London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Recent calls to decolonise global health (DGH) have highlighted the continued existence of colonial structures in research into diseases of public health importance in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Using tuberculosis (TB) as a model 

Despite TB being recognised as a leading cause of death globally and a disease of poverty, most of the TB research in high burden countries has been led by researchers from high-income countries. In our capacity as a world-leading centre for TB research with collaborations and partners across more than 30 countries, the LSHTM TB Centre must work to address this issue both internally and externally. 

A key step towards restructuring the system and shaping it to local needs is the necessity for “equitable leadership in global health partnerships.” This requires ensuring that researchers in LMICs have equal opportunity to successfully secure grant funding to lead and drive their own research based on locally-defined priorities. Despite initiatives from various funders, this continues to represent a major challenge. 

In this workshop, we will bring together researchers from LMICs, with a focus on early- and mid-career researchers, and leading European and UK funders to increase dialogue between these key stakeholders. This event will feature distinguished speakers, including Dr Catherine Kyobutungi, Executive Director of African Population & Health Research Centre, Professor Moses Bockarie, Director of International Cooperation Africa & Head of Africa Office of European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership and Professor Tumani Corrah, Co-President of Africa Research Excellence Fund. 

Programme

11.00-12.25: Session 1 - Researchers' experience of remaining barriers

• 11.00-11.05: Opening remarks 
  • Speaker: Dr Toyin Togun, Co-Director of the LSHTM TB Centre and Associate Professor, LSHTM 
• 11.05-11.10: Welcome address 
  • Speaker: Professor Anne Mills, Deputy Director & Provost, LSHTM and Professor of Health Economics and Policy, LSHTM 
• 11.10-11.25: Presentation 1 - Overview of DGH of research as an issue 
  • Speaker: Dr Catherine Kyobutungi, Executive Director, African Population & Health Research Centre  
• 11.25-11.40: Presentation 2 - Sharing of current and planned funder initiatives to address DGH issues 
  • Speakers:  Amen-Patrick Nwosu and Alice Chadwick El-Ali, The UK Collaborative on Development Research (UKCDR) 
• 11.40-12.25: Consultative session - Early/mid-career researchers (EMCRs) to discuss and share experience of barriers to securing grant funding to lead and drive their own research based on locally defined priorities. 
  • Moderators:
    • Dr Chido Dziva Chikwari, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, LSHTM
    • Dr Toyin Togun, Co-Director of the LSHTM TB Centre and Associate Professor, LSHTM 

13.00-14.45: Session 2 - Approaches to overcome these barriers

• 13.00-13.30: Presentation 3 - Selected researchers experience of what works 
  • Speakers:  
    • Professor Moses Bockarie, Director of International Cooperation Africa & Head of Africa Office of European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership
    • Professor Tumani Corrah, Co-President, Africa Research Excellence Fund  
• 13.30-14.15: Consultative session and Q&A - Identification of approaches to overcome the identified barriers from the perspectives of EMCRs. 
  • Moderators: 
    • Professor Rashida Ferrand, Professor of International Health, LSHTM  
    • Dr Finn McQuaid, Co-Director of LSHTM TB Centre and Assistant Professor in Infectious Disease Epidemiology, LSHTM 
• 14.15-14.40: Plenary discussion - Synthesis of suggestions and identification of next steps 
  • Moderator: Dr Chido Dziva Chikwari, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, LSHTM
  • Panellists:
    • Dr Amare Tadese, Assistant Professor, LSHTM
    • Dr Kwame Shanaube, Deputy Director of Research, ZAMBART 
    • Dr Mishal Khan, Associate Professor of Health Policy & Systems Research, LSHTM  
• 14.40-14.45: Closing  
  • Speaker: Dr Finn McQuaid, Co-Director of LSHTM TB Centre and Assistant Professor in Infectious Disease Epidemiology