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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Building capacity for HIV/AIDS prevention among Asian Pacific Islander organizations: the experience of a culturally appropriate capacity-building program in Southern California.

This article has two goals: (1) to outline a conceptual model for culturally appropriate HIV prevention capacity building; (2) to present the experiences from a 3-year program provided by Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team to Asian Pacific Islander (API) organizations in southern California. The participating organizations were of two types: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) social organizations and social service agencies not targeting LGBTQ. These organizations were selected for participation because of their commitment to HIV/AIDS issues in API communities. An organizational survey and staff observations were used to explore changes in capacity. The organizations were mostly small, targeted diverse populations, served a large geographic area (southern California as a region), and were knowledgeable about HIV. Organizations became more viable (more capacity in human resources, financial, external relations, and strategic management), but also more unstable (large growth in paid staff and board members), and showed more capacity in HIV knowledge environments (especially less stigma and more sensitivity to diverse populations). The results suggest that capacity can expand over a short period of time, but as capacity increases, organizational viability/stability and HIV knowledge environments change, meaning that different types of technical assistance would be needed for sustainability.

California↗

Building capacity for risk factor surveillance in developed countries: the need for a vision-driven approach: lessons learned from the Canadian experience.

This paper examines the question of capacity building for risk factor surveillance in developed countries, with reference to the Canadian experience. Special attention is accorded the issue of building capacity for utilization of surveillance information. The paper describes the development, evolution and current status of risk factor surveillance in Canada. It notes that there is evidence of ongoing improvement in surveillance capacities over the past 20 years, but that there remains considerable room for improvement--particularly in relation to building capacity for the utilization of surveillance information. A vision-driven approach to capacity building is recommended and described building upon concepts and principles followed by international organizations addressing analogous issues.

Canada↗

The evolution of the CDC HIV prevention capacity-building assistance initiative.

As the HIV/AIDS epidemic neared the end of its first decade in the late 1980s, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognized the disparate impact on racial and ethnic minority communities. In response, a program was initiated to build capacity to prevent the further spread of HIV and other STDs in these communities. Since that time, the program has expanded in scope, intensity of efforts, and funding. Today, the CDC's Capacity Building Assistance (CBA) Initiative serves communities across the nation by building community, organizational, and HIV prevention program/intervention capacity designed to reduce the number of new HIV infections among at-risk populations. This article focuses on the history and evolution of these efforts, lessons learned, and how these were used to develop the current, more responsive system. A conceptual framework is presented that describes the taxonomy of CBA services designed to (1) enhance organizational infrastructure; (2) enhance HIV prevention interventions; (3) strengthen community capacity; and (4) strengthen community planning. It includes language and definitions, approaches and mechanisms for delivering capacity-building services, and a Web-based request-and-referral system that serves as the foundation for tracking, monitoring, and ensuring the delivery of appropriate, efficient, and culturally competent CBA.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.↗

Building capacity for tobacco control research and policy.

The Fogarty International Center (FIC) initiative, "International Tobacco and Health Research Capacity Building Program" represents an important step in US government funding for global tobacco control. Low- and middle-income countries of the world face a rising threat to public health from the rapidly escalating epidemic of tobacco use. Many are now parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and capacity development to meet FCTC provisions. One initial grant provided through the FIC was to the Institute for Global Tobacco Control (IGTC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH) to support capacity building and research programmes in China, Brazil, and Mexico. The initiative's capacity building effort focused on: (1) building the evidence base for tobacco control, (2) expanding the infrastructure of each country to deliver tobacco control, and (3) developing the next generation of leaders as well as encouraging networking throughout the country and with neighbouring countries. This paper describes the approach taken and the research foci, as well some of the main outcomes and some identified challenges posed by the effort. Individual research papers are in progress to provide more in-depth reporting of study results.

Brazil↗

Using linking systems to build capacity and enhance dissemination in heart health promotion: a Canadian multiple-case study.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the utility of linking systems between public health resource and user organizations for health promotion dissemination and capacity building, and to identify factors related to the success of linking systems. The design is a parallel-case study using key informant interviews and content analysis of project reports (synthesized qualitative and quantitative data) of three provincial dissemination projects of the Canadian Heart Health Initiative-Dissemination Phase. Each provincial project used linking activities with public health user groups including meetings, skill building, resources, collaboration, networking and research feedback to facilitate capacity building for and implementation of heart health promotion activities. This paper presents empirical examples of linking system designs, activities, and qualitative and quantitative changes in the public health user groups' health promotion capacity, program delivery and sustainability. The findings indicate enhanced health promotion skills, partnerships, resources, infrastructure, and increased programming and sustainability in the targeted public health organizations of all three provincial projects. Identified barriers to the success of linking systems included lack of appropriately skilled personnel, funds, buy-in and leadership. We conclude that linking systems can be flexibly used to build capacity and disseminate health promotion innovations, and suggest conditions for success.

Canada↗

The Eat Well SA project: an evaluation-based case study in building capacity for promoting healthy eating.

The term 'capacity building' is used in the health promotion literature to mean investing in communities, organizations and structures to enhance access to knowledge, skills and resources needed to conduct effective health programs. The Eat Well SA project aimed to increase consumption of healthy food by children, young people and their families in South Australia. The project evaluation demonstrated that awareness about healthy eating among stakeholders across a range of sectors, coalitions and partnerships to promote healthy eating and sustainable programs had been developed. The project achievements were analysed further using a capacity-building framework. This analysis showed that partnership development was a key strategy for success, leading to increased problem-solving capacity among key stakeholders and workers from education, child care, health, transport and food industry sectors. It was also a strategy that required concerted effort and review. New and ongoing programs were initiated and institutionalized within other sectors, notably the child care, vocational education and transport sectors. A model for planning and evaluating nutrition health promotion work is described.

Adolescent↗

Building capacity for heart health promotion: results of a 5-year experience in Nova Scotia, Canada.

PURPOSE: To present the outcomes of a capacity-building initiative for heart health promotion. DESIGN: Follow-up study combining quantitative and qualitative methods. SETTING: The Western Health Region of Nova Scotia, Canada. SUBJECTS: Twenty organizations, including provincial and municipal agencies and community groups engaged in health, education, and recreation activities. INTERVENTION: Two strategies were used for this study: partnership development and organizational development. Partnership development included the creation of multilevel partnerships in diverse sectors. Organizational development included the provision of technical support, action research, community activation, and organizational consultation. MEASURES: Quantitative data included number and type of partnerships, learning opportunities, community activation initiatives, and organizational changes. Qualitative data included information on the effectiveness of partnerships, organizational consultation, and organizational changes. RESULTS: Results included the development of 204 intersectoral partnerships, creation of a health promotion clearinghouse, 47 workshops attended by approximately 1400 participants, diverse research products, implementation of 18 community heart health promotion initiatives, and increased organizational capacity for heart health promotion via varied organizational changes, including policy changes, fund reallocations, and enhanced knowledge and practices. CONCLUSIONS: Partnership and organizational development were effective mechanisms for building capacity in heart health promotion. This intervention may have implications for large-scale, community-based, chronic-disease prevention projects.

Community Participation↗

Capacity building for the clinical investigation of AIDS malignancy in East Africa.

PURPOSE: To build capacity in the resource-poor setting to support the clinical investigation and treatment of AIDS-related malignancies in a region of the world hardest hit by the AIDS pandemic. METHODS: An initial MEDLINE database search for international collaborative partnerships dedicated to AIDS malignancies in developing countries failed to identify any leads. This search prompted us to report progress on our collaboration in this aspect of the epidemic. Building on the formal Uganda-Case Western Reserve University (Case) Research Collaboration dating back to 1987, established NIH-supported centers of research excellence at Case, and expanding activities in Kenya, scientific and training initiatives, research capital amongst our institutions are emerging to sustain a international research enterprise focused on AIDS and other viral-related malignancies. RESULTS: A platform of clinical research trials with pragmatic design has been developed to further enhance clinical care and sustain training initiatives with partners in East Africa and the United States. An oral chemotherapy feasibility trial in AIDS lymphoma is near completion; a second lymphoma trial of byrostatin and vincristine is anticipated and a feasibility trial of indinavir for endemic Kaposi's sarcoma is planned. CONCLUSIONS: In the absence of published reports of evolving international partnerships dedicated to AIDS malignancy in resource constrained settings, we feel it important for such progress on similar or related international collaborative pursuits to be published. The success of this effort is realized by the long-term international commitment of the collaborating investigators and institutions to sustain this effort in keeping with ethical and NIH standards for the conduct of research; the provision of formal training of investigators and research personnel on clinical problems our East African partners are faced with in practice and the development of pragmatic clinical trials and therapeutic intervention to facilitate technology transfer and enhance clinical practice.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

An international programme in nursing and midwifery: building capacity for the new millennium.

AIM: The global economy is changing rapidly and frequently affects the ability of the health sector to respond to a variety of needs. Nurses and midwives are reaching across national boundaries to strengthen their ability to improve the health of populations. This article describes an innovative programme of collaboration among different nations to strengthen the capacity of nurses and midwives. BACKGROUND: Over the course of 4 years, nurses and midwives from several countries in East Central Europe, Central America, and the Caribbean came together in the United States and in Europe to learn about opportunities for growth and collaboration to improve professional development, leadership capacity, educational and curricular development, and knowledge about international health. CONCLUSION: Programme participants reported increased capacity to perform their professional roles as a result of their having participated in this programme. More capacity building activities are needed to further enable nursing professionals to meet the demands for health care around the world.

Central America↗

Building capacity for system-level change in schools: lessons from the Gatehouse Project.

The Gatehouse Project is an innovative, comprehensive approach to mental health promotion in secondary schools. It sets out to promote student engagement and school connectedness as the way to improve emotional well-being and learning outcomes. The key elements of the whole-school intervention are the establishment and support of a school-based adolescent health team; the identification of risk and protective factors in each school's social and leaning environment from student surveys; and, through the use of these data, the identification and implementation of effective strategies to address these issues. The project evaluation used a cluster-randomized controlled trial design involving 26 schools with initial results demonstrating considerable success in reducing smoking rates among Year 8 children. This article describes and accounts for how system-level changes have been made in schools through a process of capacity building. This encourages teachers, parents, and students to view the core business of education differently.

Adolescent↗

The Solaar HIV prevention program for gay and bisexual Latino men: using social marketing to build capacity for service provision and evaluation.

Community-researcher partnerships can be powerful mechanisms to understand and effectively address health and social problems such as HIV/AIDS prevention. When the partnership is a positive, productive one, the combined expertise and energy of both parties result in a more effective program and a better evaluation of its effects. This article describes one such partnership and how a program challenge provided the opportunity for both partners to develop new capacities and strengthen others. The program is Proyecto SOLAAR, a community-based and culturally-sensitive HIV prevention program for gay and bisexual Latino men. The program is an experiential, daylong retreat focused on personal aspects of the men (e.g., self-concept), ideas about and aspects of their relationship behavior (e.g., cultural misunderstandings, dating behavior), and HIV prevention; there is a follow-up reunion a month later to share experiences with other participants about new dating and HIV prevention behaviors. The article focuses in particular on how the partners built new capacity in the area of social marketing to address the challenge of participant recruitment and describes the components of the new campaign. These components included distinctive images in ads in publications read by the target population, a toll-free telephone number and Web site for easy initial contact with the program, phone cards and postcards featuring the specially created program image to reinforce a connection to the program, and other aspects. The article describes the partnership between the HIV service providers and the researchers and how the collaborative effort was key to understanding and addressing the recruitment problem, identifying potential solutions, and implementing the new social marketing strategy. This process resulted in four kinds of capacities that were built or strengthened, including program recruitment, program content and implementation, program evaluation, and the partnership itself. The article concludes with a discussion of the unexpected benefits of the capacity-building experience and of the antecedent conditions that fostered the positive partnership outcomes.

Bisexuality↗

Building capacity for international tobacco control research: the global tobacco research network.

The Global Tobacco Research Network (GTRN) was developed to enhance global tobacco control research through information sharing and collaboration among researchers. The formation of the GTRN is timely because of the need to ratify, implement, and track the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. While the spectrum of international tobacco control research continues to expand, resources to support these efforts are still quite limited. As an issue-specific network focused on information sharing and capacity building associated with tobacco control research, the GTRN will provide an opportunity for enhancing the effectiveness of tobacco control initiatives.

Cooperative Behavior↗

Building capacity of the Baltic States to meet the EU Water Framework Directive through watershed demonstration projects.

The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), in cooperation with the United States EPA, is completing it role in assisting the Baltic Countries of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia with watershed management capacity building demonstration projects under the Great Lakes/Baltic Sea Partnership Program. The Countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania view the skills gained through this program as important to their objective of complying with the European Union's Water Framework Directive and thus facilitating accession into the European Union. The program also addressed Kaliningrad's desire to work cooperatively with their neighboring countries concerning shared waters. Three watershed demonstration projects were designed and implemented, two of which involved joint country efforts: Parnu River (Estonia) modeling for nutrients and bacteria survey; river basin assessment and management planning for the Lielupe Basin (Latvia and Lithuania); and data base development and cooperative water quality survey and analysis for the Sesupe River (Lithuania and Kaliningrad). The benefits of the projects include enhancing the country's technical skills and the forging of relationships, without which achieving effective watershed management will be difficult to achieve.

Baltic States↗

Divisions of general practice, capacity building and health reform.

The development of the divisions of general practice network has been one of the major health innovations of the past decade. Its establishment was an innovative plan to build capacity in general practice to respond to health needs in the community and develop good quality health services. The network has a secure place in the health system and assists general practitioners to become involved at all levels of health policy and decision making. This capacity has facilitated multiple health reforms including immunisation and information technology, leading to improved health outcomes for the Australian community.

Ambulatory Care Information Systems↗

Capacity building for international tuberculosis control through operations research training.

SETTING: In resource-poor countries, few tuberculosis (TB) program staff at the national, provincial, and even district levels have the basic analytical and epidemiological skills necessary for collecting and analyzing quality data pertaining to national TB control program (NTP) improvements. This includes setting program priorities, operations planning, and implementing and evaluating program activities. OBJECTIVES: To present a model course for building capacity in basic epidemiology and operations research (OR). DESIGN: A combination of didactic lectures and applied field exercises were used to achieve the main objectives of the 6-day OR course. These were to increase the understanding of quantitative and qualitative research concepts, study design, and analytic methods, and to increase awareness of how these methods apply to the epidemiology and control of TB; and to demonstrate the potential uses of OR in answering practical questions on NTP effectiveness. As a final outcome, course participants develop OR proposals that are funded and later implemented. RESULTS: Since 1997, this OR course has been conducted nine times in five countries; 149 key NTP and laboratory staff have been trained in OR methods, and 44 OR protocols have been completed or are underway. CONCLUSION: This low-cost model course can be adapted to a wide range of public health issues.

Health Priorities↗

Capacity building in rural health research: a Canadian perspective.

INTRODUCTION: The need to build capacity in rural health research is recognized in Canada. During its formative stage, the Canadian Rural Health Research Society (established in 2002), performed a nation-wide survey of the research teaching and training opportunities available to students interested in rural and remote health issues. Intended as a cross-sectional 'snapshot,' and to provide base-line data, the survey involved a comprehensive list of educational programs in health and science disciplines at all Canadian Universities offering graduate-level programs. The present project report gives an overview of the results, documenting the current strengths, but also the noticeable gaps that exist. METHODS: Data were collected via an Internet survey, developed according to Dillman's email survey design principles. Although multiple contacts are recommended, due to time constraints only two were made. The instrument included both open- and closed-ended questions designed to determine institutional commitments to rural health research training generally, as well as specific information about course offerings, infrastructure supports for students, financial assistance for studying specific topics, and future plans. Health was defined broadly and included a number of disciplines beyond those usually considered under the health rubric. Individuals in administrative positions for 462 programs in 24 distinct disciplines at 56 institutions were sent the survey. Responses were received from 120 programs at 40 universities. Due to budget constraints the instrument was not translated into French. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data, combined with a thematic analysis of written comments. Ethical approval was obtained from the Lakehead University before the study was conducted. RESULTS: Despite the fact that one-third of Canadians live in rural, remote and northern areas, there is a paucity of research that addresses rural health issues. Moreover, Canadian universities have very limited rural health offerings in their curricula. There are few formal courses available on rural health topics generally or rural health research specifically. Although students can take rural-related independent studies or reading courses, very few actually take advantage of the option. Of all disciplines, nursing faculty are most likely to pursue rural health research and to offer rural health courses. Moreover, nursing faculty most often indicate an intention to expand their rural health offerings. In the social sciences, geography and environmental science programs, relatively few students choose to study rural health. Similarly, in medicine, the number of students exploring rural health issues is small. There is some specific financial assistance available to students who are interested in rural health research and, as well, they have access to general pools of funding. CONCLUSION: The survey results demonstrate the limitations of current educational programs. However, they also indicate areas of potential growth and show widespread interest in increasing the offerings available at universities across Canada. The article concludes by giving an overview of the mandate and initiatives being taken by the new research society to augment training, and to enhance student participation. In addition, it notes the positive developments linked to a new Strategic Plan by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to enhance rural health research in Canada.

Journal Article↗

Capacity-building activities for local leadership in Egypt from the local to the national and regional levels.

In order to make the Sustainable Ismailia Project institutionally sustainable, the National Project Manager identified the need to build the capacity of local leadership. The Training Section, in UNCHS, proposed a capacity-building program designed to respond to this demand focusing on the skill-training and attitude formation needed for effective local leadership. The proposed program is adapted from the "Training for Elected Leadership" series widely tested and used in many regions. It combines direct training for local officials from villages in Ismailia, and indirect training for trainers from the Ministry of Local Administration (MLA). After the course, the MLA trainers would design a training program which they will implement nationally. The Minister for Local Administration decided to finance the translation and production of the manuals, while the Governor of Ismailia offered to cover the trainees' expenses. The UNCHS Training and Capacity-Building Section would provide technical guidance and coordinate and implement the program. Once the Arabic version of the training materials would be available, UNCHS would use it regionally to reach out to other Arab States. This example illustrates how concerned stakeholders cooperate to address capacity-building needs. The UNCHS Training Section assumes the role of facilitator and acts as a catalyst for the formulation of such activities. The feeling of ownership of the locally produced/adapted training materials enhances the propensity of their effective and extensive use. This approach has succeeded across regions, cultures, and languages with out-reaching multiplier effects.

Africa↗