PROFESSOR ONGORE DISMAS

1. A.       Personal Statement. The goals of this grant are to develop an environment for developing the research skills and talent of young scientists and policy scholars who are committed to a future in neglected tropical diseases. My background and expertise is primarily in the area of teaching and research in tropical diseases including neglected tropical diseases. I have taught tropical diseases to undergraduate and postgraduate students for the last twenty five (25) years. I have also supervised several theses and dissertations of postgraduate students on tropical diseases including neglected tropical diseases. I have carried out research on malaria at the community level where I contributed to better knowledge on the use of over the counter antimalarials.

Since graduation, I have been a Medical Officer of Health (DMOH) in charge of a large health district in Kenya responsible for administration and management of health services including prevention and control of neglected tropical diseases. I joined University of Nairobi in 1986 as a Lecturer principally in charge of teaching communicable diseases originally to undergraduate medical students. I completed my doctoral studies in 1993 and became responsible for teaching the same to postgraduate master public health students. I have also been a World Health Organization (WHO) consultant supporting the Ministry of Health Eritrea in implementation of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) strategy.

My current research interests are related to public health determinants of malaria at the community which will include co-morbidities with helminthes and other neglected tropical diseases. A proposal submitted on the same received ethical clearance on 22^nd June 2012 and is awaiting release of funds before proceeding to the field for data collection. I am also interested in sexual and reproductive health of university students and a proposal to that effect has been submitted and obtained ethical clearance as well as funding and should start training research assistants the week of 30^th June 2014.

1. B.   Positions and Honors

Positions and Employment

2010 to date    -           Director, School of Public Health, University of Nairobi.

February 2010            –  September 2010 Chairman Department of Community Health University of Nairobi

1981 – 1983 Medical Officer-in charge Londiani sub-District, Kenya.

1985 – 1986 District Medical Officer of Health  (DMOH) Kajiado District, Kenya.

1986 to 2000 Lecturer on Epidemiology and Control of Diseases and Postgraduate students, Department of Community Health (DCH) Faculty of Medicine, University of Nairobi, Kenya

June 2000 to Date Senior Lecturer on Epidemiology and Control of Diseases to Undergraduate and Postgraduate students, Department of Community Health (DCH) Faculty of Medicine, University of Nairobi, Kenya

June 2000 – June 2001 Lecturer on Health Care in Emergency Situations while on Sabbatical leave with Tropical Institute of Community Health (TICH) in Africa, Kisumu, Kenya

April 2002 to date: WHO/AFRO facilitator for training of Country Teams on Integrated  Diseases Surveillance and Response  (IDSR) Strategy

June 2002 to 31 December 2003: WHO Consultant Epidemiologist, supporting Ministry of Health Government of Eritrea in implementation of Integrated Diseases Surveillance and Response (IDSR) Strategy

August 2004 to date Coordinator World Health Organisation-University of Nairobi training in Applied Epidemiology for Senior Health Personnel.

External examiner Moi University School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Nutrition with effect from 2005/2006

External Examiner Kenyatta University School of Public Health 2009 to date

C. Selected publications.

1. Ongore D., 1985

Knowledge Attitudes and Practices of A Rural Population on           malaria and the Mosquito Vector. MPH Thesis University of    Nairobi.

2. Ongore D., Minawa, A., Kamunvi, F and Knight R. 1989

Knowledge Attitudes and Practices of a Rural Population on            Malaria and the Mosquito Vector East African Medical Journal          66(2):79-90

3. Ongore D., 1993.

Risk Factors for Infection and Disease with the Malaria Parasite in Children Living in an Area of Intense and             Perennial Transmission. PhD Thesis University of Liverpool.

4. Ongore D. and  Nyabola L.  1996

The Role of Shops and Shopkeepers in Malaria Control

East African Medical Journal 73(6):390-394

5. Dr D.Ongore

Editorial, Insecticide Treated Nets in the Prevention of Malaria

East African Medical Journal. Vol. 82 No. 10: 493 - 494

October 2005

6. Three Chapters in: Guidelines to Rational Drug Use. Fr.von Wassow, J.K.Ndele and R.Korte  MacMillan Publications 1997.

7. Training Manual for Care of AIDS Patients in the Community for STD/HIV Control Project - Co-author

8. Training Manual on STDs/HIV for Kenya Medical Training Colleges, Kenya 

-          Co-author

9. The Role of Local Shops in Malaria Control in Proceedings of  the European Conference on Tropical Medicine 7-10 May 1996 Hamburg, Germany.

10. Risk Factors for Infection and Disease with the Malaria parasite in Areas of Stable Malaria in Proceedings of IVth International Conference on Tropical Medicine and Malaria 17-21 November 1996 Nagasaki, Japan.

11. Draft Report The Apparent Prevalence of Human Brucellosis Among Patients Attending Health Facilities in Nairobi with Special Emphasis in Kibera

D. Research Support

Ongoing Research Support

P372/09/2011 (Ongore, D, PI)                 Ethical clearance received 21/11/2011 awaiting funding.

The prevalence and risk factors for typhoid fever amongst prisoners incarcerated in Nairobi and its environs

P157/03/2012 (Ongore, D, PI) Determinants of malaria at the community level and prospects of integrated control: Baseline information. Submitted for approval and funding under MEPI seed grant support for faculty.             Ethical clearance received 22^ND June 2012 awaiting release of funds before proceeding for data collection.   

P73/02/2014 (Ongore D PI) Investigating University students Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Sexual and Reproductive Health issues in University of Nairobi, Kenya. Ehtical clearance obtained 13^th June 2014 funding obtained from IPAS Africa Alliance. Training research assistants to start week of 30^th June 2014