Strengthen research and education capacities in the partner institutes (INRB, CRSK, ESP) in DRC

We strengthen research and education capacities in the partner institutes (INRB, CRSK, ESP) so they become centres of excellence and promotors of long-term change towards the improvement of population health in DRC. Improving the health of a population is a visionary goal. Particularly in DRC, which is disproportionately affected by health problems and poverty. The longstanding partnership between ITM and its Congolese partners, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), Centre de Recherche en Santé de Kimpese (CRSK) and Ecole de Santé Publique (ESP) and their unique expertise has taught us that the resilience of a health system contributes to making it more responsive, accessible, and efficient. Thereby improving people’s access to quality health care, as well as the system’s preparedness and ability to respond to emerging diseases. We work through a participatory and equal partnership aim to strengthen individual and institutional capacities. One of the basic conditions of this partnership is the need for co-creation, the shared responsibility of our three partners, and their embeddedness in the relevant networks. Hence, synergies are vital to reach this goal on both a national and an international level. By taking advantage of this possibility, that early stakeholder identification in this process can be the premise of a shared and participatory action strategy. At the core of our activities, the development of different platforms (administrative, technical, clinical, epidemiological, interdisciplinary One-Health…) will contribute to increasing individual competences in research methodologies in various fields (biomedical, clinical, epidemiological, public health and social sciences). This will allow our partners to grow into centres of excellence; being able to provide their specific expertise to produce valid research results and translate them into evidence-based policies that address specific health problems through the development of services for society and allowing the strengthening of quality of services, as well as the amplification of the availability of services such as diagnostic tools. Reaching towards a situation that honours the principles of equity.