#4783
Bamidele
Member

For our about to commence zinc trial in Makoko, a slum community in Lagos where diarrhea and HIV screening is currently ongoing, we first consulted the PI of the recently concluded diabetes and hypertension surveillance and perception study. the PI shared her community engagement and research experience with us. Though she worked on adults, she let us know that the community is not used to longitudinal studies and dwellers always have high expectations from engaging them for health programs. She also advised us of the appropriate logistics and advocacy visits we need to do. We also interacted with a member of malaria society of Nigeria to get useful information regarding the malaria screening exercise carried out by the society to mark the World Malaria Day of 2014. This trial community lacked a CAB. So we began by getting approval from Lagos Primary Health Care Board, followed by approval from Local government authority controlling the community after paying advocacy visit to the chairman of the LGA in the company of the Medical Officer for Health of the district PHC who had earlier been briefed and included as a co-PI. Following these activities, we have been having the full support of the community from Baale of Makoko, to chiefs, elders, heads of households and mothers/caregivers of children below five years, our eventual trial participants. So evidence of government and district authority/health involvement in this research really helped our community engagement. So far we have conducted two town hall meetings to discuss the zinc trial and issues of time-point collection of stool samples to understand the transmission dynamics of viral and bacterial diarrhea in the community. Some of the suggestions of the caregivers such as free distribution of ORS instead of training on ORS preparation alone has been noted and used to revise the study protocol. Feedback of this to the community has also strengthened the cordial relationship we are having the community members.