+44 (0)1223 330484
enquiries@hughes.cam.ac.uk

‘Iron Lady’ strikes again – this time to promote better nutrition in The Gambia

Senior member Dr Dora Pereira, also known as ‘The Iron Lady’ for her work on iron deficiency and a trial for a new supplement, has continued her work in The Gambia delivering new nutrition training workshops.

Over three days, MRC Basse field station staff and community partners attended interactive lectures and learning sessions focused on ways to promote better nutrition in The Gambia, particularly focusing on maternal and childhood nutrition. 81 participants registered and took part in the workshops, among these were regional health personnel, senior school students and national nutrition agency officers. The high participation rate will ensure that best practice nutrition advice will spread across the region.

Dr Pereira commented: ‘The workshops provided much needed awareness to good nutrition practices and were delivered by Dr Katharina Kessler (University of Cambridge), Miss Eleni Vantana (NIHR Clinical Research Network, King’s College London) and myself. We also had invited speakers from MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM Dr Carla Cerami who presented on iron and infection and Mr Amat Bah who spoke about translating research into policy and guidelines.’

The workshops were hosted by the MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Basse field site, and supported by the Cambridge-Africa [1] Alborada Research Fund, a collaborative programme between the University of Cambridge and African partners.

 

Left-to-right Dr Dora Pereira (Cambridge & IHAT-GUT study PI, workshop organiser and mentor), Lady Chilel Sanyang (Scientific Officer for IHAT-GUT), Miss Eleni Vantana (King’s College Hospitals London, workshop mentor), Mr Famalang Camara (Field Coordinator for IHAT-GUT), Dr Katharina Kessler (Cambridge, workshop mentor), and Dr Ilias Hossain (Clinical Trial Coordinator for IHAT-GUT and Local Workshop Organiser)

Dr Dora Pereira (left) with Lady Chilel Sanyang (Scientific Officer for IHAT-GUT), Miss Eleni Vantana (King’s College Hospitals London, workshop mentor), Mr Famalang Camara (Field Coordinator for IHAT-GUT), Dr Katharina Kessler (Cambridge, workshop mentor), and Dr Ilias Hossain (Clinical Trial Coordinator for IHAT-GUT and Local Workshop Organiser).

Dora Pereira delivery workshop content Group Photo of participants and organisers in Day 2 of the workshop

 

[1] Hughes Hall is one of the partner colleges in the Cambridge-Africa Programme, hosting showcase presentations for visiting African Fellows. The Programme contributes to strengthening Africa’s own capacity for a sustainable research and mentoring culture, by cultivating the talented individuals who will make this long-term goal a reality. It includes a range of initiatives covering many subject areas, with coordinated, cross-collaboration and capacity building/strengthening as a common but essential theme. The Manager of Cambridge-Africa, Dr Pauline Essah, is also a senior member of Hughes Hall.