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Strengthening research capacity by fostering independence [1]

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Date: 2022-07

Early in her medical career, Rachidatou Compaoré wanted to be a pediatrician, but then she realized how much she could do for sick children with a career in public health.

“In my region, we are very limited by capacities and I realized that being able to change policies could have more impact than clinical practice,” Compaoré said. Years later, her data on seasonal malaria prevention contributed to a nationwide strategy, and Compaoré knew she had made the right choice.

Expanding possibilities

When Compaoré defends her dissertation, as she plans to do in 2022, it will be the end of a decades-long commitment to her studies, and the beginning of the next chapter in her public health ambitions. For the HRP Alliance for Research Capacity Strengthening, the accomplishments of Compaoré represent another brick laid in the path toward strengthening institutions through strengthening individuals.

Making connections

HRP Alliance improves sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) globally by supporting research capacity within institutions. The HRP Alliance encompasses seven regional institutional hubs. One of these hubs is located at the Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, where Compaoré works and studies. This hub fosters collaboration with researchers from several Francophone African countries including Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Mali and Niger, and has trained 43 students in Masters in public health and has supported an additional 10 people enrolled in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) focused PhD degrees.

Inspiring SRHR work

Compaoré began her doctoral studies in 2017 with a scholarship granted by IRSS with support from the HRP Alliance. Very soon after, she was granted the opportunity to contribute to two different studies that are bound to have an enormous impact on SRHR and research capacity strengthening globally.



She first joined the WHO multi-country study on abortion-related complications. The work steered her toward continuing research in abortion and post-abortion care in sub-Saharan Africa, which will now be the focus of her upcoming dissertation.

Later, she worked on an HRP-coordinated analysis that found that strengthened capacity among country researchers implementing a multi-country study on maternal sepsis was a complex phenomenon, which needs strategic planning to achieve its aims. Her analysis is now being used to advocate for deliberate capacity building both for individuals and institutions.

“Strong researchers make for strong research institutions and vice-versa,” Vanessa Brizuela, technical officer for the HRP Alliance, said. “Making sure that the work we do through HRP-supported research and the work of the HRP Alliance hubs in fostering strong research capacity is key to having a critical mass of SRHR researchers at the country and regional level. Compaoré’s findings on the effects of research on strengthening capacity is a cornerstone of future HRP Alliance endeavors.”



The HRP Alliance includes institutions that are linked to HRP through research collaborations. The HRP Alliance hubs work with other institutions in low- and middle-income countries, to strengthen research capacity. Through mentoring, research education and courses the HRP Alliance hubs promote institutions to take lead in SRHR research. Research education includes masters and doctoral training provided to international students from the larger HRP Alliance network. Courses focus on specific research methods, dissemination of results, and knowledge translation. Participants include a wide range of individuals, from Ministry of Health to academia to ensure that strong, national evidence emerges and influences the implementation of sound public health policy.



As a mother of three children, Compaoré concedes that these accomplishments have not come easy. Her hope is that when her children, especially her two daughters, are entering the workforce, that gender parity has made leaps and bounds.



“Fighting historical and current power imbalances is at the core of HRP Alliance research capacity strengthening. Compaoré and her fellow colleagues pursuing or graduating as PhDs from HRP Alliance hubs, are future leaders of SRHR research. The global community cannot afford to lose them. We provide mentorship support to early career female scientists and we aim for HRP Alliance to also support scientists to continue their research after a PhD. Combatting prevailing gender inequalities that too often reduce the career possibilities for women researchers is a priority,” said Anna Thorson, Unit Head Research Leadership and Capacity Strengthening for SRHR at WHO/HRP.



“My colleagues and I are proud of what we have accomplished as women scientists and this has been a great opportunity, but it has come with a lot of sacrifice,” Compaoré said. “Looking ahead, I want to climb the professional ladder in SRHR, both in the sub-region and international level. There are not a lot women in positions of leadership, but we need this.”



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[1] Url: https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/strengthening-research-capacity-by-fostering-independence

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