Review and evaluation of CCCD supported operational research studies in East and Southern Africa

External evaluation covers the period 1983-10/85. No methodology is given. An indigenous administrative structure is being developed in participating nations. An African Research Review Committee (ARRC), composed of researchers and representatives of the international medical/scientific community, was established in 1983. Responsible for reviewing OR proposals, the ARRC funded 19 studies, 11 during the first year and 8 during the second. In 10/84, the ARRC made some administrative changes in order to lighten the burden on CCCD epidemiologists, on whom the responsibility for the development, administration, supervision, and evaluation of OR studies had fallen: ARRC members agreed to help potential investigators to develop quality proposals, and CCCD will try to ensure that ARRC members or consultants will be available to assist investigators when the need arises. Nonetheless, as the OR program expands (at the rate of about 10 new studies per year), it will still be impossible for the CCCD epidemiologist to fulfill all of his or her responsibilities. A key recommendation is that an alternative administrative structure be developed to relieve the epidemiologist of primary administrative and direct field supervision and evaluation duties. The studies funded by the project, which range from fairly simple descriptive surveys to sophisticated epidemiological studies, are of mixed quality. Most, however, will yield valuable data for the development or improvement of local control programs directed at CCCD target diseases, and some may have wider application in other countries in the region. As important, the project is providing valuable, often first-time, support to some young and relatively inexperienced African researchers who will, in many cases, be able to provide assistance to ongoing and future project-funded OR. Appendices include: a list of major recommendations for the region from the October 1985 CCCD OR Review Committee Meeting; and summary evaluations of 8 individual OR studies.