PhD Training Fellowship In Health Economics
Makerere University – University of Bergen – University of Malawi College of Medicine Collaboration (MU-UiB-UM) Training Program
The Makerere University – University of Bergen – University of Malawi College of Medicine Research Collaboration recently received funding from the Research Council of Norway to study the efficacy, safety, up take and the cost effectiveness of weekly dihydro-artemisinin piperaquine compared to current standard of care, monthly sulphadoxine – pyrimethamine, for the chemoprophylaxis of malaria in children with sickle cell anaemia in eastern and southern Africa, the CHEMCHA trial. This trial will recruit participants from two hospitals in Uganda and one in Malawi. There is an opportunity for doctoral training in Health Economics within the study to examine the cost effectiveness of the two interventions.
Global Health Uganda (GHU) on behalf of the MU-UiB-UM Research Collaboration now invites applications for a 3-year Doctoral degree training in HEALTH ECONOMICS (1 position). The health economics training is expected to be tenured through University of Bergen (UiB), Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, Section for Ethics and Health Economics and Centre for International Health (https://www.uib.no/en/etec https://www.uib.no/en/cih) starting as soon as possible and within the 2020/2021 academic year.
The research of the applicant will be in health economics and focus on economic evaluations of a medical intervention in the CHEMCHA trial. Our other research of observational and interventional studies focuses on central nervous system infections, malaria, sickle cell anemia, high dependency care, child health and development, neurodevelopment, epilepsy and biomarkers in these areas.
Overview
The CHEMCHA trial aims to find safe, acceptable and effective medicines for malaria prevention in children with Sickle Cell Anaemia (SCA) in eastern and southern Africa. The objective is to determine whether giving weekly doses of Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine (DP), one of the newer malaria medicines, is safe, more effective, acceptable and cost-effective than the current medicine used to prevent malaria in sickle cell anaemia, that is monthly doses of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP). In addition, we will test to find out if malaria parasites develop resistance to the new medicine, DP, and the effects it has on the heart. Besides the medicine for prevention of malaria, study participants will receive all the other usual care and treatments, including patient education on home care, daily folic acid and penicillin. If proven safe and efficacious, chemoprophylaxis with DP may decrease the incidence of malaria in patients with SCA, prevent ill-health and deaths, and improve wellbeing.
CHEMCHA study specific aim related to this doctoral training.
The economic evaluation of the interventions will be led by Prof Bjarne Robberstad of University of Bergen. This study will run concurrently with the main trial with all cost data collected as the main study proceeds. It will measure costs from both the provider and societal perspectives and determine incremental costs.
The PhD student will co-ordinate the data collection for the economic study and will be required to produce at least three quantitative health economic papers, which will be conceptualized together with academic supervisors. The successful applicant will document health economics competence at this level and demonstrate experience in field work co-ordination in a low-income empirical context. Experience in conducting applied economic evaluations for health care will be particularly valued.
Financing Terms and PhD Programme
The PhD project will have a duration of three years. The following will be included:
- Monthly stipend, medical insurance, travel expenses and career mentoring will be provided for by Global Health Uganda.
- Tuition and scientific supervision will be provided by University of Bergen together with training in research methods and dissemination skills.
Selection procedure and criteria:
- Applicants should either have a relevant 2-year Master of Science or Arts degree in Economics or another relevant social science discipline, a Master of Medicine degree or its equivalent, or a master’s degree in another relevant health sciences discipline. Holders of 1-year master’s degrees are not eligible, unless complemented by at least one-year additional training at the same level.
- A personal statement demonstrating commitment to a career in research and academia.
- Willingness to fully commit time and effort to their PhD.
- Knowledge and skills relevant to the PhD topic (see project description).
- Candidate should not hold other fellowships and should not be holding a PhD.
- Personal motivation of the candidate as demonstrated by his/her personal statement and responses during interview.
Application Procedure:
Application form can be downloaded by clicking on the download button below.
Complete and submit with appropriate support documents to pamenya@globalhealthuganda.org.
The supporting documents should include the following:
- CV (maximum 2 pages) and a publication list
- Names and contact information for two referees.
- A synopsis focusing on the PhD call, describing shortly what is already known and key challenges and including some key references (Max. 1000 words excluding references)
- A personal statement on commitment to a career in research and academia (Max. 500 words)
- A brief career development plan (Max. 500 words)
- Certified copies of diplomas and transcripts of grades. The applicant needs to attach a certified translation of their diploma and transcript of grades to English if the original is not in this language.
- Any selection is conditional on the candidate being accepted for admission into the PhD programme at UiB.
- Please see www.nokut.no/en for more information about NOKUT’s general recognition.
Applications must be sent not later than 22nd February 2021 5:00 PM East African Standard Time.
Selection Procedure:
Shortlisting
- Shortlisted applicants will be informed by 26th February 2021- and interviews will be conducted soon after.
- Please note that at the interview, you will be expected to make a 10-minute power point presentation of any scientific work you have conducted.
Further particulars can be obtained from Global Health Uganda through email: pamenya@globalhealthuganda.org or call +256-393-516707.
NB: Incomplete applications will not be accepted. All applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered. Please merge all files into one (1) PDF document.