Open in Browser     Swiss TPH News, December 2022   Two SNSF Starting Grants for Researchers at Swiss TPH   The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) has awarded two Starting Grants to researchers Emma Hodcroft for virology and Samuel Fuhrimann for sustainable agriculture at Swiss TPH. SNSF supports outstanding young researchers in Switzerland and enables them to lead a research project with their own team. Hodcroft is co-developer of the “Nextstrain” programme, which allows virus outbreaks to be tracked in real time. She will use Nextstrain for her SNSF project to study enteroviruses at Swiss TPH. Fuhrimann’s research aims to characterize the pesticide exposome and associated health risks as well as the benefits of living and working on a farm. » Read more     Improving Health of Children Affected by Schistosomiasis   Millions of preschool-aged children affected by schistosomiasis are not receiving treatment due to the lack of a suitable medicine. To address this unmet need, the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium has developed a potential new treatment option that has now been validated for review by the European Medicines Agency. This is a key milestone in the ongoing effort to eliminate this neglected tropical disease. As a member of the consortium, Swiss TPH conducted the clinical trials.   ARTICLE     Enhancing Diagnosis for Tuberculosis   Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the world’s biggest infectious disease killers. It is a complicated disease to diagnose and treat, even more so when it affects organs around the lung. A clinical trial in Tanzania tested a diagnostic algorithm, including point-of-care ultrasound, to increase the proportion of correctly managed extrapulmonary TB patients. The study indicates that this could be a feasible approach to improve diagnosis of TB. The results were published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.   ARTICLE   Novel Treatment for Sleeping Sickness   Acoziborole, a single-dose treatment against human African trypanosomiasis developed by DNDi in collaboration with Sanofi, has been shown to be safe and effective in a phase II/III study. Swiss TPH contributed through study coordination and monitoring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The results were published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. » Read more   Peter Hotez Visits Swiss TPH   Peter Hotez, an internationally recognised scientist in neglected tropical diseases and vaccine development, recently visited Swiss TPH. During his tour, which included two lectures and a public talk on vaccines in the 21st century, Hotez also found time to sit down and talk with Jürg Utzinger, Director of Swiss TPH. » Watch the interview   Better Care for Patients with NCDs in Kosovo   Diabetes affects about half a billion people worldwide, most of them in low- and middle-income countries. In Kosovo, diabetes is highly prevalent, yet often poorly controlled or undiagnosed. A new project funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by Swiss TPH aims to tackle the burden of NCDs in Kosovo by supporting the development of a sustainable health system that provides high quality, affordable and integrated care for affected patients.   ARTICLE     New Study on Treatment against Whipworms   Swiss TPH researchers tested two different drug combinations against the parasitic worm Trichuris trichiura in Tanzania. Findings show that a new treatment combination (moxidectin and albendazole) is inferior compared to the current recommended one (ivermectin and albendazole). However, moxidectin might serve as an alternative in areas where ivermectin is not readily available or where resistances to ivermectin may exist. Results were published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.   ARTICLE   • Maja Weisser » World AIDS Day 2022 - A call to action to address the persistent inequalities that hinder progress in the fight against AIDS   • Kristina Pelikan » How can rabies control in Chad successfully be achieved through a transdisciplinary One Health approach?   Project Updates   Promoting Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness in Tanzania   Tanzania has launched the Antimicrobial Resistance National Action Plan 2023-2028 to raise awareness on responsible use of antimicrobials and enhance AMR preventive measures. Tanzania's government and partners have joined forces to address the misuse of antimicrobials. Swiss TPH supports this plan as part of the Health Promotion and System Strengthening (HPSS) project by promoting AMR awareness and advocacy programmes. » Read more about HPSS Tackling Water-Borne Parasitic Diseases in Chad   In a new project, Swiss TPH researchers and partners will focus on transmission cycles and risk factors for humans and animals to effectively control and eliminate neglected zoonoses such as schistosomiasis in Chad. The project brings together an international team of ecologists, epidemiologists, geographers, social scientists and veterinarians in partnership with the local community, NGOs and ministries. » Read more A Strong Business Case for Tuberculosis Treatment   On behalf of the TB Alliance, Swiss TPH developed a business case to illustrate better treatment outcomes and a cost-saving method for drug resistant TB patients. The model is a tool that can be flexibly applied and implemented by users at country-level. » Read more   ETAIN - Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields and Planetary Health   The ETAIN project aims to develop and validate approaches to assess the impact of existing and emerging communication technologies (e.g. 5G) from a planetary health perspective, while exploring ways to reduce exposure. Researchers will engage with the public and other stakeholders on the extent of exposure and possible associated risks. The project is funded by the European Commission. » Read more Gavi Programme Audits   Swiss TPH will conduct the programme audit reviews for Egypt and Cameroon to assess whether Gavi support, including cash, vaccines and related supplies, was used as intended to provide value for money. The audits take into account both financial and programmatic aspects and are a continuation of previous programme audits carried out in Chad, Burkina Faso and more recently Madagascar. » Read more about our Programme Capacity Assessments   In the Media   • Undark: In Senegal, Oxygen Infrastructure May Curb Childhood Pneumonia. » Article   • Corriere del Ticino: Ecco la zanzara che sta portando la malaria oltre i suoi confini. » Article   • SRF Echo der Zeit: Uganda: Hoffnung auf Impfstoffe gegen Ebola » Radio interview   Swiss TPH Symposia   8 February 2023: Clinical Decision Support Systems   Digital clinical decision support systems are increasingly used in low- and middle-income countries to support clinical personnel in the diagnosis and care of patients to increase the quality of care. Join us to discuss the CDSS landscape and stakeholdes, share software and user experience, and discuss how to maximize impact and sustainability. » Register now 21-22 March 2023: The Tuberculosis Pandemic – A Call to Action   Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the world’s deadliest diseases. Despite being a preventable and curable disease, 1.5 million people die from TB each year. To re-awake public awareness, spark the global response and drive policy change, Swiss TPH is organising a symposium next spring dedicated to TB research. » Register now Study with Us   Health Care and Management   The 14-week Diploma of Advanced Studies course provides international participants with the competencies to understand and react to health challenges. Participants acquire a range of skills and knowledge needed to work in a health management team, particularly in low- and middle-income societies, and benefit from engaging with experts from various fields, practical application and interactive training. » Register now     Economic Evaluation in Health Care   In low-resource settings, managers and planners of health programmes must prioritise economic evaluation without losing sight of the demands and needs of the population. The aim of this short course is to provide future health managers with the tools they need to interpret, commission and manage economic evaluations in their work as one of the essential elements of decision-making.   REGISTER NOW     Organisational Behaviour & Transformational Management   Participants will learn how adaptive organisational behaviour and transformational management foster a common culture that promotes interdependence, strengthens cooperation, prevents interpersonal conflicts and encourages innovation. Using case studies from different countries and areas of health management, the short course complements theory with practical tools, techniques and best practices.   REGISTER NOW   Latest Publications   • Ahmed A, Abubakr M, Sami H, Mahdi I, Mohamed NS, Zinsstag J. The first molecular detection of Aedes albopictus in Sudan associates with increased outbreaks of Chikungunya and Dengue. International Journal of Molecular Sciences » Read full article   • Beloconi A, Vounatsou P. Long-term air pollution exposure and COVID-19 case-severity: an analysis of individual-level data from Switzerland. Environmental Research » 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.