Eric Mutemi

The National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) on 20th June, 2024 conducted training for Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) based in Dar es Salaam, on the National Research Ethics Information Management System (NREIMS) to learn the new system as a tool for the online health research protocol review and approval at both the National and Institutional levels of research ethics clearance processes.During the training participants navigated throughout the system and learned the functionalities of the multi-IRB research ethics clearance system hence the name NREIMS. In her opening remarks, on behalf of NIMR Director General, Dr. Elizabeth Shayo, Principal Research Officer at NIMR said NREIMS development involved various strategies including generation of the need assessment report indicating health research clearance processes of related institutes in the country, organizing various stakeholders meetings for deliberation of successful development of the system, preparation of NREIMS Concept Note that was reviewed and approved by the e-Government Authority (eGA), development of software requirement specifications (SRS) that justified development of the system. Further, Dr. Shayo reminded that on 14th and 18th June 2024, NIMR conducted NREIMS User Acceptance Test (UAT) workshop to NatHREC Secretariat, bringing together Administrators, Reviewers, Researchers, ICT personnel, and the management for the purpose of testing the validity of NREIMS. Report of the UAT workshop indicated that all the test modules of the system are functional and ready to serve the purpose of the online, one stop-centre multi-IRB ethics clearance system. The successful development of NREIMS was coordinated by NIMR Principal Research Officer and Co-PI of the EDCTP sponsored project known as the Consortium for Clinical Research Regulation and Ethics Capacity in the Eastern Africa Region (CCRREEA), Dr. Mwanaidi Kafuye. Dr. Kafuye said, NREIMS will harmonize health research ethics clearance processes across IRBs in Tanzania and improve quality and turnaround time of research approvals. She added that the system will enhance real-time data sharing between IRBs and NIMR and related health research regulatory stakeholders in Tanzania.The Training took place at NIMR headquarters and brought together NatHREC Secretariat, representatives from Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), IRBs from participating Institutions based in Dar es Salaam.

NIMR family, extends our heartfelt congratulations to our Director General, Professor Said S. Aboud, for being recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential Persons in Africa.Your dedication, leadership, and groundbreaking contributions to Medical Research have not only transformed the landscape of healthcare but also inspired countless individuals across the continent and beyond.Thank you for your visionary leadership and tireless efforts in advancing the frontiers of medical knowledge. Your achievements bring immense pride to NIMR and serve as a beacon of inspiration for us all.Here is to celebrating your well-deserved success and the remarkable impact you continue to make on the world stage.This award has been conferred yesterday, 30th May 2024, at the Cresta Lodge Hotel in Harare, Zimbabwe organized by the Business Executive in collaboration with International Business Council Africa and African Chamber for Trade (ACT).

The National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) hosted the United States congressional staff delegation on 28th May 2024 to discuss collaboration opportunities and ways to strengthen partnership to address public health challenges in Tanzania. The meeting signifies a significant opportunity to enhance collaborative efforts in combating public health challenges and improving health outcomes in Tanzania.During the meeting, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health Dr. John Jingu, expressed gratitude to the U.S. Government for their support to the Government of Tanzania on health matters through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), both directly to the government and through implementing partners. Dr. Jingu highlighted that financial and mentorship support through ongoing programs is crucial in addressing health matters and response to pandemic diseases in Tanzania and neighboring countries. NIMR Director General Prof. Said Aboud thanked the support extended by CDC to NIMR and commented to strengthen further the longstanding collaboration between the two institutions.Furthermore, the meeting was graced by the presence of US House of Representatives, members of the US Senate from Washington DC, officials from CDC, the US Embassy and delegates from the Ministry of Health.The visit of US Congressional staff delegation, which began on 27th May 2024, will span five days from Mwanza region to Zanzibar, sponsored by the U.S. Government is aimed to observe and understand the impact of U.S. global health support through CDC in the country.

The National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) Mbeya Research Centre on 27th, May 2024, hosted representatives from the Ministry of Health (MoH), implementing partners, system analysts, system developers, and researchers who came together for user acceptance testing of the laboratory module in the Unified Community System (UCS).The work has been a success through the @EDCTP-funded LIFE2Scale study that is currently ongoing in the Mbeya and Songwe regions. This module is designed to seamlessly connect laboratory results from centralized and point-of-care testing platforms to even the most remote facilities in the country.It ensures quality data and timely availability of HIV viral load (HVL) and early infant diagnosis (EID) test results for clinical decisions while also providing accurate estimates for global 95-95-95 target performance. This effort builds upon the extensive work of the MoH by utilizing research as a catalyst for impactful change across the country.In his opening remarks, the Director General of NIMR, Prof. Said Aboud, urged each participant to fully engage in the testing process. The insight and feedback gained through assessment are invaluable, and it is through the diligent efforts that we will be able to finalize the module, ensuring it meets the highest standards of functionality and usability before it is rolled out more broadly.“We as NIMR are ready to pilot test this module through the EDCTP project, the LIFE2Scale study that is currently on-going in the Mbeya and Songwe regions”. Emphasized Prof. Aboud Finally, Prof. Aboud applauded the MoH for their continued dedication and efforts in advancing healthcare delivery through the adoption of digital technologies and promised to look forward to finalizing the module and enrolling it out in the entire country.The 3-day workshop held at NIMR in Dar es Salaam brought together expertise from the MoH and development partners from various institutions.

The National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) conducted on 20th May 2024 inception meeting of Patient Initiated Viral Load (PIVLo) Test Project with the implementers and shared the planned methodological approaches before starting the project implementation.The PIVLo Test Project to be implemented in collaboration with Tsinghua University, aims to uplift the standard of HIV care across Tanzania by focusing on improving HIV viral load testing.The project involved various stakeholders including district HIV/AIDS coordinators, healthcare professionals from selected facilities and dedicated study staff from NIMR.In his opening remarks, the Director General of NIMR, Prof. Said Aboud, emphasized the importance of participants continuing to conduct research while adhering to ethics and generating evidence to support policy change aimed at improving the quality of healthcare delivery services for our people.Dr. Peter Kroli, the Project Principal Investigator, stressed the importance of researchers collaborating with implementers to share experiences and ultimately fostering positive changes in health services through evidence-based data. He also highlighted on finding from previous research which informed on the current intervention model of patient initiated viral load testing to improve the quality and coverage of the testing. The findings indicated that Tanzania has had tremendous success with patients who achieve viral suppression (>90%); however, the coverage is still low particularly among women who are disproportionately highly infected by HIV.Furthermore, Dr. Elizabeth Shayo and Dr. Gibson Kagaruki, the co-investigators of the study, assured the DG that all efforts would be made to generate evidence on unanswered queries related to the low coverage of viral load testing. They emphasized that the inception meeting is aimed at raising awareness among the implementers regarding the innovative approach for increasing viral load testing so that they can contribute to how it can be implemented better, including the relevancy of the selected health facilities in terms of testing uptake.The Meeting held at NIMR headquarters involved participants from various hospitals in the Dar es Salaam including Ubungo District i.e. Sinza Hospital, Mbezi Health Center, and Goba Dispensary as well as from Kigamboni District, including Kigamboni District Hospital, Kigamboni Health Center, and Mjimwema Dispensary.

The National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) Mbeya Research Centre in collaboration with the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Pragramme (NTLP) on 20th May 2024 convened a 5-day stakeholders engagement meeting to refine TB-Related Protocols under the Global Fund. During the meeting, the participants will work on developing different protocols aiming at evaluating patient and health care costs attributed to TB treatment and care services and evaluating public private partnerships in TB service provision.In his opening remarks the Director General of NIMR Prof. Said Aboud urged all stakeholders to participate actively share their perspectives and contribute their expertise in the discussion with a spirit of cooperation, mutual respect and a shared commitment for the well-being of Tanzanians.The 5-day meeting held at NIMR in Dar es Salaam brought together stakeholders and partners from various institutions.

Huge congratulations to the NIMR Director of Research Coordination and Promotion, Dr Nyanda E. Ntinginya @NNtinginya for being appointed alongside other high profile global experts in TB research and public health to contribute to the Scientific Advisory Board of the FAST-TB Initiative. FAST-TB (Facilitating Accelerated Science and Translation for TB Regimen Development) is a new initiative launched by the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH/NIAID) in partnership with @CRDFGlobal, which aims to accelerate the development and clinical translation of novel TB regimens by fostering efficient communication, coordination, and collaboration among stakeholders worldwide.