Tanzanian to head EAC research body

 

 The new directive focuses mainly on the Sectoral Council Meetings of the regional organization where important issues for each sector are discussed by senior officials and technical experts from the partner states

 

By Zephania Ubwani,The Citizen Reporter

In Summary

• The Commission will be charged with spearheading health research in the region, focussing mainly on leading diseases afflicting the region as well as laid down strategies to improve the health of the people

Arusha. A Tanzanian consultant physician and professor at the Tumaini University will head the newly-established East African Health Research Commission (EAHRC).

Prof Gibson Kibiki, who currently serves as the Director of Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute (KCRI), will soon assume duties as the executive director at the commission’s headquarters in Bujumbura, Burundi.

His appointment was announced at the end of the East African Community (EAC) Council of Ministers meeting which ended here at the weekend, alongside other appointments other newly-formed regional bodies under EAC.

The Commission will be charged with spearheading health research in the region, focussing mainly on leading diseases afflicting the region as well as laid down strategies to improve the health of the people.

Prof Kibiki, who graduated with a degree in medicine in Bulgaria in 1996 and internal medicine at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in Moshi in 2003, has vast experience in clinical medicine.

He trained in gastroenterology, advanced endoscopy, bronchoscopy in the Netherlands in 2001 and 2003 and won a University of Virginia Pfizer-Centre for Global Health fellowship award in Infectious Disease for Global Health Research and Training at the University of Virginia in 2005.

He got his PhD from Radboud University, the Netherlands, in 2006.

Apart from clinical work, research, and teaching, he is involved in research capacity building (including establishing research-oriented MSc programmes and promoting PhD programme at KCMC, Tumaini University.

He formed a TB research group in 2003 and now the group is carrying out a range of research programmes at KCRI.