Data collection capacity and expertise building
Filipe Veisa, The University of the South Pacific
In the Pacific a silent health crisis has been brewing. Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory conditions, silently claim the lives of many, constituting a staggering 75% of all deaths in the region.
This situation has created a ‘human, social, and economic crisis,’ challenging the fabric of the Government’s healthy island vision and the country’s pursuit of sustainable development goals.
Amid this looming health crisis, a glimmer of hope arises through the Global Health Research on Community Food for Human Nutrition and Planetary Health in Small Islands (Global CFAH). This initiative extends its reach across four nations: Fiji, the Philippines, St Vincent, and St. Lucia. Together with FRIEND, The University of the South Pacific leads the project’s efforts in Fiji. This collaboration unites passionate minds and compassionate hearts in a collective endeavour to tackle the urgent health challenges plaguing the Pacific region.
In January 2024 a devoted team of researchers from USP, PaCE-SD and FRIEND, were immersed in extensive training sessions focused on data collection, utilising the cutting-edge REDCap application. As part of data collection the team was also trained in how to deploy the FAO Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE).
The primary objective of the dietary diversity survey, which is housed on REDCap, is to unravel the complexities surrounding population diets, nutritional statuses, the contribution of food sources, community food production, socio-cultural influences, and economic & environmental factors. The primary objective of the TAPE tool is to understand the agroecological practices that are being deployed to grow local food.
Experts from the University of Exeter, The James Hutton Institute and the Universities of The West Indies facilitated this training, namely Dr Emily Haynes, Dr Trinity Ndlovu, Ms Catherine Brown, and Ms Khadjia Patel bringing their wealth of knowledge to the virtual table, guiding participants through the intricacies of data collection via the online Zoom platform.
Among the participants undertaking the training for Fiji are staff and postgraduate students under PaCE-SD, USP, two dedicated dieticians from the Ministry of Health, and two researchers from the collaborative partner FRIEND.
The comprehensive training programme aims to ensure that each data collector is proficient in navigating the REDCap and TAPE tool and fully comprehends the nuanced questions directed at participants. This proficiency is crucial for accurate and insightful data collection.
Undertaking this training also provides an opportunity for data collectors to gain direct insights from experts in the field. This not only enhances their understanding but also nurtures their capacity to make meaningful contributions to the broader field of research.
With the conclusion of the training on the horizon – set to wrap up on the 31st of January 2024 – the team is gearing up for a feasibility study. This critical step will test the efficacy of the tools before the scheduled baseline data collection in mid-February.
As the project unfolds, it becomes a testament to collaboration, research, and the collective determination to transform the health landscape of the Pacific.
The Global CFaH project is a four-year initiative funded by the National Institute for Health Research, UK, with USP, PaCE-SD, and FRIEND as partners based in Fiji.