Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42527933›Full record

ReviewPopulation health metrics2026

Strengthening data, analytic and scientific writing skills: Insights from working with 17 health and demographic surveillance system (HDSS) centres in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Tshegofatso Seabi, Beth A Tippett Barr, Chodziwadziwa Whiteson Kabudula, Kobus Herbst, Daniel Ohene-Kwofie, Jean Bashingwa, Audry Dube, Kathleen Kahn, Stephen Tollman

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Population health metrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Tshegofatso SeabiSouth African Medical Research Council, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Tshegofatso.seabi@wits.ac.za.
Beth A Tippett BarrNyanja Health Research Institute, Salima, Malawi.
Chodziwadziwa Whiteson KabudulaSouth African Medical Research Council, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Kobus HerbstAfrica Health Research Institute (AHRI), uMkhanyakude district, Kwa-Zulu Natal province, South Africa.
Daniel Ohene-KwofieSouth African Medical Research Council, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Jean BashingwaSouth African Medical Research Council, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Audry DubeSouth African Medical Research Council, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Kathleen KahnSouth African Medical Research Council, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Stephen TollmanSouth African Medical Research Council, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In the ever-evolving landscape of global health, Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSS) generate rare and valuable longitudinal data for understanding health and population dynamics and their determinants in low- and middle-income countries, where vital registration systems are often weak. However, the utility of HDSS centres relies heavily on the capabilities of those responsible for cleaning, describing and analysing the wealth of data they generate. This paper describes our targeted strategy for strengthening the capacity of personnel in HDSS research settings, particularly focusing on data managers and analysts. Additionally, we explore the unique challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic for HDSS research centres, emphasizing the need for a skilled workforce to navigate complex data dynamics. Our approach involved three in-person workshops dedicated to data preparation, analysis, and scientific writing, supplemented by weekly online check-ins and a 25-week writing program. Each workshop included two representatives from participating sites with skills aligned to the workshops. Following two years of intensive capacity building, this project has yielded 15 original research manuscripts currently under review, forming part of a journal special issue on the impact of COVID-19 on mortality in African and South Asian populations. Open-access aggregated data will complement these papers.

Indexed as

DemographyPopulation SurveillanceAfrica South of the SaharaAsia, SouthernCapacity BuildingCOVID-19HumansPandemicsPublic Health InfrastructureSARS-CoV-2COVID-19data managementMortalityprocess paperSARS‑CoV‑2scientific writing

Identifiers

PMID42527933
PMCPMC13420847

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.