July 2006 Report
Summary:
Clinical research activities in July decreased - as we came to the end of the follow-up period for patients on clinical studies. With Dr. Mharakurwa in the USA for further training during the latter half of the month, the work in the molecular biology lab also slowed down. The visit to MIAM in early July by Dr. Shiff and Tim Shields was fruitful, and GIS data work continued.
Despite decreased research activity, the pace of the USAID-funded building project kept going, with final touches being put on the two staff houses, and ground work beginning on the third staff house and the dormitory.
The IT team kept busy with network upgrades, trying to stay ahead of the constant virus and worm attacks that any network system is liable to.
I - General Site Development and Maintenance
With no rain for many months the grass on campus has all dried up, and many trees are loosing their leaves. Despite this, the research campus looks tidy and clean, as the grounds keepers continue to take pride in their work and keep the small flower gardens scattered about the campus full of color. Much preparation has gone into making the campus beautiful, in anticipation of 30+ US visitors plus many others expected from all over Zambia, coming to Macha in August for the 100th year anniversary celebration of the founding of the Brethren in Christ mission at Macha.
Work has begun on extending the electrical lines to the area where the dormitory will be built. We are also taking two more electrical phases to the lab building, where using only one phase of electricity for the lab equipment and the computer servers, as originally installed, has led to voltage drops.
II - Construction of Buildings
The new USAID-funded Staff Houses (designated A and B), are nearing completion - with final painting and plumbing being done in each building. The one bed-roomed duplex has all brick work done, with electrical and plumbing work in progress. Progress on the two bed-roomed duplex has slowed a bit, with the carpenter being away recently. Thus, ceilings are not completed. One side still needs to have the concrete floor poured and the fireplace constructed.
Staff House C is now underway, with the foundation footers completed, and the slab soon ready to be poured. The dormitory and dining room/kitchen had to be re-sited due to the large gradient in the place originally designated, but this has finally been accomplished. The water line was extended to the new construction site, and extension of electrical service to that area of construction on the north-west side of the campus is in process.
III - Information Technology
While the internet connection was never lost during the month, it has been a hectic and trying month for the IT staff and the many volunteers assisting Mr van Stam. They have been very busy completing the network expansion and upgrades, and fighting virus and worm attacks, while trying to keep up service levels.
A newer method of linking all wireless access points on the campus, using a "mesh" system, was begun late in the month, in the hope that this would lead to more efficient and better wireless coverage on campus. Preparations were also being made to share the internet link with the hospital and nursing school computers.
IV - Vehicles/Transport
All vehicles remained on the road, though the FUSO fighter lorry continued to have intermittent problems and needed frequent repairs. A second hand replacement truck that we had hoped to buy from Japan, was found to not suit our needs, so was not pursued.
During the month, HF radios were acquired through the USAID grant, and offices and MIAM vehicles were equipped with a radio in each. This system is augmented by a "repeater" station mounted on top of the large concrete water tower at the mission, hopefully allowing for radio access to and from the MIAM campus offices with all vehicles when they are out in the field.
V - Research Activities
Clinical research projects at Macha completed all follow up of cases, while the on-going Kumar/LeBlanc project at Chitongo continued to have record keeping carried out by the Community Health Workers, who are monitoring the study participants for any illnesses.
PCR work in the molecular biology lab was quite active in the early part of the month, as Dr. Mharakurwa worked on his studies, and the two Messiah College students completed the PCR work on Dr Thuma's anaemia study specimens.
Data entry of malaria cases in the hospital continued, and the numbers of malaria cases diagnosed at local rural health centers was collected by field workers and is being entered into a data base. While there was discussion of changing to an EpiInfo based data base system, this has not yet been started, due to delay in the design of the data entry format.
GIS work by the GIS manager continued in conjunction with Tim Shields.
VI - Personnel
During the visit by Dr. Shiff, applicants who had responded to a national advertisement recruiting a new lab scientist and an entomologist for MIAM were interviewed. Two individuals have been selected to come to Macha to see if they would like to work at MIAM.
Dr. Janneke van Dijk attended a meeting in Cape Town during July of the European and Developing Country Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP). This was in regards to a possible collaboration with St Georges Medical School in London, UK on a new TB drug regimen. While such an effort is outside the "malaria research" program of MIAM, it is felt important to explore such collaborations on other important diseases relevant to the local population.
Dr. Mharakurwa traveled to New Haven, Conn in the USA in mid-July for a four week training experience at Yale Medical School in newer molecular biology techniques. While in the USA, he will also give a talk at NYU on his research work in Zambia.
VII - Other
A meeting with Dr. Naawa Sipilinyambe, the Coordinator of the National Malaria Control Programme, was attended by Dr Shiff, Dr Thuma and others, to clarify the role that MIAM can play with the government in the malaria control programme and evaluation of such efforts in Zambia.
MIAM was instrumental during July in helping to organize a preliminary meeting in Lusaka for all those who may be interested in forming a Zambia Scientific Association. While good interest was shown by a number of senior Zambian scientists, it will take a concerted effort to get such an organization off the ground and functional.
A publication by Mulenga et al on scientific work carried out at Macha appeared in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. (Folic acid treatment of Zambian children with moderate to severe malaria anemia. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2006 Jun;74(6):986-90.)