CREAMS Research Institutions Network in Malawi

Experience

Clinical Research Education and Management Services (CREAMS) Limited is a private company formed by Malawians in 2011 to provide professional guidance, training and conduct of quality clinical and health research to Malawians and health institutions. Through use of consultants it organises:
• Research training including training in research methods, ethics, grant writing, publishing research results and research projects management
• Study designs
• Conduct demand driven research on behalf of other stakeholders
• Assessment of institutional research needs and capacities
• Networking Malawian institutions and health workers to conduct research together and also introduce such partnerships to external partners.

Since its formation CREAMS has:
a) developed an interactive website (www.creamsmw.com) where training is advertised including provision of links to other online training resources, globally
b) In 2012, published the first bibliographic database of all published health research conducted in Malawi since 1964 on its website, which is open for access by the general public and is updatable quarterly
c) In 2012, coordinated the launch of research nurses training scheme that has been developed by Global Health Trials group (www.globalhealthtrials.tghn.org)
d) In 2013, received a grant from the International Network for Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to start the process of building capacity for Systematic Reviews within the Research Directorate of Ministry of Health of Malawi. This project ends in November 2013
e) In 2013 launched its first short introductory courses in Basic Epidemiology, Study Design and Methods, Statistical Concepts for Clinical Research, Clinical Trial Management, Clinical Data Management, Clinical Trial Monitoring and Project Monitoring and Evaluation; all led by Dr Peter Nyasulu of University of Witwatersrand in South Africa

In 2013 CREAMS has started coordination of an intra-country network of health institutions with keen interest in developing research capacity in Malawi. These institutions comprise three public institutions (The National Reference Laboratory of Ministry of Health’s Community Health Sciences Unit, Mzuzu Central Hospital Medical Unit and Kasungu District Hospital) and two private institutions (St Anne’s Catholic Hospital in Nkhotakota and Medical Aid Society of Malawi Hospital in Lilongwe).

Kasungu District Hospital and St Anne's Hospital in Nkhotakota lie on the edges of two national parks in Malawi and offer a high burden of sleeping sickness which is an added advantage for studies on other neglected infections and illnesses.

Research interests

CREAMS Research Institutions Network in Malawi currently comprises an intra-country network of health institutions with keen interest in developing research capacity in Malawi. These are three public institutions (The National Reference Laboratory of Ministry of Health’s Community Health Sciences Unit, Mzuzu Central Hospital Medical Unit and Kasungu District Hospital) and two private institutions (St Anne’s Catholic Hospital in Nkhotakota and Medical Aid Society of Malawi Hospital in Lilongwe). All these centres have low research outputs and weak research capacity but have high disease burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases. This is an areas we would like new partners to exploit through our coordination and leadership.

Disease areas

• Cancer
• Cholera
• Enteric diseases
• Helminths
• HIV
• Malaria
• Mental Health
• Newborn Health
• Respiratory Diseases
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
• TB

Other information

Our aim for registering on this site is provide opportunity to partners that would like to conduct research at newly developing sites in Malawi. Interested individual or organisation requiring to gain access to the mentioned institutions in Malawi can contact us as an entry point. Our email is: info@creamsmw.com and the contact for the Manager at CREAMS (Mrs Jean Chitule) is 00265999768519.