Tuberculosis Research Advisory Council (TRAC) is a voluntary based coalition of professionals working in research, program implementation and academia. TRAC was established in 2001 to promote a tradition of evidence generation for informed decision making, experience based planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of Tuberculosis Prevention and Control activities in Ethiopia.
In the years prior to the establishment of TRAC researchers and academia had no chance to understand the programmatic needs and knowledge gaps that should be addressed by different types of research. As a result, most researches that has been conducted at different level in the country were not based on national priorities and local needs, operational research on TB was few in number, and topics used to be selected by personal interests and fund availability. Though some important researches were conducted, the absence of common forum to inform TB program managers and policy makers severely limit local research outputs and experiences utilization and translation into policy documents, guidelines, manuals as well as practices.
In 2001, with TDR/WHO funding and support: Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission (ESTC), Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), the TB and Leprosy Control Team (TLCT) currently named NTP of the FMoH had organized a land mark TB Research Workshop. During that workshop, the idea of establishing a Tuberculosis Research Advisory Committee (TRAC) was initiated with the aim of advising the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) on TB research coordination and facilitation in the country. Shortly after this workshop, TRAC was officially established, under the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Ministry of Health, involving nine major stakeholders including the National TB control program (NTP) and institutions engaged in Health Science researches and working on health promotion. The NTP become the permanent secretary of the committee and the Chair Person is rotating among member individuals representing member institutions. After the 7th TRAC conference in 2012, TRAC accepted Mekele University in addition to the founding members. Since 2009 TRAC had been reorganized under the stop TB partnership as one of the technical arms of the NTP of the federal ministry of health. The NTP recommended the housing of TRAC secretariat should be at AHRI to ensure convenience of work and engagement of important stakeholders. Therefore, the secretariat office is housed in AHRI.
Founding Members of TRAC:
- Federal Ministry of Health, National TB control – Permanent Secretary
- Armauer Hansson Research Institute/AHRI- Housed TRAC Secretariat office
- Ethiopian Public Health Institute/ EPHI
- World Health Organization Country office for Ethiopia/WHO (observer)
- AAU College of Health Sciences
- University of Gondar
- Jimma University
- Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission currently has been split into Science and Higher Education and Innovation and Technology Ministries represented by Dr Yemane Teklai
- Federal HIV-AIDS prevention and control office / HAPCO
- Mekele University, since march 2012
Core values
The functions performed by the TRAC in pursuit of these ends are informed expressly by a set of values consistent with dedicated and responsible public service, respect for the service of others, and the pursuit of excellence.
In particular TRAC works toward the accomplishment of its ends in manner consistent with the following core values:
• TRAC performs its functions independently and impartially, in all situations with a commitment to fairness and procedural justice for every member of TRAC.
• Confidentiality and discretion are at the centre of every TRAC activity
• The TRAC is committed to transparency and account ability, established and experienced in an atmosphere of trust and collaboration, subject in appropriate cases to its overarching professional responsibilities as Tuberculosis research advisory.
• The TRAC is steward of public resources, focusing on efficiency and cost effectiveness and mitigation of risk in allocation of those resources.
• With respect to the management and control TRAC is dedicated to the performance of its responsibilities to the highest level of professional ethics and consistent with the requirements of the Ethiopian law.
• The TRAC is committed to maintaining the highest possible professional standards in everything it does.
Objectives
A. Create forum for TB researchers, program managers and academia.
B. Review current status and problems of TB research in the country.
C. Identify needs for capacity building to facilitate TB research in Ethiopia.
D. Define national TB research priorities and update as the time demands.
E. Recommend effective and efficient mechanisms for coordination, management, and evaluation of TB research, as well as dissemination and uptake of results.
F. Promote TB research and innovation at all levels of the health system.
Vision
Aspire to see coordinated and geared researches on TB and other respiratory diseases contributing to end TB and respiratory diseases in Ethiopia and beyond by the end of 2026.
Mission
Give evidence based advice on how to coordinate, promote and gear TB and respiratory diseases researches in a way that contribute to ending TB and respiratory diseases strategy of diseases prevention and control directorate (DPCD) of FMoH.
