable diseases. Our vision is building capable professionals and institutional systems for a healthy and enduring global community.
Fentabil Getnet Yimer, PhD
JigjigaUniversity
Delays in Diagnosis of Pulmonary Delays in Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Pastoralist Setting of Ethiopia: Extents, Effect on Infectiousness and Challenges
This presentation draws attention to the major findings of a mixed method study conducted in underserved pastoralist setting in Ethiopia. The study investigated the extent of delays in diagnosis of pulmonary TB, the determinants of delays, the effect of delays on infectiousness (cavitation and smear positivity), and the challenges that hinder the delivery and utilization of TB services in pastoralist communities.
WalelegnW. Yallew, MPH, PhD
Associate Professor, Addis Continental Institute of Public Health
Infection prevention practices in the era of COVID-19
Infection is one of the preventable causes of death in healthcare settings. Infection can spread patient-to-patient, patient-to-staff, staff-to-patient, or among staff. The health system in low-and middle-income countries is weak to properly implement prevention, control, and surveillance of infection in health care settings. The vulnerability of the health care professionals and patients/clients visiting the health care facilities substantially increase during highly contagious epidemics such as Covid-19. This presentation highlights the challenges of implementing Infection prevention practices in health care settings and the potential impact on the health care system.
Hanna Y. Berhane, MPH, PhD
Assistant Professor, Addis Continental Institute of Public Health
Motherhood in rapidly urbanizing settings: implications on child care and nutrition
Mothers play a crucial role in the battle against malnutrition by guaranteeing children are sufficiently cared for, and nourished. However, in rapidly urbanizing settings, mothers are continually forced to adjust to the social, economic, and food environment changes compromising her ability to provide the needed care and support for her child. Thus, this study seeks to understand the lived experience and challenges of urban mothers, and how it reflects on