Building Research Capacity in Cameroon: Dr. Jude’s Experience with Systematic Review Training
“I’m proud of the network built, the knowledge acquired, and the confidence and motivation I now have towards research for evidence-based decisions.”
These words from Dr. Jude Berinyuy, a medical doctor and Regional Technical Group Coordinator for HIV/AIDS in Cameroon’s Northwest Region, reflect the personal and professional impact of a training he recently completed. His experience is part of a broader initiative—The Comings of the Two Rivers—which aims to increase access to research evidence in Cameroon through storytelling, capacity-building, and community engagement.
Through this project, eBASE Africa is equipping bilingual systematic reviewers with the skills to synthesize evidence and translate it into meaningful, accessible formats. Dr. Jude’s journey exemplifies how targeted training can lead to practical application, mindset shifts, and stronger advocacy for evidence-based decision-making.
Background: Bridging Evidence and Community
In Cameroon and across many low- and middle-income countries, access to research evidence remains limited. Despite global efforts by organizations like JBI, Cochrane, and Campbell to synthesize and share evidence, barriers such as language, literacy, paywalls, and scientific jargon prevent communities from engaging with it meaningfully.
The Comings of the Two Rivers: Increasing Access to Research Evidence through Storytelling for a Brighter Future is a bold, multi-pronged initiative designed to address this gap. It combines evidence synthesis, storytelling, and policy engagement to make research not only accessible but relatable. Among its many activities, including co-producing reviews, developing the Evidence-to-Stories (EtS) framework, and implementing community storytelling through Tori Dey, is the training of 25 bilingual systematic reviewers.
One of those activities was the July 2025 Systematic Review Training, which brought together 26 participants from diverse professional backgrounds. Among them were individuals who showed exceptional engagement and promise. Out of the 26 trainees who participated, several demonstrated high interest and strong commitment to applying what they learned. Let’s hear from one of them: Dr. Jude Berinyuy, a medical doctor and the Regional Technical Group Coordinator for HIV/AIDS in the Northwest Region of Cameroon.
Dr. Jude’s Testimony
“I was motivated by the need to acquire new knowledge. I had the challenge of understanding and using a systematic review to carry out research. Learning the various steps and using the PICO framework, navigating tools like Zotero and EPPI Reviewer was an enlightening experience. I’m currently using these skills in an ongoing research project, doing screening and data extraction. It’s more of a change in mindset, an orientation towards research using systematic reviews for generating evidence at work. I’m proud of the network built, the knowledge acquired, and the confidence and motivation I now have towards research for evidence-based decisions. It was awesome and should be scaled up.”
Dr. Jude’s journey reflects the core mission of the Two Rivers initiative. It transforms researchers into evidence ambassadors who can bridge the gap between science and society. His active use of EPPI Reviewer, contributions to protocol development, and shift in research orientation demonstrate the practical impact of the training.
Living the Vision
As one of the 25 bilingual systematic reviewers being equipped through this program, Dr. Jude is now positioned to co-produce reviews on high-burden diseases and contribute to evidence implementation projects. His story is a testament to how targeted capacity-building, can foster understanding, empowerment, and informed decision-making for a brighter future.