A framework for sustainable capacity-building for collaborative North–South translational health research and training in a resource-constrained setting

Introduction: Success with highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART) for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in developing countries has been attributed to collaborative North–South resource-sharing and capacity-building. Academic research and training programmes have contributed towards policy entrepreneurship in a manner that influenced capacity-building within health systems. However, the documented capacity-building frameworks rarely elucidate how such programmes can be designed and implemented efficiently and sustainably. Method: We implemented the University of Zimbabwe (UZ)–State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) collaborative HIV clinical pharmacology capacity-building programme in Zimbabwe in 1998. We intuitively operationalized the programme around a mnemonic acronym, “RSTUVW”, which spells out a supportive framework consisting of “room (space), skills, tools (equipment)”, underpinned by a set of core values, “understanding, voice (clout) and will”. Subsequent to our two decades of successful collaborative experience, we tested the general validity and applicability of the framework within a prospective programme aimed at expanding the role of health professionals. Results and conclusion: Based on this collaborative North–South research and training capacity-building programme which has been positively validated in Zimbabwe, we propose this novel mnemonic acronym-based framework as an extra tool to guide sustainable capacity-building through collaborative North–South implementation research. Its extended use could also include assessment and evaluation of health systems within resource-constrained settings.