Our Organisational Capacity

Brief Overview

INDEPTH was established in 1998 with a mission to harness the collective potential of the world's community-based longitudinal demographic surveillance initiatives in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to provide a better understanding of health and social issues and to encourage the application of this understanding to alleviate major health and social problems. INDEPTH is today a pioneer in health and population research, providing robust answers to some of the most important questions in development. Through its global network of 49 health and demographic surveillance system (HDSS) field sites run by 42 member institutions in 20 countries in Africa, Asia and Oceania, it is an organization in the global South capable of producing reliable longitudinal data not only about the lives of people in LMICs, but about the impact on those lives of development policies and programmes.

INDEPTH Data

The data — collected through regular visits to every household in a geo­graphically-defined area, answer key questions about the nature of health and demographic transitions and their implications for health, health systems and wellbeing at all ages. It also measures the impact of policies and programmes on mortality, morbidity, fertility, poverty and other key intervention targets. Many health interven­tions that are now used routinely across the world were trialled on HDSS research platforms. INDEPTH is at the heart of this network of HDSS centres, which is recognised for the data it generates, its multi-site collabora­tions and its potential as a cross-site trials platform. It is the only sustainable source of longitudinal data that can provide the knowledge and policy-relevant evidence needed to serve health and development in the global South.

INDEPTH Research

INDEPTH conducts research studies and strengthens global capacity to conduct studies that use the key demographic outcomes measured by HDSS centres: fertility and/or pregnancy outcomes, all-cause and cause-specific mortality, and mobility. Priority is given to outcomes that are best assessed with both longitudinal and complete census data collection systems and that require research across geographies (more than one HDSS). The Network undertakes cross-site scien­tific research and pools findings. It also develops standardized tools and methodologies for health and population research.

Some INDEPTH achievements

Since its inception, INDEPTH and its growing network of member research centres have carried out a number of studies that have influenced policy and improved outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, including:

Identifying risk factors for epilepsy: INDEPTH member centres in five countries collaborated on the largest study to date of epilepsy in Africa. The study of more than half a million people was the first to reveal the true extent of the problem, showing that adults who had suffered parasitic diseases were 1.5 to 3 times more likely than other adults to have epilepsy, and that complications during delivery were a major risk factor for children.

Enabling trials for Malaria Vaccines & Therapies: The Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance (MCTA) under INDEPTH leadership has provided training to personnel and improved facilities and infrastructure to ensure the successful execution of clinical malaria vaccine and therapeutic trials in ten countries across Africa. The project has increased the number of centres in Africa with the up-to-date capacity to conduct clinical trials.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Anti-Malarials: The INDEPTH Effectiveness and Safety Studies of Antimalarials in Africa (INESS) has brought together seven HDSS centres to conduct effectiveness studies of anti-malarial drugs in Africa. It is the first time this kind of Phase IV study for anti-malarials has taken place in Africa under the leadership of African researchers.

Evaluating Child Health Interventions: The OPTIMUNISE multi-centre study (Optimising the impact and cost-effectiveness of child health intervention programmes of vaccines and micronutrients in low-income countries) uses HDSS sites in Asia and Africa as a platform to assess the effect of major child health interventions including vaccines, micronutrient sup­plementation and de-worming programmes. In 2011 and 2012, INDEPTH member centres produced 23 published papers on the effectiveness of vaccines and other childhood health interventions. Plans are underway to extend these efforts to other HDSSs in member countries.

Understanding the Impact of Aging in the LMICs: As part of the WHO’s SAGE (the WHO Global Survey on Adult Health and Global Aging) eight INDEPTH sites in Asia and Africa conducted field-tests and now help drive the programme. It aims to strengthen empirical understanding of aging and older persons within and across countries and to assess follow-up strategies or test new survey methods.

Improving Family Planning: Family planning strategies first tested at Matlab and rolled out throughout Bangladesh led to the country’s rec­ognition as a family planning success story at the 1994 United Nations Conference on Population and Development in Cairo.

Ensuring the Adoption of Vitamin A: The Navrongo Health Research Centre in northern Ghana found that providing Vitamin A supplements to children below the age of five reduced the number of child deaths by one fifth, and led to the program’s adoption throughout Ghana.

Identifying the Importance of Treated Bed Nets: Studies in Navrongo found that bed nets soaked in permethrine cut child deaths by 17 per cent, which led to bed net provision being incorporated into health policies across Africa.

Demonstrating the Effectiveness of Hib Vaccine: A study by the Kilifi Health and Demographic Surveillance System in Kenya found that the Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) vaccine was highly effective — and cost-effective — in reducing incidence of meningitis, pneumo­nia and sepsis in children. This finding persuaded the government of Kenya to reverse its decision to withdraw the vaccine.

Data sharing

A major focus of our capacity strengthening work is to improve data sharing among members and with the broader scientific community and the public. To this end, in July 2013 we launched the world’s first online data repository specialising in longitudinal individual exposure and cause-specific mortality data from health and demographic surveillance systems located in low- and middle-income countries. The INDEPTH Data Repository (www.indepth-ishare.org), an online, free-access archive of high quality datasets from member centres, facilitates data sharing by developing standard measuring tools and presentation formats. The repository is complemented by INDEPTHStats, a website which is freely available and allows users — across the globe — to explore basic demographic indicators from our member centres Click --> INDEPTHStats. The data provide researchers, gov­ernment officials, policymakers and the general public with basic health and demographic information that can guide their decision making.

Capacity Strengthening

Strengthening the capacity of the member HDSSs is at the heart of INDEPTH’s role. We help individual centres to publicize their research results for greater policy influence, and to improve their management, adminis­trative, financial and IT operations and strengthen leadership skills of per­sonnel. At a multi-centre level, our workshops train data managers and analysts, strengthen data sharing among members and with the broader scientific community and the public, and help develop the next generation of HDSS professionals through our Scientific Development and Leadership Programme and the INDEPTH Fellowship Programme.

The Governance of INDEPTH

INDEPTH operates on a solid governance model with a Secretariat and an international Board of Trustees whose primary role is to provide over­sight and accountability for the activities of the Secretariat and the Network as a whole. The Board of Trustees appoints and supervises the Executive Director of the Network Secretariat, while the Secretariat manages the day-to-day affairs of the Network with full-time staff, supported by scientific and non-scientific staff. A Scientific Advisory Committee advises the INDEPTH Board and Secretariat on matters relating to the scientific activities of the Network and helps to ensure that the highest scientific standards for network activities are main­tained.