American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
January 2016; 94 (1)
http://www.ajtmh.org/content/current
Successful Global Health Research Partnerships: What Makes Them Work?
Chandy C. John*, George Ayodo and Philippa Musoke
Author Affiliations
Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana; Kenya Medical Research Institute, Center for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Kenya; Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
Abstract
There are many successful global health research partnerships, but little information is available about what makes them successful. We asked 14 research colleagues from Uganda, Kenya, and the United States who have extensive global health research experience about what they considered the top three factors that led to or impeded successful international research collaborations. Four key factors were identified: 1) mutual respect and benefit, 2) trust, 3) good communication, and 4) clear partner roles and expectations. Initial and ongoing assessment of these factors in global health research partnerships may prevent misunderstandings and foster a collaborative environment that leads to successful research.

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Burden of Norovirus and Rotavirus in Children After Rotavirus Vaccine Introduction, Cochabamba, Bolivia
Casey L. McAtee*, Rachel Webman, Robert H. Gilman, Carolina Mejia, Caryn Bern, Sonia Apaza,
Susan Espetia, Mónica Pajuelo, Mayuko Saito, Roxanna Challappa, Richard Soria, Jose P. Ribera,
Daniel Lozano and Faustino Torrico
Author Affiliations
Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana; Department of Surgery, New York University, New York; Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Asociación Benéfica PRISMA, Lima, Peru; CEADES Salud y Medio Ambiente, Cochabamba, Bolivia; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francico, California; Hospital Albina R. de Patiño, Cochabamba, Bolivia
Abstract
The effectiveness of rotavirus vaccine in the field may set the stage for a changing landscape of diarrheal illness affecting children worldwide. Norovirus and rotavirus are the two major viral enteropathogens of childhood. This study describes the prevalence of norovirus and rotavirus 2 years after widespread rotavirus vaccination in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Stool samples from hospitalized children with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and outpatients aged 5–24 months without AGE were recruited from an urban hospital serving Bolivia’s third largest city. Both viruses were genotyped, and norovirus GII.4 was further sequenced. Norovirus was found much more frequently than rotavirus. Norovirus was detected in 69/201 (34.3%) of specimens from children with AGE and 13/71 (18.3%) of those without diarrhea. Rotavirus was detected in 38/201 (18.9%) of diarrheal specimens and 3/71 (4.2%) of non-diarrheal specimens. Norovirus GII was identified in 97.8% of norovirus-positive samples; GII.4 was the most common genotype (71.4% of typed specimens). Rotavirus G3P[8] was the most prevalent rotavirus genotype (44.0% of typed specimens) and G2P[4] was second most prevalent (16.0% of typed specimens). This community is likely part of a trend toward norovirus predominance over rotavirus in children after widespread vaccination against rotavirus