King's Centre for Global Health and Health Partnerships' researchers are involved in four research programme grants from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP).
ASSET - The NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Health Systems Strengthening in sub-Saharan Africa (ASSET) is developing, piloting and evaluating health system strengthening interventions with our partners in Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Zimbabwe. We are involved in the work in Sierra Leone which focuses on improving the access to quality, affordable and equitable surgical care in the Western Area of Sierra Leone. This project is delivered with our partners at the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, clinical colleagues at Connaught Hospital, and with the King’s Global Health Partnerships in-country team.
SISLE - The second NIHR project grant (SiSLE) is delivered through the same partners as ASSET and focuses on the management of stroke in Sierra Leone.
SERCLe - Our EDCTP funded project (SERCLe) ‘Strengthening Ethics Review and Regulatory Capacity’ addresses the ethical and regulatory oversight of research in Sierra Leone. We are working with the Sierra Leone Ethics and Scientific Review Committee (SLESRC) within the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, and the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, to strengthen the governance, technical capacity and operational capability of SLESRC and the National Pharmacy Board.
ASPIRES - Our ESRC funded project (ASPIRES) is focused on optimising antibiotic usage along surgical pathways - thus addressing antimicrobial resistance and improving clinical outcomes. With our partners from Imperial College, Leicester University, University of Hertfordshire, Royal College of Anaesthesia, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kerala in India, University of Cape Town in South Africa, and University Teaching Hospital of Butare in Rwanda, we are addressing the question: ‘How can antibiotic use be optimised along the entire surgical pathway.’