Connecting African Malaria Researchers: MIMCom
MIMCom Sites in 2011
I first met Mark in 1991, during the early days of the Internet in Africa. Mark was Director of the Computer Center at the University of Zambia in Lusaka. In 1985, he had seen an ad in a London newspaper and moved his wife Jan, daughter Rachel, and newborn Caty from England to Zambia.
In the early 90s, the Internet was still in its infancy in the US, and the new digital world that would be created from social networking, social media, and the cell phone was waiting to be discovered. Even in the rudimentary environment at that time, Mark saw potential beyond the obvious business in hardware and software. As he worked on local access for students at the medical library and other central sites, he was downloading messages from a small low earth orbit satellite that passed over twice a day. His campus network ZamNet was one of the first Internet service providers on the African continent… (click to continue)
Initially targeting one area of opportunity in 1997, NLM played a critical role with NIH in the Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM), providing enhanced access to the Internet and to medical literature for malaria research sites in Africa where there was little or no access. Eventually comprising 27 sites in 14 countries, MIMCom was sustained by the research funders and partners at each site.
MIMCom facilitated malaria research in:
epidemiology
antimalarial drug resistance
pathogenesis and immunology
entomology and vector studies
natural products and drug development, and
health systems and social sciences.
Resources
Building the Culture of Research in Africa, One Stroke at a Time: Digital Pens and Med Students Meet in a Small Ugandan Village - Julia’s 2010 Presentation to the NIH Board of Regents
Interview with Prof. Fred Binka
Interview with Dr. Isabella Quakyi
Complete interview
Shorter version