AfriHealth Partnerships International (US-Cameroon Health Program)

Experience

The US Cameroon Health Program (AfriHealth partnerships International) is based at the Government Regional Hospital.

I have been doing HIV studies here since 1995 and started working TB in 2005. I achieved this by setting up a TB lab in a private facility at Mezam Polyclinic and bringing in the equipment from the US. We did all the culture and dst for this area (600 cases annually) until last January when the Ministry of Health asked us to move the work to the Regional Hospital. This is funded by the GlobalFund and we now keep out original lab for research only and limited clinical studies. Thus, I have access to a large TB population (50% with HIV) in Cameroon and good infrastructure by African standards. the site in Nigeria is Directed by a colleague and that in Cape Town is also collaborative.

Research interests

Funded by GlobalFund

I have been working in Cameroon for many years and have excellent well tried relationships there in the Regional Hospital and MPC.

Disease areas

• HIV
• TB

Other information

We have a local IRB and one at the University of Missouri-Kansas City where I am a Professor. Our translational research projects go through both IRBS.