Strengthening capacity, collaboration and quality of clinical research in Africa: EDCTP Networks of Excellence.

Developing countries bear 90% of the global disease burden, but only access about 10% of globally available health research funding. Weak south-south networking hampers effective use of limited resources, production of critical mass of quality scientists, career opportunities and incentives to retain the few available scientists. The south must urgently act strategically to accelerate generation of talented scientists, create enabling environment and incentives to retain scientists and attract back those in diaspora. The creation of strong networks of excellence for clinical research among southern academic and research institutions is a novel strategic approach championed by European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership to achieve the aforementioned goals and mitigate the high disease burden. It will promote strong collaboration, resource sharing and cross-mentorship allowing each partner to grow with complementary capacities that support each other rather than compete negatively. It will enable the south and Africa in particular to participate actively and own the means for solving its own health problems and raise the professional quality and capacity of southern institutions to forge better and equal partnership with northern institutions.

Clinical efficacy of chloroquine or sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in children under five from south-western Uganda with uncomplicated falciparum malaria.

We conducted a 14-day study (during March-May 1998) to assess the efficacy of chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) for treating uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Uganda. Overall treatment failure rates were 43 (81.1%) of 53 chloroquine recipients and 16 (25.0%) of 64 SP patients. Strategies to improve the life-span of standard and affordable anti-malarial drugs are needed.

[Effect of smoking on weight and cardiopulmonary capacities in young athletes]. / Effets du tabagisme sur le poids corporel et les capacités cardiorespiratoires de jeunes sportifs.

The aim of the study was to determine wether smokers practising sports have reduced weight, if recuperation time after moderate exercise and maximal aerobic power were lowered. Thousand young soldiers [50 smokers (S), 50 no smokers (NS)] averaging 24 years in age were studied. The subjects performed to exhaustion on Ruffier test, then a maximal exercise with Cooper test. Several biometrical and physiological parameters were evaluated: weight (W), percent of body fat (PBF), body mass index (BMI), maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) and recuperation index (RI). Kinetics of heart rate (HR) were studied for 7 min considering time constant (1 min) and delay for recovery. The smokers showed significant differences for W (p < 0.001), PBF (p < 0.05), VO2 max (p < 0.01) and recuperation index (p < 0.001). Maximal aerobic power were 45.8 +/- 2.7 and 50.3 +/- 3.2 ml/kg/min for S and NS, and RI were 7.5 +/- 0.9 (S) and 5.0 +/- 1 (NS). figure 1 shows that HR recovery of S has generally two components: the first was fast, the second was a slone none. The smokers who presented a great dependence to tobacco smoking had a significant lower RI (p < 0.001) as those subjects with little tobacco dependence (Table 5). The smokers had lower values of VO2 max, and there exists a tobacco dependence difference. Recuperation time for the aerobically well trained S subjects was more rapid during the lactic phase. Note that correlations obtained between the VO2 max and RI were significant (r = - 0.788; p < 0.05). The smokers and no smokers differences are discussed with reference to nicotinemia effects and the sympathetic-parasympathetic unbatance of influences. The comparison of smokers groups concerning cardiovascular data led to suppose that there exists a tobacco dependence difference in regards of the catecholaminergic sensitivity. In conclusion, this study showed that smoker practising a physical activity have a reduced weight, a higher recuperation time and an anaerobic limitation influenced by the state of tobacco dependence.