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The NIMR-Mbeya Medical Research (NIMR-MMRC), Mbeya and Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute (KCRI), Moshi, are among the five East-African Research Institutions working with the University of St. Andrews, in Scotland that have been awarded about TShs 1billion (440,000 euros) to fight tuberculosis.
The East African ‘TWENDE’ project an abbreviation of "Tuberculosis Working to Empower the Nations Diagnostic Effort" is funded by the European Union through the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP). The word ‘TWENDE’ is a Swahili word that means “Let us go” and indeed encourages one another within and beyond the consortium to move forward and in this case against TB. This project aims to understand and overcome the barriers to the implementation of WHO endorsed TB diagnostics in the three East African Countries that forms part of the 22 global TB High Burden Countries.
Partner research institutions in E. Africa involved in the TWENDE project includes; Makerere University Kampala (Uganda), CPAR Uganda, Kenya Medical Research Institute together with the East African Health Research Commission (EAHRC) of the East African Community. Prof Blandina Mmbaga, the PI at KCRI will oversee the northern part of Tanzania whilst Dr. Nyanda Elias Ntinginya the National and site PI at NIMR-MMRC will be responsible for the implementation of the TWENDE project in the southern part.
The project further seeks to dialogue and enlighten policy makers and implementers on their stake in ensuring availability of good diagnostic services as well as uptake of new innovation for public benefit. . “A number of new TB diagnostic tools are being developed and approved by international bodies like WHO but few are reaching areas where people need them the most’, says Dr Nyanda. To make the impact of TWENDE sustainable, the project will develop knowledge transfer platforms in each of the five research institutions
The mission of the TWENDE consortium is to reach the whole East African region through EAHRC. EAHRC is the principal advisory institution on Health Research and Development (R&D) to the EAC, and was established as a mechanism for making available to the EAC, advice upon all matters of health and health-related research and findings necessary for knowledge generation, technological development, policy formulation, practice, and related matters. Prof G. Kibiki, the Executive Secretary of the EAHRC, believes that consortia like TWENDE will be instrumental for EAHRC to realize its mandate.
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