HEALTH Alliance: Africa Hub

JIMMA UNIVERSITY: PRIORITY CAPACITY HSR CAPACITY SELF-ASSESSMENT STRENGTHENING ACTIVITIES:

In 2011, as part of the HEALTH JU is ’s first innovative Alliance Africa Hub project, community-oriented educational seven East and Central African institution of higher learning. schools of public health (SPHs) undertook an assessment of their The College of Public Health 1. Building the institutional capacities for health and Medical Sciences (CPHMS) research capacity systems research (HSR). The as- is one of the five colleges in the of staff. This is the sessment surveyed both internal university. The college offers nine and external stakeholders and undergraduate and 22 post- activity prioritized for considered a wide range of HSR graduate academic degrees in implementation in the skills and competencies – from various biomedical, clinical and individual research capacity to public health fields. The college first year. faculty incentives for engaging in comprises 18 departments, a HSR and inter-intuitional linkages teaching hospital, administrative for knowledge sharing. team and other different offices. 2. Improving These assessments served as The department of ‘Health Ser- information systems the basis for both institutional vice Management’ is the one for research. This capacity building strategies and a which mainly deals with health collective plan for strengthening system issues. activity will be effected HSR across the region. after implementation of Findings from the capacity the first activity. Jimma University College of self-assessment Public Health and Medical Sci- The HSR capacity assessment ence identified two big gaps. One gap Jimma University (JU) was is poor capacity of staff in under- established as a public higher taking research, leadership and education institution in December soliciting funds for HSR. Another 1999 by the amalgamation of is poor data management sys- Jimma Institute of Health Sci- tems for documentation, commu- ences (established in 1983) and nication, monitoring and evalua- Jimma College of Agriculture. tion of HSR activities. © June 2012, Africa Hub KEY FINDINGS FROM THE CAPACITY SELF-ASSESSMENT:

1. There is a weak undertaking of health systems research at the CPHSM and lim- ited grant writing skills of staff. formed to develop capacity Some factors that could have across the schools by building 2. CPHSM staff indi- contributed to those identified linkages and promoting the gaps include: a high rate of sen- exchange of ideas and resources, cated low levels of en- ior staff leaving the college and but has since undertaken a wide gagement in HSR, and limited financial capacity for HSR. range of projects. the SA found a distinct The reported weak research The ‘Africa Hub’ project, which is lack of HSR outputs. skills of staff is evidenced by low mainly supported by the DFID- level of engagement in research funded Future Health Systems undertaking and a low number re- (www.futurehealthsystems. 3. There are currently search outputs produced. Out of org), aims to strengthen health poor information sys- 113 academic staff of the college systems research capacity only 63 (55.8%) were actively among the SPHs. Participating tems at CPHSM re- engaged in research activities SPHs include: lated to HSR. when the self-assessment was conducted, and the time spent on • Makerere University School research was reported to range of Public Health (Secretariat), from 5% to 30%. The number of research articles published in • Jimma University (Ethiopia) Contact information for local or international journals in • University of Kinshasa (DRC), Jimma: the last 6 years was nearly 200, • (), Africa Hub Focal Persons: but none of this publications ad- Fessahaye Alemseged and dressed HSR issues. • Muhimbili University Bosena Tebeje (), Regarding information systems • (Kenya) Email: related to HSR, there is no • National University of [email protected], compiled information regarding (Rwanda) [email protected] research outputs, research pro- jects, research grants or status of Telephone: other HRS activities in any of the Fessahaye - +251-917803582 relevant offices. Bosena - +251-911759276

Address: About the Africa Hub Jimma University, Ethiopia The HEALTH Alliance (www. halliance.org) is a network of Website: seven East and Central African www.ju.edu.et schools of public health. The HEALTH Alliance originally