The Combat Diseases of Poverty Consortium (CDPC) is an exciting initiative funded through ‘The Programme of Strategic Co-Operation between Irish Aid and Higher Education and Research Institutes’, in collaboration with the Higher Education Authority (HEA).

The CDPC brings together scientific, academic, NGO and private sector expertise to build educational and research capacities for combating diseases of poverty. It networks researchers across geographical borders and disciplines, in order to foster scientific exchange, opportunities for research collaborations and to ultimately deliver new insights and workable solutions to pressing health concerns.

Short-term training

Our central mission is to provide short-term training to young East-African and Irish researchers, leading to capacity-building in both Ireland and Africa. Trainees can avail of the African- and Irish-based expertise in our network for a demand-driven 12-week training fellowship. CDPC training alumnis remain part of the strong North-South and South-South network formed in this process, and pass on their newly acquired skills and knowledge to others at their home institutions. Through such networks, we foresee the consortium developing into a formidable research platform that can innovatively address pressing challenges at the intersection of global health, structural inequalities, and political possibilities.

➢Training in Ireland

➢Link to Trainee Blogs

Guest Speaker Series

The CDPC is firmly embedded in the NUI Maynooth Campus and engages with postgraduate and undergraduate student bodies to raise awareness of global health and development issues. The CDPC has a strong interdisciplinary mission, being jointly led by the Institute of Immunology and the Department of Anthropology at NUIM. In order to foster interdisciplinary thinking, the CDPC organises a highly successful interdisciplinary seminar series and has also hosted several high-profile guest speakers at NUIM. Furthermore, NUIM student societies have started to work with the CDPC for awareness-raising events around World Malaria Day.

➢CDPC Conference 2010

➢World Malaria Day

➢Malaria Week NUIM

➢CDPC Speakers Series event for Malaria Week

 Secondary School Outreach

The CDPC also runs an extensive secondary school outreach programme with the aim of embedding development education of issues more firmly into the Irish Secondary School System. Many of our East African trainees participated in visits to Irish schools and felt inspired to establish a similar outreach programme at their home institutions in East Africa. The Outreach programme also helps to break down the barriers between second and third level education, by encouraging participation in CDPC seminars held at NUIM.

➢Educational Resources

➢DevEd Videos

Dissemination

The CDPC has established a newsletter, which serves as a platform for the exchange of information between CDPC partners and other interested parties. Furthermore, exchange is encouraged on the CDPC facebook page.

➢Facebook

➢CDPC Newsletter 

➢News Archive

Led by the Department of Anthropology and the Institute of Immunology of NUIM, the Consortium was awarded €1.44 million from Irish Aid under the Programme of Strategic Cooperation between Irish Aid and Higher Education and Research Institutes , 2007-2011.

The CDPC hosts Malaria Week 2010 with events scheduled between 26 - 30 April (further details to be posted shortly). 

We are pleased to announce 'Mind/Body Interaction and Health', a seminar which will feature Dr Brian Leonard (NUI Galway), who will give a talk is entitled 'Stress, Ill Health and the Immune System' and Dr Neil Harrison (University of Sussex) and Dr Colm Cunningham (Trinity College Dublin) who will both be participating in a talk entitled 'Immune-Brain Interactions: you can't take the mind out of the body'. 

The seminar will take place Tuesday, 20 April 2010 from 2:00-4:00pm in Rowan House, room 2.20. All are welcome to attend.

For further information please contact Hayley Coristine (hayley.coristine@nuim.ie).

The CDPC Spring Speakers Series continued with a cross-disiplinary seminar entitled 'Examining Emergencies: Challenges Facing Humanitarian Responses' on Tuesday, March 23. The CDPC is grateful to those who participated in the seminar, including Graham Heaslip (School of Business and Law, NUIM), Niall O'Rourke (Emergency Officer, Trocaire, Haiti) and Deirdre Muldowney (Dept. of Anthropology, NUIM).

Press Release (23.02.2010) - Combat Diseases of Poverty Consortium host “Breaking the Barriers” photographic exhibition

‘Breaking the Barriers’ photographic exhibition explores the lives of ten people who are living with disabilities. The exhibition illustrates the challenges which face thousands of disabled people in the country of Lesotho in southern Africa. The deaf, physically disabled, visually impaired and intellectually disabled should enjoy the same human rights as every other Mosotho. Yet all too often they are marginalised from society, and are denied access to public buildings and transport, education, employment and social services.

The exhibition also portrays the determination and dignity of people with disabilities. Many have broken the negative stereotypes given to them by society. They have overcome the numerous challenges against them and are able to successfully work, earn a living and enjoy a family life. Some have gone on to campaign for the rights of the disabled.

The exhibition will be launched by Professor Tom Collins, Vice President for External Affairs, Dean of Teaching and Learning, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, on Wednesday the 10^th March at 1.00pm in the Education Hall, Education House, North Campus. Professor Collins sees the exhibition as a significant event for the college ‘Too often the images we have in our minds of Africa are of conflict, of hardship and of hunger;  ‘Breaking the Barriers’ exhibition documents the many challenges faced by people with disabilities living in Lesotho. It also portrays the dignity and determination of these people, many of whom have overcome what at first seem like insurmountable obstacles. I would like to congratulate Eileen O’ Leary on bringing their stories of hope and courage to us.’

The exhibition will be followed by a public lecture by the Documentary Photographer Eileen O’Leary. The exhibition will be installed in three locations on the North Campus: Hume Building, Arts Building and the Institute of Immunology.

Eileen O’Leary has been working as a freelance photojournalist documenting social issues since 1985, endeavouring to make social change through the medium of photography and the written world.  She has held the position of Executive Field Officer with Twinning the Kingdoms since its inception in 2006.  RTE recently made a documentary about her work as part of the Townlands series.  Since returning to Ireland in 1992 from California, where she was the first photojournalist to respond to the US invasion of Panama and document the devastation inflicted on the people of Chorillo, she has curated 300 community exhibitions and compiled and edited 12 books.  She is currently working on a book called ‘Conversations with Meshu’ which documents the life of Lesotho’s most renowned artist.

The exhibition will tour universities and colleges in Ireland where it is hoped that it will highlight issues, raise awareness, create links between disability groups in Ireland and Lesotho and encourage collective and personal action from the people who view the photographs.



This year's BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is underway at the RDS until 16 January. View photos of CDPC-supported projects and the Consortium's presence at the exhibition here.

The CDPC congratulates Thomas Dunne on winning two awards at the Exhibition, the Senior Individual Prize and the IBM Award. The IBM Award recognizes the project that best exemplifies collecting data from some aspect of the physical world and using technology to turn that data into intelligence that can be actioned - making some aspect of our world "smarter".

Read IBM's blog on Thomas's win here.

Thomas Dunne with his project entitled 'In search of the gene that causes 1,000,000 deaths each year'