Longitudinal population studies (LPSs) provide robust data that could answer questions on health, population dynamics and development. Enhancing the utility of data from LPSs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) can help drive policy and the implementation of programmes that are sustainable and adaptable to the transitions in fertility, death, migration and morbidity.
As such, there is still a great need to examine the value of LPSs in providing robust data needed to generate evidence and guide policy, in developing innovative research and in building capacity to support national and regional development goals. This has led to the need for refocusing and embracing of regional and networked coordination among LPSs in order to pinpoint specific thematic areas that speak to both nation and regional agendas.
The Implementation Network for Sharing Population Information from Research Entities (INSPIRE) was established by African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) in collaboration with the Analyzing Longitudinal Population-based HIV/AIDS data on Africa (ALPHA) network under the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), South African Population Research Infrastructure Network (SAPRIN), and Committee on Data of the International Science Council (CODATA) in 2020.
The building of the network will occur in two phases
Phase 1
- Constitution of the network.
- Use HIV data from LPS partners to design and prototype a FAIR data sharing platform
- Engage with analysts and policy makers to answer policy-relevant questions using network data
Phase 2
- Widen the partnership to also include partners that provide secure data environments
- Bring in new types of population-health data
- Build sustainability through links with governments and regional agencies
Our objectives
INSPIRE strives to empower data producers with tools and services that promote data sharing and the reproducibility of data and the associated data production processes while retaining access control and getting credit for producing the data. It also seeks to give data users tools and services for discovering, accessing and appropriately using the shared data and metadata. INSPIRE’s objectives are to:
- Provide an infrastructure that allows for the FAIR sharing of longitudinal population-based health data and use of these data effectively
- Bring together personnel from LPSs, database professionals, clinical and epidemiology experts.
- Address the needs and concerns of stakeholders that serve Eastern Africa.
Our strategy
The strategy for INSPIRE is to build on existing knowledge, expertise and skills in Eastern Africa:
- It will develop a constitution for the network which will allow all members to achieve their potential and to encourage and support excellence across the network.
- It will build a FAIR data structure that utilizes best practice for the integration of both data and metadata in order to provide a data resource that will benefit evidence-based health planning across East Africa.
- It will support and encourage users of the data, and to encourage links and feedback between users and the INSPIRE HDSS members.
- It will strengthen capacity of individuals and institutions to capture, manage and use data for the benefit of all in East Africa.