Open in Browser     Swiss TPH News, June 2022   When Distancing Rules are Futile   Researchers from ETH Zurich and Swiss TPH have created a risk map showing which regions in Africa may see a faster spread of infectious diseases due to a lack of infrastructure. “Our results can help governments target their investments in certain regions through activities like information and vaccination campaigns or expanding infrastructure, thus helping with pandemic response and prevention,” said Jürg Utzinger, Director of Swiss TPH. » Read more     Everyone has the Right to Good Healthcare   “Access to healthcare is a challenge for people forced to flee their homes. We should not forget that migrant populations have the same access rights as anyone else.” For World Refugee Day we spoke with Afona Chernet, a post-doctoral research fellow at Swiss TPH, about his experience in researching migrant and refugee health in Switzerland.   INTERVIEW     Influence of Heat on the Intake of Certain Medications   June brought the first heat wave of this year to Switzerland. The hot days are not only unpleasant, but also lead to increased mortality, especially among the elderly population. Cardiovascular diseases in particular play a major role. And — as one study shows — probably also the use of certain medications, particularly those that lower blood pressure or have a diuretic effect.   BLOG   Nicole Probst-Hensch Wins Science Award of the City of Basel   The prize honours her pioneering research on the effects of air pollution on human health and her achievements in establishing biobanks and longterm cohort studies. ARTICLE   New Research Grants in Paediatric Health   Swiss TPH has been awarded four out of six new research grants from the Principal Investigator Initiative of the Botnar Research Centre for Child Health. The initiative aims to drive interdisciplinary research that addresses critical challenges in global paediatric health and medicine.   ARTICLE     Legionellosis Cases Continue to Increase in Switzerland   The number of legionellosis cases in Switzerland has increased five-fold over the past 20 years. Researchers at Swiss TPH analysed case numbers from 2000 to 2020 and determined the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on reporting. They also found that the summer peaks of legionellosis have become more prevalent in recent years.   ARTICLE   Welcome to Our New Insectaries   The new Swiss TPH headquarters has a unique special area for entomology with state-of-the-art biosafety facilities and specialised laboratories. This infrastructure enables research with infectious mosquitoes and invasive species such as the Asian tiger mosquito. » Watch the video   More Noise in the Sustainability Debate   Noise is an integral part of our everyday life. Yet it is barely ever mentioned in the sustainability debate. Martin Röösli, epidemiologist at Swiss TPH, explains why this urgently needs to change.   OPINION     Health Effects of Traffic-Related Air Pollution   Swiss TPH experts contributed to the Health Effects Institute Panel's special report examining the evidence for associations between adverse health effects and traffic-related air pollution.   SPECIAL REPORT   Congratulations   Alexandra Bürgler won this year’s SSPH+ ScienceFlashTalk Competition with her talk on the health effects of pollen and the EPOCHAL study, an ongoing cohort investigating these effects.   Jordyn Wallenborn received the Trainee Expansion Program grant of the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation, which will support her research on the mother, infant and human milk triad with a global perspective.   Eveline Hürlimann, Jennifer Keiser and their team won the Anne Maurer-Cecchini award at the Geneva Health Forum for their research on whipworms.   The Council of the University of Basel has appointed Niklaus Labhardt Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Manuel Hetzel Adjunct Professor of the Faculty of Science.   Project Updates   First Intermediate Care Unit in Rural Tanzania   The St Francis Referral Hospital in Ifakara serves as a referral centre for a population of around 1.5 million people. The emergency department sees 88,000 patients per year. To stabilize critically ill and surgical patients, an intermediate care unit is now established, funded by the Else Kröner Fresenius Foundation. » Read more Air Pollution in Mongolia   Swiss TPH carried out the final external evaluation of the Impact of Air Pollution on Maternal and Child Health project by UNICEF and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The project aims to reduce the serious health impacts on children and pregnant women in urban areas in Mongolia caused by emissions of coal-fired stoves. » Read more New Diagnostics for Schistosomiasis   The project “Molecular Isothermal Diagnostics for Schistososmiasis” has been selected for funding by the Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases with support from USAID. Swiss TPH is co-investigating in the study that aims to optimize an assay for urogenital schistosomiasis for use in the field. » Read more Improving Child Health in Somalia and Libya   In collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross and local health authorities, Swiss TPH is implementing the user-friendly application ALMANACH in Somalia and Libya. The tool is designed to assist healthcare providers in correctly diagnosing and treating common childhood illnesses. » ALMANACH in Somalia. Malaria Elimination in Mozambique, Eswatini and South Africa   Swiss TPH performed the impact evaluation for the MOSASWA project, a cross-border initiative to eliminate malaria funded by the Global Fund. The Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative 2, principal recipient of the grant and focused on indoor residual spraying, has summarized the assessment's results in a video. » Watch now Digital Health Conference in Chad   Swiss TPH and partners held a conference in N'Djamena from 16 to 17 June to develop digital health concepts, share experiences and identify ways to use digital tools in Chad. Participants included medical informatics experts, government institutions, NGOs, and technical and financial partners. » Digital health project SysRef Upcoming Events   SSPH+ Lugano Summer School in Public Health   At the SSPH+ Summer School in Public Health Policy, Economics, and Management in Lugano, running from 22 to 27 August 2022, practitioners, researchers, and graduate students will come together from all over the world for a unique learning experience focused on public health impact. » Register now   Swiss TPH Virtual Event Series 2022   We are delighted to continue our virtual event series this year, starting on 8 September 2022 with Cohorts and Long-Term Partnerships in Science » Register now   Study with Us   Health Care and Management   Congratulations to the participants of the Health Care and Management course who received their diploma of advanced studies on 23 June! They successfully completed the 14-week course and are now equipped with a range of skills needed to understand and react to health challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income societies.   Migration and Health for People on the Move   This one-week course, conducted in close collaboration with the University Hospitals of Geneva and Bern, provides comprehensive coverage of migration health and promotes an in-depth understanding of this topic. The course is open to all interested participants involved in the field of migration health - locally, nationally and internationally.   REGISTER NOW     International Cooperation and Global Health   In a globalised world, international professional groups are confronted with complex challenges. This 8-week course is aimed at professionals from health sectors and other interested parties who are preparing for working abroad or who are confronted in their daily life with intercultural communication, migration or health in a global context.   REGISTER NOW   Latest Publications   • Tran HTD, Schindler C, Pham TTT, et al. Simple clinical and laboratory predictors to improve empirical treatment strategies in areas of high scrub typhus and dengue endemicity, central Vietnam. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases » Read full article   • Tschopp R, Zinsstag J, Conlan A, et al. Productivity loss and cost of bovine tuberculosis for the dairy livestock sector in Ethiopia. Preventive Veterinary Medicine » Read full article       Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) Kreuzstrasse 2 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland communications@swisstph.ch Swiss TPH   Imprint | Data Privacy   If you do not wish to receive further newsletters, you can unsubscribe any time.