Improving access and quality of data from a longitudinal HIV cohort in Uganda . (360G-Wellcome-086932_Z_08_Z)

The main aim is to reorganise the existing population-based database of 42,000 people to enable better access and usage for analyses. The database contains 19 years of demographic, household, social, medical and serological data from members of a rural Ugandan cohort, with 18,000 people currently uncer follow up. The proposed fully relational database with a new composite structure will be able to define new entities of importance within the database, and link existing data and new data from ot her studies. The primary purpose is to enhance data access for many new analyses, by both MRC researchers and external collaborative researchers, and will facilitate a greater sharing of the data within the scientific community and greater scientific output from the cohort. The new database structure will also improve data collection techniques for future surveys. A secondary, but important objective is to develop database programming capacity within Uganda, by training and mentoring program mers to an international standard.