# Ethiopia-Emory TB Research Training Program

> **NIH NIH D43** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $295,920

## Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is now the leading cause of death due to a single infectious agent globally. TB remains a
public health emergency in Ethiopia, the country with the highest number of TB-related deaths in Africa.
Ethiopia is one of only 14 countries worldwide on all three World Health Organization (WHO) “high burden
countries” lists for TB, multidrug resistant (MDR)-TB, and TB/HIV. In order to meet the ambitious WHO End TB
Strategy goals for 2035 and enhance TB control in Ethiopia and globally, new tools are urgently needed,
including new drugs, improved diagnostics and an effective vaccine, as well as better implementation of
existing tools. A major barrier to improved research, treatment and control of TB in Ethiopia is the scarcity of
Ethiopian scientists and health professionals with the relevant research knowledge and expertise to carry out
internationally recognized research. This renewal application for the “Ethiopia-Emory TB Research
Training Program (EETB-RTP)” builds upon the successes and lessons learned during the first 5-year cycle
of funding. During that time, we have provided long-term research training to 19 Ethiopian trainees and 2
medium-term trainees. Collectively, these trainees have had 62 TB-related peer review publications, and 8
trainees received competitive externally funded grants as PI (totaling $815,801); in addition, 10 trainees
received 14 competitive travel awards ($50,320). In the next cycle of the EETB-RTP, we propose to train an
additional 17 long-term trainees who will significantly grow the number of well-trained Ethiopian TB
investigators and contribute to developing and implementing new tools necessary for TB control. Our
application benefits from a successful partnership between Emory University in Atlanta and three Ethiopian
institutions in Addis Ababa including the Armauer-Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), an internationally
recognized research institute; Addis Ababa University, the oldest and largest university in Ethiopia; and the
Ethiopian Public Health Institute, part of the Ministry of Health (MOH). The EETB-RTP is led by dual PIs, Dr.
Henry Blumberg (Emory) and Dr. Abraham Aseffa (AHRI) and includes outstanding collaborating faculty at the
partner institutions. We propose an innovative didactic and mentored TB research training program
focused on intensive in-country training, which will provide our Ethiopian trainees and their institutions with the
skills, expertise, and additional capacity necessary to carry out internationally relevant TB-related research.
The specific aims of our application include: 1) To continue to build human resource capacity and enhance
the research infrastructure for robust TB-related research in Ethiopia; 2) To build relevant sustainable research
capacity in Ethiopia by aligning EETB-RTP research training activities with the Ethiopian MOH priorities
outlined in the “National Plan for Tuberculosis Research in Ethiopia (2017-2022)”; 3) To build research
capacity by providin...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9901641
- **Project number:** 5D43TW009127-07
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** HENRY M BLUMBERG
- **Activity code:** D43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $295,920
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2013-07-02 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9901641

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9901641, Ethiopia-Emory TB Research Training Program (5D43TW009127-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9901641. Licensed CC0.

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