Title : Latin America and the Caribbean consortium: Connecting excellence to enhance the skills base of local research teams in emerging infectious diseases
Abstract:
Introduction: To respond to the emerging Zika outbreak, a community of practice (CoP) was created to provide support to implement high-quality, coherent research in affected communities in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The achievements of this CoP laid the groundwork for the creation, in 2023, of an expanded regional consortium that will focus on infectious diseases.
Method: Working in partnership with clinical research teams operating on the basis of the theory of change, we established a network of consortium in six LAC countries (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Peru) to enhance the skills base of local LAC healthcare research teams in the field of emerging infectious diseases by connecting excellence; using a joint regional and web-based approach to knowledge mobilization, educational initiatives, and tacit learning.
Results: With a strong response led by local research communities, the initial CoP had over 10,075 members with 91,000 visits from 43,644 users in 195 countries. Now the LAC consortium is expanding this reach and in its first months of implementation has managed to increase the offer of online and in-person capacity building activities and is attracting more health professionals interested in developing their research skills and leading research across the region.
Conclusion: The CoP set the foundations for the LAC consortium, which is assuming an active role in local capacity building and research leadership in the area of ??infectious diseases, in centers throughout the region.