Presentation Note on PRD College

DOSSIER DE PRESSE « PRD College » 17-18 août 2009 UNIVERSITE DE YAOUNDE I

DOSSIER DE PRESSE (English)

POVERTY RELATED DISEASES COLLEGE (PRDC)AN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME IN BIOMEDICINE AND DEVELOPMENT

Site web UYI : www.uy1.uninet.cm www.prd-college.eu SERVICE DE L’INFORMATION ET DES CONFERENCES

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http://www.prd-college.eu/

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PRESENTATION NOTE ON PRD COLLEGE

To bridge the gap between the biological sciences, health and development in Africa, a consortium is created and named the PRD College, which proposes to re-organise and educate young African and European scientists to perform research, on poverty related and neglected diseases (PR&ND) that is relevant to development. These diseases are common ground for both the African nations who wish to develop and the European Union who wishes to contribute to and collaborate with Africa for development.

Led by a Cameroonian Prof Wilfred Mbacham the ideas towards the creation of the PRD College were borne out of his experiences at the Biotechnology Centre University of Yaounde I, his experience with the Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) of World Health Organisation, the Gates Malaria Partnership of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the Young African Scientists Contact Point Network of EU FP6 and recently with the EU funded Network of Excellence (BioMALPAR) post-doctoral program in Cameroon.

The coordination of the program will be therefore be at the University of Yaounde 1 and the first time an EU Framework Programme on Support Action is led by an African Institution. The other members of the consortium are: Go Africa (Germany) Max Planck Institute (Germany); Department of Immunology Stockholm University (Sweden); Academic Medical Centre Amsterdam (Netherlands); ICGEB University of Cape Town (South Africa); CNR (Italy); Makerere University (Uganda); Tropical Disease Research Centre (Zambia); and Mbeya Medical Research Program (Tanzania)

The impact of this approach is great given that the world has entered a genomic era and with limited resources. The PRD College therefore brings a new approach to make the African researcher on Poverty Related and Neglected Diseases be at the forefront of a competitive modern science. There is total agreement within members of the PRD College consortium that scientific capacity building in Africa is beneficial for both disease control as well as for national





development, but that the scientific sector in Africa cannot yet stand on its own feet and needs to be enhanced and directed towards development in order to be sustainable. The PRD College will stimulate an early collaboration and enable young scientists to place science within the context of development in Africa. Certain capacity building areas will be given focus through elective and mandatory courses followed by an internship on development at an African institution as well as a science exchange program at institutions of excellence in Europe and Africa.

Divided into a 5 modules packages and 4 committees, training capacity will be strengthened at 3 PRD Centers in Uganda, South Africa and Cameroon and will involve MDs, advanced PhD Students or Post-Docs participants from Africa (12) and Europe (12). The PRD College will transform every trainee scientist to a level where they can become trainers in their own country.

Prof. Wilfred Mbacham,





RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUNPaix – Travail – PatriePaix – Travail – Patrie

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REPUBLIC OF CAMEROONREPUBLIC OF CAMEROONPeace – Work – Fatherland

----------------UNIVERSITÉ DE YAOUNDÉ IUNIVERSITÉ DE YAOUNDÉ I

B.P. 337 Tél/Fax : 22 22 13 20e-mail : [email protected]

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UNIVERSITY OF YAOUNDE I

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N___________UYI/VR-RCME/PRDC/SIC

INFORMATION NOTE

The Rector of the University of Yaounde I, Professor OUMAROU BOUBA, hereby announces the launching of the Poverty Related Diseases College (PRD College), an international research programme on Biomedicine and Development, wich is coordinated by the University of Yaounde I and co-financed by the European Commission. It aims principally at training and building capacity of young African and European researchers with a view to consolidating the role of biomedical science in the development of Africa.

The ceremony to launch the programme takes place on Monday 17 August 2009 at 11am at the Conference Hall of the Rector’s Office, University of Yaounde I, and shall be co presided over by the Minister of Higher Education, Professor Jacques FAME NDONGO, and the Minister of Public Heath, Mr. Andre MAMA FOUDA.

The University of Yaounde I is the running the PRD College in cooperation with African institutions such as: Makerere University (UG), International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotecnology (SA), Tropical Disease Research Center (ZA), Mbeya Medical Research Programmen (TZ) and in collaboration with Europena partners





such as Stockholm University (SW), Max Planck Institute (DE), National Research Council (IL) Academic Medical Center Amsterdam (NL) and Go Africa (DE)

The call for applications for the PRD College will be published on www.prd-college.eu and on www.uy1.uninet.cm.

Professor OUMAROU BOUBARector, UYI







MISSION:

The Poverty Related Diseases (PRD College) is being proposed as an International Programme in Biomedicine and Development, a virtual institute and a network that will connect young African and European biomedical scientists and their institutions, to strike to consolidate science and its role in the development of Africa.

The Concept:

The PRD College consists of a modular training curriculum and opens to selected students from Afric and Europe for a training period of 24 months.

Course modules include:

- A Basic Elective Educational Programme, - An Advanced Elective Educational Programme,- A Mandatory Educational Programme,- A reality Check and a Science Exchange programme at Centers of Excellence in Europe and Africa.

Objectives:

- To create the next generation of researchers from PRD endemic countries and from Europe to start collaborations at an early stage

- To place science in the context of development in Africa through focus on crucial areas in which to build capacity.- To have fundamental biologists address the underpinnings of operational translational issues in health and development

with appropriate technology,





- To create a sustainable network trough mentorship and alumni programmes for joint grant seeking and advocacy initiatives,

- To transformed every trainee scientists to a level where he can become a trainer in his own country and so spread knowledge, skills and the approach

The expected impact:

We hope to strengthen and adapt special development cooperation in the new global context trough the promotion of translational research, the formation of partnerships between European and African.

Eligibility:

Opened to participants from Africa (12) (MDs, PhD Students or Post-Docs) and from Europe (12)(as above, including MSc enrolled.)

CURRICULUM

Basic Elective Educational Programme (BEEP): 4 weeks (Makerere University, Kampala Uganda)- Molecular aspects of PR&ND from the infection to clinical manifestation- Clinical Sciences – Pathology – management and prevention of PR&ND

Elective Courses. Students either take:- BEEP 1– Pharmacology of Malaria, TB, Aids and PRD- BEEP2- Vector Control and Epidemiology of Malaria, TB, AIDS and PRD

Advanced Elective Educational Package (ADEEP) – 4 weeks (University of Cape Town RSA)





Same as above but geared towards translational research ADEEP1 (Pharmacology of PRD) and ADEEP2 (Vector control and Epidemiology of PRD)

Mandatory Educational Package (MEP) Courses – Context – Training 4 weeks (University of Yaounde I, Cameroun)MEP1 – Science Management, MEP2 – Leadership skills; MEP – Context Training; MEP4 – Principles of operational Research; MEP5 – Fundamentals of Pedagogy; MEP 6 – Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) – Patenting; MEP7 – CommunicationsScience Exchange Programme (SEP) - 6 monthsInstitutions involved European and African with Centers of Excellence; Research programme; The Mentorship programme; Review of Scientific proposal; Award of Travel grants; Continuation of the Programme at Home Institutions.

Reality-check (3 months) – Practical Exposure- Students from Europe will be paired with those from Africa to jointly acquire the experience and be acquainted with

development needs in Africa- Stimulate the Africa-Europe student pair to harmonise their research agenda with the priorities that are relevant for

development for the health and research sectors in African Nations,- Stimulate collaboration between the student pair for research grant application as a requirement for graduating from

the College.

Number PARTICIPANTS ORGANSIATION NAME COUNTRY1 Wilfred MBATCHAM (Coordinator) Biotechnology Centre University of Yaounde 1 Cameroon2 Katarina KUSS Go Africa Germany





3 Marita TROYE-BLOOMBERG Department of Immunology, Stockholm Sweden4 Peter de VRIES Academic Medical Center Amsterdam The Netherlands5 Iqbal PARKER ICGEB, University of Cape Town South Africa6 Diana BORASCHI CNR Italy Italy7 Fred KIRONDE Makerere University Uganda8 Sefan KAUFMANN Max Planck Gesellschaft zur Foederung der

wissenschaften e.V.Germany

9 Emmanul Kafwembe Tropical Disease Research Center Zambia10 Michael HOELSCHER Mbeya Medical Research Programme Tanzania

Consortium Members

Partner 1 The Biotechnology Centre, University of Yaounde I Prof. Wilfred Mbacham

Prof. Wilfred Mbacham holds two doctorate degrees, one in the Molecular Parasitology and the other in Tropical Public Health (Harvard). He is an Associate Professor at the Biotechnology Center (BTC) of the University of Yaounde I, Cameroon. In the past, Mbacham characterized the biochemical properties of the cuticle of the filarial worm that causes river blindness and set up a monoclonal antibody antigen capture-based diagnostic test for Onchocerca volvulus, the causative agent for this disease. At Harvard, his studies involved the tropical deadly scourge – malaria, in which he characterized the cis control (putative promoter and termination) sequences of genes in the gametocytes and merozoites of Plasmodium gallineaceum and P. falciparum. In Cameroon his interest turned to the molecular profiling of the diversity within the Plasmodium biomass and the molecular epidemiology of drug resistance in Malaria and TB. Funded by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, the





World Health Organization, Geneva, the European Union (BioMalPar) and the Gates Malaria Partnership at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, he has provided important clinical and safety data for policy considerations for past and newly introduced anti-malarial drugs in Cameroon. He serves as a regional contact point for the Contact Point Network for young African scientists funded by the EU, as resource person in public health for the National Malaria Control Program in Cameroon and coordinates the WHO MIM-TDR anti-malarial drug resistance network. He is the current co-Chair of the Malaria Advocacy Working Group of the RBM Partnership Secretariat (2007). Besides his science pursuits he has founded and heads a development organization in Cameroon, the Fobang Foundation that promotes science and health and has won numerous awards in managements and science notably; The Leadership award in 1994 from the Harvard School of Public Health, The Albert Schweitzer Award for Intellectual Achievement and Service, 1997; The Managerial Competence Award of the Federation of African Immunology Societies, 2000; The Award for Excellence in Leadership and Conference Organising, 4 th MIM Pan African Malaria Conference.

Partner 2: Go Africa Ms. Katharina Kuss

Katharina Kuss holds a Master Degree in African Studies; she graduated at the Humboldt University of Berlin and studied at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. She has several years of experience in development co-operation between Europe and Africa, which she gained working for different institutions like Capacity Building International (InWEnt), Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb) and other organisations. She has developed a lot of expertise in managing different international groups e.g. as coordinator the Youth Leadership Training Programme (YLTP II) for FES, Tanzania. As Assistant Coordinator to the programme “Africome 2004-2006” of bpb she organised international conferences and various workshops. Since 2006 she was working as Programme Coordinator in a consulting





company, where she supervised an education programme for European students and co-ordinated the EU funded project “Contact Point Network to attract Young African Scientists to participate in EU funded on Poverty Related Diseases” (CPN-YAS-PRD). She thus has gained a lot of experience in management of the consortium and the network of Regional and Local Contact Points in 12 African countries. On this project Ms. Katharina Kuss was responsible for management, communication, co-ordiantion of activities and for overseeing the implementation of this project. As co-ordinator of CPN-YAS-PRD she acquired good knowledge of the framework programme FP6 and FP7 as well as of the research field on HIV/Aids, malaria and tuberculosis in Africa.. Go Africa (GA) is a consulting company based in Berlin, which aims at intensifying and building cooperation between Europe and Africa in fields such as: politics, education and research. The specific strengths of GA lie in networking with European and African organisations.

Partner 3Department of Immunology, Stockholm University Prof. Marita Troye-Blomberg

Pr. Marita Troye-Blomberg is heading the Department of Immunology, Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University since 2000. The unit has a long tradition in studies of immune responses in human and animal systems through research and basic and higher education, covering areas of innate, mucosal, placental as well as classical acquired immune responses. A large proportion of the activities is devoted to malaria research with special emphasis on immuno-regulatory and immune evasion mechanisms. This malaria unit was started in 1979 and currently involves 16 persons, including 2 professors and 3 postdoctoral scientists, 8 post-graduate students and 3 technical staff. It also accepts long and short-term fellows from developing countries (presently 7 students). The unit has extensive collaborations with Mali, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Uganda and Benin. All scientists are well trained and experienced in cellular, molecular, cell biology, and immunogenetics. Their field of expertise also include host-parasite and vector-parasite interactions, together with Professor Ingrid Faye, with emphasis on immune





responses. Other areas of infectious disease research include Mycobacteria and Leishmania. The unit also works closely with MTC, SMI at the Karolinska Institutet

Partner 4 Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam Dr. Peter J. de Vries

Dr. Peter de Vries is a medical doctor who specialized in general internal medicine with an emphasis on infectious diseases, pharmacology, gastroenterology and hepatology. He is now working as a senior clinical consultant. Dr. de Vries is member of several Dutch scientific societies. He chairs the scientific committees of the Dutch Society of Tropical Medicine and International Health and of the Dutch Society of Parasitology. He initiated the Working Group for Field Work in International Health, Uniting Streams, a working group that aims at connecting (young) researchers from all disciplines who are involved in research in tropical medicine and international health. He was a member of the organising committee of the 5th European Congres on Tropical Medicine and International Health, May 24-28, 2007 in Amsterdam. Also these networks may be instrumental in lifting PRD College of the ground.

The Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam, is a teaching hospital of the University of Amsterdam and is involved in teaching medical students, students of medical anthropology and post graduate clinical teaching. In 2004, Dr. de Vries forged, together with colleagues from the AMC, a consortium, now called the Centre for Poverty Related Communicable Diseases (CPCD). CPCD succesfully applied for two grants by NACCAP and EUROPAID for a research capacity building program in Rwanda and Uganda, that is to prepare for EDCTP trials for treatment of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. This program has 9 PhD students from Africa on board and one from the Netherlands. With the Catholique University of Beira Mozambique the CPCD has a program to train students, to support postgraduates in scientic research and to help in building up the academic cadres of his very young medical faculty. The more fundamental research on infectious diseases in the AMC was recently bundled in the Centre





for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA). CPCD and CINIMA share an interest in collaborating with current and next generations of African scientistsHis research activities focussed on treatment and control of malaria; diagnosis and management of other fevers at primary health care facilities; the diagnosis, case management and control of dengue; community health care programs; and lately also on the chemotherapy of leishmaniasis and on the nutrition and epidemiologic transitions. These activities have supported several PhD students from developing countries. These research programmes may vary by topic but have some characteristics in common: putting research into practice of development; responding to the needs of the population and health authorities; the combination of research with capacity building; strong translational compounds with knowledge and technology transfer to the most remote areas.

Partner 5

International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, University of Cape Town - Prof. Iqbal Parker

Iqbal Parker is Director of the UCT/MRC Oesophageal Cancer Research Group. Professor M. Iqbal Parker obtained his PhD at UCT in 1979, and proceeded immediately with a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Florida in the USA. He returned in 1981 with expertise in molecular biology and his research focus has been on gene mutation and transcriptional deregulation of genes in cancer. In 1998 he was appointed as head of the Division of Medical Biochemistry (1998 to present), Director of the School of Biomedical Sciences (2001– 2003) and Director of Research (2003 – 2006). He is currently the holder of a personal Research Chair in Cancer Biology. In August 2007 he was appointed as the Director of the newly established Cape Town Component of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB). One aspect of his research is on the transcriptional regulation of the type 1 human procollagen genes and the identification of transcription factors that modulate the expression of these genes in diseased states such as in cancer.

Partner 6 – Italian National Research Council Dr. Diana Boraschi





Diana Boraschi received her PhD in Immunology in 1974 and since that time she has been studying the effector role of macrophages and inflammatory cytokines in innate defence against tumours and infections. Her main experience is in the field of natural/innate immunity effector mechanisms, with special regard to macrophages and macrophage-derived cytokines in defence response, her interest being mainly devoted to the receptors of the TLR/IL-1R family and of their triggering cytokines (IL-1 and IL-18). Dr. Boraschi has made seminal contribution to the field with her studies on the structure-function relationship of interleukin-1, and with the description of the mechanisms of receptor-based regulation of IL-1 activity. A recent study of her group claims a major role for IL-18 and IL-18R in the development of autoimmune syndromes. Again in the area of innate/inflammatory reactivity, her group is studying of the impact of nanomaterials on the capacity of monocytes and epithelial cells to adequately react to foreign/stressful agents or events. Dr. Boraschi is presently Research Director at CNR, and serves as head of a research group within the ITB Unit of Pisa. Dr. Boraschi has a strong experience of project planning, administration and monitoring, gained in academic and industrial settings. She was appointed Director of Fellowships the Human Frontier Science Program Organization in Strasbourg, and has build a strong experience in high level training of researchers in the field of life sciences, by organising international workshops, courses, and training programmes. For the EU Commission, she has served as external expert for projects’ evaluation and review in the 5FP, 6FP and 7FP.

Partner 7 Makerere University Prof. Fred Kironde

Dr. Fred Kironde is presently employed as Professor at Makerere University where he has worked since October 1999. During his work at Makerere, he has been involved in setting up a dynamic research group (CRID Group) and active scientific investigations in P. falciparum malaria, Burkit’s lymphoma (Epstein Barr Virus, EBV), schistosomiasis, Toxoplasmosis, and bacter infections. In these efforts, Dr Kironde has established strong research collaborations with local and international scientists.





Dr. Kironde’s current main collaborative research is funded by Sida/SAREC, European Union, AMANET and others. Dr. Kironde is head of the Malaria subprogram of the Sida/SAREC-Makerere collaborative project and is In-Charge of Makerere’s Biomedical Crosscutting Laboratory which he helped to set up and which is located at Makerere Faculty of Medicine, Mulago. Before joining Makerere University, Dr. Kironde worked for United Nations Development Organization (UNIDO) at the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, India where he helped to found the Malaria Group unit. At ICGEB, New Delhi, Dr. Kironde’s group initiated immunological investigations on P. falciparum and P. yoelii malarias and trained several PhD and MD students. Dr. Kironde initiated and participated in experiments for developing the infection and treatment immunization strategy against mouse P. yoelii malaria. Similarly, at Makerere, Dr. Kironde has participated in the training of undergraduate and several postgraduate (MS & PhD) students. Dr. Kironde has a good grasp of cell culture, having trained and set up functional P. falciparum in vitro cultures and having obtained solid experience on propagation of different viruses in mammalian (kidney, testis, thyroid) monolayer cell culture systems. Dr. Kironde has a good administrative experience having worked as Group Leader for nearly 10 years at ICGEB, New Delhi (1988-1997) and as Head of Department and research Group Leader at Makerere University (2000-2006). Dr. Kironde has co-published at least 50 papers in peer-reviewed journals, spanning the scientific fields of parasitology, immunology, molecular biology and microbial drug resistance.

Partner 8 – Max Planck Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften e.V. Pr. Stefan Kaufmann

Prof. Stefan H.E. Kaufmann, Ph.D., Biologist, scientific member of the Max Planck Society, Founding Director of the MPIIB. More than 500 peer reviewed original publications and reviews on immunology and infection. Member of the German Academy of Scientists ''Leopoldina'', the Berlin Brandenburg Academy of Sciences, and of numerous scientific societies and





committees. Numerous awards. One of the most cited immunologists in 1981-1999. The Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology (Berlin) MPIIB is one of Europe's centres of excellence committed to biological research in the field of infectious diseases. Its Department of Immunology (Director: S.H.E. Kaufmann) uses multi-disciplinary research approaches to infection biology, comprising concepts and methodologies of molecular genetics, immunology, cell biology, molecular epidemiology, clinical research and structural chemistry. It aims at a better understanding of the biology of mycobacterial pathogens and the identification and structural/functional characterisation of mycobacterial molecules essential for intracellular survival as well as for virulence and persistence. It promotes the applications of its research towards paving the way for the design of rational measures of control of infectious diseases. Major goals are the rational design of vaccines and development of novel intervention measures against M. tuberculosis infections. The Institute has got state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, including BSL3 labs. Support is provided by highly specialised core facilities for protein analyses, protein purification, microscopy, microarray analyses, cytofluorimetry, bioinformatics, and for experimental animals (mice). The Department has strong contractual links to industrial partners as well as to research institutions, particularly in the fields of research for novel vaccines and improved therapeutics. It also has considerable experience with international research projects in Consortia with African members and has been involved in many EU FP6 funded IP's, NoE's and CA's, as well as in Marie Curie RTN's.

Partner 9The Tropical Disease Research Center, Ndola Zambia Dr. Emmanuel Kafwembe

As a scientist and a manager Dr Kafwembe has interacted with many Young African Scientists and has therefore come to understand appreciate the problems they face in their work. He has published papers in both local and international journals. This process has awakened him to the difficulties and challenges African Scientists face in having their work published. As manager of a research institution, he has operated closely with policy makers in Government and so is familiar with the





constraints and bottlenecks that retard the promotion of research in his country and in Africa as a whole. Through this experience he is well suited to advise on strategies PRD COLLEGE could employ in order to lift research to the highest pinnacle of policy formulation and action. At national level Dr Kafwembe has been a campaigner of highlighting the importance of research in Zambia. For several years he has been a member of the National Health Research Advisory Committee under the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health’s office. The function of this committee is to advise Government on health research issues. Further, for the last 3 years, Dr Kafwembe has been a Board member of the National Science and Technology Council, a body tasked with the responsibility of formulating national research policy in the country. Currently he is a Board member of the Zambia Forum for Health Research (ZAMFOHR), a body that has been formed to give a forum to scientists to express their research activities as well as develop a national data-base of these activities. Last year Dr Kafwembe was chosen to the position of Chairman of the organizing committee of the biennial National Health Research Conference, which was successfully held in Lusaka. On the African continent he has been playing major roles in promoting research. He has taken part in meetings aimed at promoting research in malaria within the SADCC region. At the initialization of this effort in 2002 Dr Kafwembe was nominated to chair a committee that was tasked to draw up a work plan for operations research in malaria within the SADCC region. As Director of TDRC Dr Kafwembe hosted international workshops and symposia that brought together many African scientists. He has developed a lot of experience over the years in hosting and organizing meetings of an international nature. Starting from last year Dr Kafwembe has been a member of the consortium to oversee the implementation of the CPN Africa project, a EU funded project aimed at attracting Young African Scientists to participate in EU funded research projects addressing PRD. This project has been well accepted by YAS on the continent and it has grown in stature within a short time. On this project Dr Kafwembe is serving as a Regional Contact Point (RCP) for the Southern African Region. He is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the project in the Southern African Region in liaison with Local Contact Points (LCPs) in countries of the region. Dr Kafwembe therefore brings a lot of experience to the PRD COLLEGE project and will work synergistically with other members of the consortium





Partner 10 The Mbeya Medical Research Programme, Tanzania – Dr. Michael Hoelscher/Leonard Maboko

Drs. Michael Hoelscher and Leonard Maboko are both co-directors of the Mbeya Medical Research Programme a collaboration between the Tanzanian Ministry of Health (namely the National Institute for Medical Research, the Mbeya Referral Hospital and the Regional Medical Office), the Walter-Reed Army Institute for Medical Research and the University of Munich. MMRP has grown to one of the largest research programmes in East Africa, with more then 140 employees, a CAP approved laboratory, equipped with the newest cellular immunological equipment, clinical chemistry analyser and microbiology. MMRP’s HIV research activities are focussed on the preparation for vaccine trails and include: The description of the molecular epidemiology of HIV in Mbeya Region, - The search for correlates of protection (HIV Superinfection Study, HISIS) including state of the art cellular immunology,- The establishment of several large HIV incidence cohorts (currently MMRP has more then 25.000 individuals enrolled), - HIV vaccine trials (a phase II trial is currently completed and a phase III trial will start in Q1 2008), - The TB research activities are focussed on the improvement of the TB diagnostic and include: - Evaluation of new TB diagnostics, so far 5 new assays have been evaluated in phase II/III trial, - Large scale model concept studies to prove the effectiveness of new intervention strategies such as active screening


