UZ-CTRC

UZCHS-CTRC Hosts Regional Conference, April 2018

The University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences Clinical Trial Research Centre hosted a regional conference on the 26-27^th of April 2018 at the Cresta Lodge, Harare, Zimbabwe. The conference, Adherence to HIV Prevention and Treatment: Key Populations in Zimbabwe and sub-Saharan Africa, focused specifically on adolescents and young women, and served as a valuable platform for the timely dissemination of state-of-the-evidence research relevant to local and regional African HIV treatment and prevention investigators, practitioners, community stakeholders, and policy makers.

The conference featured 28 expert speakers from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Uganda, the United Kingdom and the United States, and exceeded all expected attendance targets with 340 Zimbabwean and regional attendees from Cameroon, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia. Local Zimbabwean expertise was robust, with speakers and panelists featured from UNAIDS Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe, Harare Hospital, Newlands Clinic, the Organization for Public Health Interventions and Development.

The Conference served as a forum to share specific challenges to HIV treatment and prevention and included structured networking sessions and topical working group forums designed to generate new research collaborations and devise strategies to overcome the identified challenges.
UZ-UCSF Showcased at the Zimbabwe International Research Symposium

The Research Council of Zimbabwe [RCZ] a statutory body mandated to promote direct, supervise and co-ordinate research in Zimbabwe, hosted the 11^th Edition of the ZIRS on 16 and 17 February 2017 at the Harare International Conference Centre. The symposium was officially opened by the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, RG Mugabe on 17 February 2017. The exhibition included Governmental, Parastatal, Educational and Non-Governmental organizations. The event was attended by members of the public, attracting interest from primary and secondary schools, colleges, universities, industry and commerce among other interested groups.

The UZ-UCSF exhibit shared important information on HVTN, HPTN, MTN, IMPAAACT and ACTG network’s ongoing and recently completed research studies using Information Educational and Communication materials (IEC) such as posters, fliers and pamphlets. The UZ-UCSF exhibition captured the interests of most delegates within the conference, with particular interest in research in development with respect to biomedical interventions to curb the HIV epidemic and tuberculosis as an important global health concern. The UZ-UCSF was one of the busiest exhibits for the 2 day international research symposium.
Congratulations to Petina Musara and Dr. Wadzanai Sameneka!

UZ-UCSF would like to congratulate two of our research scientists for leading and publishing two articles in high-impact journals.

Published in AIDS and Behavior, Petina Musara led the authorship of a paper on how presenting drug detection levels in blood changed self-reports of study product adherence in the MTN 003 (VOICE) study. MTN 003-D was a qualitative study designed to better understand non-adherence during VOICE, and was conducted in 2 stages: before (stage 1) and after (stage 2) drug detection results were provided to participants. The study found that presenting objective measures of study product use may facilitate more accurate use reporting and should be evaluated in future prevention trials. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28110473). Petina is CRS Coordinator at UZ-UCSF's Zengeza Clinical Research Site in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe.

Dr. Samaneka led the authorship of a paper that established updated hematology and chemistry laboratory reference ranges for local Zimbabwean adults. Published in PLoS One, the authors discuss that laboratory reference ranges used for clinical care and clinical trials at laboratories in Zimbabwe are derived from textbooks and research studies conducted more than 10 years ago. Periodic verification of these ranges is essential to track changes over time. The purpose of this study was to establish hematology and chemistry laboratory reference ranges using more rigorous methods. Data from this study provides new country-specific reference ranges which should be immediately adopted for routine clinical care and accurate monitoring of adverse events in research studies. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27812172). Dr. Samaneka is Senior Medical Officer at UZ-UCSF's Parirenyatwa Clinical Research Site in Harare, Zimbabwe.
MTN 020 (ASPIRE) Results Released

HARARE, February 22, 2016 –A vaginal ring containing an antiretroviral (ARV) drug called dapivirine that women inserted into their genital tract and used for a month at a time was safe and helped protect against HIV in a large-scale clinical trial involving more than 2,600 women in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Uganda and South Africa, researchers who conducted the trial, known as ASPIRE, reported today.
University of Zimbabwe’s Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic)’ tour of the UZ-UCSF Clinical Research Sites

University of Zimbabwe Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic), Professor Chipo Dyanda toured five UZ-UCSF Clinical Research sites (CRSs) on 12/March/2015 to familiarise herself with the research activities and infrastructure established to support these activities. The five CRSs are Spilhaus, St Mary’s, Zengeza, Seke South and Seke North. UZ-UCSF Executive Director, Professor Z Mike Chirenje led the UZ-UCSF delegation that welcomed the Pro Vice Chancellor and took her to these sites.

University of Zimbabwe Clinical Trials Research Centre

The University of Zimbabwe Clinical Trials Research Centre (UZ-CTRC) was established in 1994 to implement high quality science addressing HIV prevention and therapy; its aim is to control Zimbabwe’s HIV/AIDS epidemic and contribute to global policy as a center of excellence at the University of Zimbabwe Clinical Trials Research Centre (UZ-CTRC) in collaboration with University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and its partner institutions.

Over the last 25 years, the program has developed a governance structure built on principles of inclusiveness and collaboration of scientific, community, and administrative functions, coupled with efficiency and transparency in resource allocation. A wide range of research collaborations between the institutions have been developed, whereby faculty and staff work closely together in the development and execution of new innovative research. We are pushing our already effective governance structures to establish more open mechanisms for generating new research initiatives in both public and private sectors.

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