INDEPTH Network Datasharing

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:: About Us ::



We the three participating DSS Sites
  • Vadu, India
  • Wosera, Papua New Guinea
  • Kanchanaburi, Thailand
    • And Technical Supporters
  • The International Institute of Information Technology, India
    		•

    We, the Participants of the Indepth-Network Data Sharing group in Asia and Oceania share a common interest of sharing the demographic surveillance data for the use by researchers all over the globe because

  • It is Public money that is used to generate this data and hence we need to give it back to the people to use the data
    		•
  • We believe that it is our moral, social and professional responsibility to make it available to all by sharing the data
  • Data Sharing enhances data access and scientific progress
  • Data Sharing fosters open scientific community and transparency in scientific inquiry
  • Data Sharing allows for verification, refutation and refinement of findings
  • Data Sharing promotes newer research and helps in evidence based policy making

    • Our Aim of the Data Sharing exercise

    Strengthen data collection systems within INDEPTH sites and their preparation for sharing with other partners

    Our objectives of the partnership for Data Sharing are to
  • Define minimal and optimal data sets that allow data sharing and data analysis amongst surveillance sites
  • Develop and standardize a system of Unique ID amongst Indepth sites to allow for data sharing and merging
  • Build institutional capacity through training of data managers and site scientists in data management
  • Strengthen data collection systems at INDEPTH sites and create data sharing mechanism amongst partners safeguarding site and citizen interests

    • Our Activities include
  • Activities under this project aimed towards institutional and individual capacity building in data management systems. An initial baseline cross-site workshop hosted by the Vadu DSS brought together site scientists and data managers to understand differences in existing data management and mining techniques used by the partner sites, strengths and weakness of each site
  • A minimum data sets and commonality of database structure was decided at this workshop
  • We discussed and agreed upon a common minimum dataset structure; identified quality control checks that need to be instituted at various levels of data collection and data entry
  • An agreement and commitment to data sharing amongst sites was signed by participating sites and I2IT the technical supporters
  • Documentation of the Data sharing mechanisms is done for the use in future to make modifications and alterations
  • We are planning to prepare a DSS Data Management and Sharing Manual, a document for data sharing detailing safeguards measures, data ownership, issues of confidentiality and anonymity. This Data Management and Sharing Manual will be whetted by an Indepth Network constituted Committee of experts and made available to other Indepth sites as part of the Starter Kit developed by the Indepth Network. This document will serve to encourage other Indepth sites to adopt ‘Good Data Sharing Practices’ and thereby facilitate the Indepth Network’s efforts towards positioning itself as a ‘single window’ clearance for ‘quality assured’ DSS information

    • We expect the following Outcomes at the end of the year 2008

    Immediate direct outcomes expected included:
  • Enhanced data management skills of scientists and data managers in 3 Indepth Network sites
  • Data Management and Sharing Manual prototype
  • Interoperable Data Management Systems across the 3 DSS sites

    • Wider and distant outcomes (beyond the scope of the present proposal) are expected as follows:
  • Up scaling of this process across all sites of the Indepth Network

    		•

    Our Time Line to work

    October 2006 to December 2007- for the Initiation and inauguration of the prototype

    January 2008 to December 2008- for further development, strengthening and expansion

    Our Acknowledgements

    Our exercise of development of data sharing prototype is financially supported by the Indepth-Network, Accra, Ghana and we are thankful to the Indepth-Network for this kind support
    Vadu DSS, India

        The Vadu DSS site (http://www.kemvadu.org/) has played an active role in the Indepth Network by participating in its various activities and working groups. It leads the Network supported NCD Risk Factor Surveillance in Asia and plays a pivotal role in the Agincourt-led Adult Health and Ageing initiative of the Indepth Network. The DSS site at Vadu covers a contiguous population of 75,000 (2007) in 22 villages in rural Pune district of Western India. In addition to 6-monthly census of its population, the Vadu site also monitors contraceptive use, non-communicable diseases risk factors and socio-economic status of its population. The site collects demographic information on vital events through passive (reporting by health workers of the Vadu Rural Health Program and village based informants) and active surveillance (6-monthly household surveys). The data base management system (back end provided by Visual FoxPro; front end developed in Visual Basic) at Vadu based on the HRS v2 framework, is currently undergoing changes to more efficient platforms. Vadu has recently forged a strategic alliance with the International Institute for Information Technology, Pune wherein post graduate students from I2IT under their faculty’s guidance spend up to 3 months on an ongoing basis to streamline the data management system so as to provide outputs meaningful for research, practice and advocacy.
    Wosera, Papua New Guinea

        The DSS Site in the Wosera (East Sepik Province, PNG) currently covers 14,000 people located in 29 study villages. The surveillance set up by the PNG Institute of Medical Research as part of the development of a malaria vaccine field site in 1990 has been a resource in planning and evaluation of malarialogical studies. In addition to the basic demography recording births, death and migration (in, out and internal migration) a morbidity surveillance system is in place at the two main health centers serving the area. Basic demographic data (births, deaths, migrations) are recorded via a yearly complete census and monthly updates using 38 village reporters. One demographer is employed at the PNGIMR office in Maprik to oversee the data collection and to manage the aging Foxpro database. He is assisted by a data entry clerk and a programmer based in PNGIMR Madang. Challenges ahead include improving the reliability of the health-centre based morbidity surveillance system and the introduction of routine collection of behavioral, educational and socio-economic data as part of the yearly census. In the longer term we plan to expand the DSS to cover a larger population. Our vision is to build upon the existing Wosera DSS infrastructure to provide accurate region-based longitudinal demographic data to provide data for future epidemiological and community health research in PNG and evaluate the impact of different public health interventions on the health status of rural PNG populations. To assist in these changes, the data management system is due for an overhaul, with the aim to improve data management and data quality as well as the ability to quickly extract data for analyses and cross-site activities.


    Kanchanaburi, Thailand

        The Kanchanaburi Project implemented by the Institute for Population and Social Research (IPSR), Mahidol University, Bangkok was established with a 1999 Wellcome Trust Award as a Center for Research Excellence. The field research centre is located in Saiyok district, Kanchanaburi province, about 200 kilometers west of Bangkok. The field centre is dedicated to the monitoring of population change and the evaluation of the effects of intervention based research. The core research activity is the creation of a database on the demographic, health, social and economic composition of the target population. Associated research projects are in the areas of improving adolescent reproductive health outcomes; illegal migrants and health care; population and environment; arrangements for the care of the elderly; family formation, vital events and their registration; social roles and mortality. The results of the research are used to formulate and modify related policies. The field centre also serves to train PhD and MA and short courses students, both from Thailand and other countries, in monitoring and evaluation methods. Students and trainees are encouraged to utilize the data from the core and associated research projects. The central task revolves around the construction and maintenance of a database of 100 urban communities and villages in Kanchanaburi province randomly stratified on 5 different ecological and population features (rice field areas, crop areas, high land areas, urban / industrial areas, and other areas).
     
     
    • KEM Vadu
    • PNG-IMR
    • I2IT
    • Mahidol
    © 2007 Indepth Network