Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institut (Swiss TPH)

04.04.2024

New Discovery Unravels Malaria Invasion Mechanism

Key component found for malaria invasion

Swiss TPH "A recent breakthrough sheds light on how the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, invades human red blood cells. The study, led by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) and Griffith University’s Institute for Glycomics, reveals the role of a sugar called sialic acid in this invasion process. The findings, published yesterday in Cell Reports, have major implications for malaria vaccine and drug development. With 249 million cases of malaria and 608,000 deaths in 2022, malaria has remained an intractable global health threat. The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is the leading cause of severe malaria and is responsible for the largest portion of malaria deaths."

02.04.2024

Parasitic Worms and Liver Disease in Rural Laos

Swiss TPH "A study published by Swiss TPH and partners in Lao PDR has revealed high rates of Steatotic Liver Disease in a rural region where liver fluke infections and diabetes are prevalent. Surprisingly, an infection with parasitic worms was inversely associated with the prevalence of Steatotic Liver Disease. The study sheds some light on the important interplay between infectious and non-communicable diseases."

01.03.2024

Noma: giving a face to a deadly disease

On December 15, 2023, the World Health Organization officially added noma to the list of neglected tropical diseases, which will make it easier to combat and research this poverty-related disease. Swiss TPH and the University of Basel both played a key role in ensuring noma was recognized in this manner. By Christian Heuss

SwissTPH "Many people prefer to look the other way when it comes to this disease, as the sight of young children suffering from its effects is unbearable. It causes open wounds on the face and whole sections of the cheek appear to have been eaten away. Children who survive the disease remain disfigured throughout their lives and struggle with speech disorders and eating problems. Noma typically affects children between two and six years of age. The disease starts seemingly harmless as sore gums and mild bad breath. At this stage, the disease would be easy to cure with a broad-spectrum antibiotic. If left untreated, the infection spreads to tissue necrosis within a few days. First soft tissues die, then cartilage structures and bones are attacked and literally eaten away by the infection."

01.03.2024

Swiss TPH Symposium: Improving Access to Healthcare in LMICs

Summary of the Symposium 8 February 2024

SwissTPH "Access to drugs, diagnostics and vaccines remains a challenge in many in low- and middle-income countries. Today, 8 February 2024, Swiss TPH hosted a symposium bringing together 350 experts and key players from academia, the pharmaceutical industry, politics and product development partnerships to assess current strategies and foster synergies in research, drug development and medicines’ implementation.

02.02.2024

Reducing Health Inequities in the Prevention of Cervical Cancer

Swiss TPH "Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer related deaths among women in sub-Saharan Africa. Women living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are six times more likely to develop cervical cancer than those who are HIV negative. To tackle this issue, Swiss TPH together with partners developed the Cervical Cancer Prevention and Care Cascade – a framework to enhance cervical cancer screening programmes for women living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa."

12.01.2024

EMA Recommends Arpraziquantel for Treatment of Schistosomiasis in Preschool-Aged Children

Swiss TPH "Arpraziquantel, developed by the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium, receives positive scientific opinion by the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of schistosomiasis in preschool-aged children. The Consortium's work to develop, register, and provide access to arpraziquantel is a tangible contribution to the elimination of schistosomiasis as a public health problem. As a member of the consortium, Swiss TPH conducted the clinical trials together with local partners."

12.01.2024

Swiss TPH's Centre for Tropical and Travel Medicine Now in the “Turmhaus” at Aeschenplatz

Swiss TPH "On Tuesday, 9 January 2024, the new location of the Centre for Tropical and Travel Medicine was officially opened in the “Turmhaus” at Aeschenplatz 2. The Centre for Tropical and Travel Medicine is part of the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH). Eva Herzog, President of the Swiss Council of States and President of the Board of Governors of Swiss TPH, gave a welcome address to guests from the healthcare sector, politics and academia. Lukas Engelberger, Cantonal Councillor Basel-Stadt, was also among the guests."

12.01.2024

Combating Over-Prescription of Antibiotics in Children: A Swiss-Tanzanian Digital Health Innovation with Promising Results

Swiss TPH "A large-scale study by the DYNAMIC project has produced promising results: the use of a new digital clinical decision-making tool has led to a two- to three-fold reduction in the prescription of antibiotics. These results, just published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Medicine, marks an important step towards curbing bacterial antimicrobial resistance."

12.01.2024

Limited Trust in Health Systems Hinders Universal Health Coverage

Swiss TPH "A series of papers in the Lancet Global Health published yesterday finds that only one-quarter of people thinks their health system works well. The People’s Voice Survey analysed people’s views and trust in the system in 15 countries, adding a missing component to how one evaluates health system performance. Swiss TPH contributed to these studies, which were led by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Quality Evidence for Health System Transformation (QuEST) network."

19.12.2023

Milestone in the Fight Against Sleeping Sickness

Swiss TPH "The European Medicines Agency has adopted a positive opinion of fexinidazole for the treatment of T.b. rhodesiense sleeping sickness, found in Eastern and Southern Africa. The positive opinion is followed a clinical trial conducted by the HAT-r-ACC Consortium, of which Swiss TPH is a part. This is an important milestone in the fight against this acute and lethal form of the neglected tropical disease."

04.12.2023

Kelly Chibale: Learning to Fail Your Way to Success

Swiss TPH "Kelly Chibale was – to say the least – not born into science. Yet, he has become one of the most influential researchers in the field of drug discovery and development globally. Born in a rural part of Zambia, Kelly’s childhood was a struggle for bare survival. There was no running water, let alone television to provide entertainment. Instead, dusty roads, poverty and violence. “Education, which was free at the time, was the only way out of poverty for me,” Kelly Chibale recalls. Secondary school awakened in him a talent and fascination for chemistry. Mixing liquids to make them appear in new colours turned out to be a real miracle."

09.11.2023

The Politics of Pandemics: Navigating the Global Landscape

by Jürg Utzinger, Professor of Epidemiology and Director of Swiss TPH

Swiss TPH "The politics of pandemics is about more than just health. It is about how we work across sectors, balancing the complex interplay between health, politics and conflicts, ensuring equity and security in times of crisis. The lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic should guide us towards a safer and more resilient future. Proactive global health governance, based on science, diplomacy and solidarity, is key to tackling future crises. (...) The political dimension of pandemics is reflected in how nations choose to share data and information, allocate resources and work together for a common goal. Countries that foster diplomatic relations and support international initiatives are better equipped to respond effectively to pandemics. A new International Treaty on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response will be discussed at next year’s World Health Assembly, including roles and responsibilities on how to deal with pandemics by the international community."

09.11.2023

Long-term Partnership in Tanzania Improves Access to Healthcare

Swiss TPH "The Health Promotion and System Strengthening (HPSS) project, funded by SDC and implemented by Swiss TPH, supported the Government of Tanzania in addressing major challenges of the health system. Over the past 12 years, the project improved access, quality, and affordability of healthcare with innovative solutions, like the "improved Community Health Fund" (iCHF), which provides affordable health insurance for low-income populations. HPSS substantially strengthened the pharmaceutical sector, health technology management, and health promotion, recognising the importance of community involvement for lasting improvements."

29.09.2023

30 Years of R&D Towards New Drugs for Tropical Diseases

Swiss TPH "In today’s interconnected world marked by complex challenges, looking back serves as a compass for charting the way forward. As we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), it is an opportune moment to reflect on our journey. Join me as I delve into one notable aspect of our history: the research and development (R&D) of new drugs for tropical diseases."

08.08.2023

The long road to schistosomiasis elimination in Zanzibar: A systematic review covering 100 years of research, interventions and control milestones

A new study by Swiss TPH and partners

Science Direct "Zanzibar is among the few places in sub-Saharan Africa where interruption of Schistosoma transmission seems an achievable goal. A new study by Swiss TPH and partners reviews 100 years of research and efforts to control schistosomiasis in Zanzibar. We have contributed to these efforts through our long-standing research into the disease. The review identify milestones in the fight against the parasitic worm disease. A major achievement was the reduction of infected individuals from historically over 50% to under 5% in 2020, leading to a substantial improvement in the health for the Zanzibari population. While challenges remain, the results published in Advances in Parasitology suggest that with sustained commitments, the transmission of the disease could be stopped by 2030."

07.08.2023

Moderate Temperatures Also Cause Death – Not Only Extreme Heat

Swiss TPH "Recent analyses by Swiss TPH show that not only heat waves, but also moderately hot temperatures, contribute to heat-related fatalities. On behalf of the Swiss federal government, Swiss TPH now monitors heat-related deaths in Switzerland on an annual basis. This monitoring provides a long-term record of the effects of climate change on health and helps to identify adaptation measures."

02.05.2023

New Midwife Care Model Improves Well-Being of Vulnerable Families

Swiss TPH "A new home-based midwife care model has shown promise in improving the well-being of women in vulnerable family situations and preventing early chronic childhood stress according to a new study published recently in BMC Health Services Research. The new model of care resulted from a partnership between the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) and Familystart in Basel, Switzerland. Such a model of care could be applied to all Swiss cantons."

02.05.2023

Time to Deliver Zero Malaria: Invest, Innovate, Implement

Swiss TPH "Although malaria can be prevented and treated, global investment in the fight against the disease is declining. World Malaria Day is therefore a reminder that the goal of a malaria-free world must remain on the political agenda, both in Switzerland and on a global scale. To mark the day, Swiss TPH experts hosted a panel discussion on 25 April 2023 to discuss the current work on malaria tools and interventions and future priorities."

03.04.2023

Mathematical Modelling to Inform Next-Generation Malaria Interventions

Swiss TPH "Global progress against malaria has stagnated and novel medical interventions are urgently needed. In a new publication, researchers from Swiss TPH and the Gates Medical Research Institute describe how modelling evidence is crucial for accelerating the development of new malaria vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and chemoprevention. Results were published today in Communications Medicine from Nature."

03.04.2023

Swiss TPH Symposium on Tuberculosis: A Call to Action

Swiss TPH "More than 10 million people fall sick with tuberculosis (TB) every year. The disease remains one of the world’s biggest killers with 1.6 million annual deaths. In recent years, efforts and funding to fight TB have been overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) is currently holding a 2-day symposium in Allschwil, Switzerland in order to share the latest findings in TB research, raise public awareness and drive policy change. Scientists, experts and decision-makers are discussing findings and ideas to spark the global efforts to eliminate TB as a public health problem by 2030."

07.02.2023

Experts Call for Enhanced Cooperation Between Human, Animal and Environmental Health

Press release

Swiss TPH The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed weaknesses in the world’s global health security networks. A global ‘One Health’ approach is crucial for preventing, monitoring and responding to future public health emergencies. This is argued by the authors of a four paper Series published yesterday in The Lancet. Swiss TPH, with its longstanding expertise in One Health, contributed to this Series. (...) Jakob Zinsstag, Head of the Human and Animal Health unit at Swiss TPH and lead-author of the first paper in the Series said: “There is clear evidence of the benefits in terms of human and animal lives saved and financial savings from working closely together on health at the human-animal-environment interface.”

18.01.2023

Supporting countries on their path to universal health coverage

Swiss TPH designs and implements health insurance solutions

Swiss TPH "Every year, 100 million people are pushed into poverty because they have to pay out of pocket for healthcare. To make sure that people can access health services without financial hardship, many countries have committed to ensuring universal health coverage and social protection. Swiss TPH provides tailor-made support to these countries."

18.01.2023

R. Geigy Award 2022 Goes to Three Researchers for Work on Malaria and Tuberculosis Control in Africa

Swiss TPH " Researchers Lorenz Hofer and Mgeni Tambwe are trying to stop malaria transmission in Tanzania. Astrid Knoblauch is distributing drugs to combat tuberculosis with the help of drones in Madagascar. For this, the R. Geigy Foundation awards them with the 12th R. Geigy Award 2022, endowed with CHF 20,000. In memory of the biologist and founder of the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), Rudolf Geigy, the Foundation awards this prize every two years to young researchers and public health specialists who distinguish themselves through outstanding achievements in the field of poverty-related and neglected tropical diseases."

16.01.2023

Eva Herzog Elected as New President of the Swiss TPH Board of Governors

Swiss TPH "The governments of the two Basel cantons have elected Eva Herzog, member of the Council of States of Canton Basel-Stadt, as the new President of the Board of Governors of the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH). Herzog will begin her new role on 1 January 2023. The Board of Governors is the highest decision-making and supervisory body of Swiss TPH. The President is jointly elected by the governments of both Canton Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft."

16.01.2023

Jürg Utzinger Elected New President of the R. Geigy Foundation

Swiss TPH "The R. Geigy Foundation Board elected Jürg Utzinger, Director of the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), as the new President of the R. Geigy Foundation as of 1 January 2023, succeeding Marcel Tanner, who chaired the Foundation for 25 years. "I am delighted to be leading the R. Geigy Foundation as President from January 2023," said Utzinger. "Over the past decades, the R. Geigy Foundation has developed into a strategically important vessel for Swiss TPH. Especially young researchers have been able to benefit from targeted start-up funding, which allowed them to propel their potential."

04.12.2022

World AIDS Day 2022 - Equity for all!

Swiss TPH "(...) For this years’ World AIDS Day, CDCI and the Ifakara Health Institute have teamed up with the district AIDS coordinator in Ifakara to celebrate World AIDS Day – to meet people in the community and raise a loud voice for equity for those infected with HIV or at risk to become infected. During the day, HIV testing will be offered together with other preventive health measures, and people living with HIV will share how HIV has affected their lives and how they manage to live a normal life in the community. Games for children, dances and theatre plays will convey the message of U=U (undetectable equals untransmittable), claiming equity for all!"

02.12.2022

New Project to Improve the Care of Patients with Non-Communicable Diseases in Kosovo

Swiss TPH "Diabetes affects about half a billion people worldwide, most of them in low- and middle-income countries. Every year, 1.5 million deaths are directly attributed to diabetes, and both the number of cases and the prevalence of diabetes are constantly increasing. 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 non-communicable diseases in Kosovo by supporting the development of a sustainable health system that provides high quality, affordable and integrated care for affected patients."

02.12.2022

Improving Diagnosis for Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis

Swiss TPH "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 outside of the lung. A clinical trial in Tanzania tested a diagnostic algorithm including point-of-care ultrasound to increase the proportion of correctly managed patients. While the proportion of correctly managed patients could not be increased, the study indicates that this diagnostic algorithm could be a feasible approach to increase confirmation of TB. This is the first clinical randomized controlled trial successfully conducted at the St. Francis Referral Hospital in Ifakara, highlighting the excellent clinical research knowhow and collaboration between the Ifakara Health Institute, Swiss TPH, and other partners. The results were published in the peer-reviewed journal Clinical Infectious Diseases."

06.11.2022

Current Recommended Treatment against Whipworm Shows Better Results than New Drug Combination

Swiss TPH "Swiss TPH researchers tested two different drug combinations against the parasitic worm Trichuris trichiura on Pemba Island, Tanzania. Findings show that a new treatment combination (moxidectin and albendazole) is inferior compared to the current recommended treatment combination (ivermectin and albendazole). However, moxidectin might serve as an alternative in areas in which ivermectin is not readily available or potentially where there are resistances against ivermectin. Results were published on 28 October in the Lancet Infectious Diseases Journal. More than 1.5 billion people worldwide are infected with soil-transmitted helminths. The infections occur mainly in tropical and subtropical areas in sub-Saharan Africa, the Americas, China and East Asia and is closely linked to poverty. Infections can lead to nutrient deficiency, anaemia, and impaired growth, thus children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to these detrimental effects. Soil-transmitted helminth infections are caused by several species of parasitic worms. One of them is the whipworm Trichuris trichiura."

05.11.2022

Multiscale transmission dynamics of rabies in Africa: The urban-rural interface

Swiss TPH "Researchers at Swiss TPH have launched a new project focused on rabies control in Chad with the help of artificial intelligence. Read more about how the research project takes a transdisciplinary One Health approach and uses public engagement and multilingual communication to achieve results. Dog mediated rabies, although entirely preventable, kills every year over 25,000 people in Africa. It has been demonstrated that rabies transmission can be interrupted with successful dog mass vaccination in N’Djamena, the capital city of Chad. However, most of the strategies to control and eliminate human rabies still stagnate mainly due to a lack of resources to support such interventions. One way that we can tackle rabies in Africa is by introducing relatively new, low-cost interventions, which is what our research project on Rabies Control in Chad aims to address."

07.10.2022

Organizations that bring science to impact – new actors for Sustainable Development?

Swiss TPH "Currently, world leaders are convening at the 77th United Nations General Assembly in New York. In parallel, the Science Summit is being held, with the central theme being the role and contribution of science in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Jasmina Saric reflects on the emergence, role and future of organisations that combine research and implementation for sustainable development. New findings on this topic will be presented at the Science Summit in a session convened by Swiss TPH."

12.09.2022

Coping with emerging public health problems

Interview with Nicole Probst-Hensch, Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Swiss TPH

Swiss TPH "Around a quarter of the population in Switzerland suffers from chronic diseases. These are some of the most frequent causes of death and cause physical and mental stress as well as high health care costs. Swiss TPH has extensive expertise in long-term studies involving biobanks that conduct research into chronic diseases and the impact of behavioural and environmental factors. Samples stored in biobanks and linked to the health data of the sample donors supply the evidence for successful prevention and health promotion. They also help us to understand the long-term health impacts of air pollution, heatwaves, traffic noise or chemicals. Swiss TPH is therefore making an important contribution to health monitoring in collaboration with other research institutions. In addition, biobanks are also the bedrock of medical progress in the early detection and diagnosis of chronic diseases, especially in cooperation with private companies."

04.08.2022

The significance of effective communication in times of COVID-19

Swiss TPH "Access to information is a basic human right. In times of crisis, timely and accurate information plays an important role in controlling a situation. Our partners of the AQH project share how effective communication saved lives during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kosovo. In Kosovo, as in many other places worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by another contagious phenomenon, namely disinformation or fake news. Conspiracy theories around COVID-19 vaccines also met interest in Kosovo and the wider Balkan region."

04.08.2022

Digital Tool Improves Quality of Care for Children

Swiss TPH "Digital tools are critical to improve the care for sick children, particularly in resource-constrained settings. In a new study, Swiss TPH and partners were able to show the positive impact of a digital clinical decision support system on improving the management of childhood illness in primary care in Nigeria. The findings, published in BMJ Open, support the use of digital tools for health systems strengthening on a broader scale."

08.07.2022

Nicole Probst-Hensch Wins Science Award of the City of Basel

Swiss TPH "Nicole Probst-Hensch, Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Swiss TPH, has been awarded this year's Science Award by the City of Basel. She received this prize for her pioneering research on the effects of air pollution on human health and her achievements in establishing biobanks and longterm cohort studies."

01.06.2022

Swiss TPH Awarded Four New Research Grants in Paediatric Health

Swiss TPH "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 (BRCCH). The initiative aims to drive interdisciplinary research that addresses critical challenges in global paediatric health and medicine. (...) The projects bring together researchers from its partner institutions and international partners to deliver innovations and intervention strategies for paediatric health diagnosis, disease treatment and prevention on a global scale. Swiss TPH and partners were successful in this highly competitive call, and will obtain funding for four out of six exciting research projects. Each project is supported with up to CHF 1 million for a duration of four years."

01.06.2022

Legionellosis Cases Continue to Increase in Switzerland

Swiss TPH "The number of legionellosis cases in Switzerland has increased five-fold over the past 20 years. A study by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) published today in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health analysed case numbers from 2000 to 2020 and determined the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on reporting. The researchers also found that the summer peaks of legionellosis have become more pronounced in recent years. Switzerland has one of the highest legionellosis incidence in Europe."

07.02.2022

Assessing the Potential Health Impact of Omicron

Swiss TPH Cases of SARS-CoV-2 variant Omicron are surging in numerous settings, with early evidence suggesting Omicron is more infectious than the Delta variant. It is not yet known, however, if Omicron has higher severity or if vaccines are less effective. New research from Swiss TPH now provides guidance to decision-makers on Omicron’s potential public health impact for a range of different scenarios. The paper is currently under review and available as pre-print.

03.02.2022

Analysis of 20 Years Finds Malaria Control in Young Children Saves Lives into Adulthood

Tanzanian study of 6,700 children over two decades highlights new insights into the long-term health benefits of bed nets.

Swiss TPH Bed nets save lives in the long run, according to a 22-year study in Tanzania, which for the first time, indicates that children who sleep under them at an early age are more likely to survive into adulthood. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed more than 6,700 children from 1998, tracking them again in 2019 to find out what happened to them. The results showed that survival of children who habitually slept under nets was over 40% higher compared with survival in those who slept under nets less frequently in their early childhood.

23.09.2021

New WHO Air Quality Guidelines Aim to Save Millions of Lives from Air Pollution

Swiss TPH "Today, the World Health Organization launched their new Global Air Quality Guidelines, which aims to protect the health of populations by reducing key air pollutants. Drawing on expertise from over 30 years of research on air pollution and health, Swiss TPH contributed to the new set of guidelines by generating evidence through multiple long-term studies and providing policy advice. The guidelines will serve as a tool for policy makers to guide legislation to combat air pollution and climate change."

06.09.2021

Collateral Damage of COVID-19 on Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Swiss TPH The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on both human health, the economy and society at large. There is no doubt that the disease and control measures indirectly effect people’s health and well-being, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where the crisis has amplified and deepened existing inequalities. To mitigate the collateral damage, Swiss TPH worked on a myriad of projects to support vulnerable populations around the globe.

08.07.2021

Swiss TPH Symposium: Global Health in the 21st Century

Presentations and Session Recordings

Swiss TPH Though much progress has been made in improving global health, many new obstacles have emerged. On 28-30 June 2021, Swiss TPH hosted a virtual symposium 'Global Health in the 21st Century', which brought together experts from the public, private, non-profit and governmental sectors to discuss the pressing global health issues of our time.

30.05.2021

Together, we can make the world a healthier place

Annual Report 2020

Swiss TPH "We are delighted to present to you the Swiss TPH Annual Report 2020, which reflects on this past year’s highlights and milestones, goes in-depth into a newly acquired portfolio of COVID-19 related projects, provides an overview of key facts and figures and much more. At the heart of this report lies the commitment of our staff and students and the terrific support of our partners and funders all over the world. We would like to thank our colleagues, partners and donors for their continued trust and collaboration. Together, we will emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to work together towards our mission of making the world a healthier place."

29.04.2021

Jeunes3 Programme Comes to a Close

JeuneS3 reached over 45,000 young people in schools and more than 10,000 young people out of schools in the DRC

Swiss TPH The JeuneS3 (Santé, Sécurité, Sexualité) programme, which focused on improving adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health in four Francophone African countries, has come to a close after four successful years. Swiss TPH, within a consortia led by Cordaid, contributed to the implementation of the national life skills education programme in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which supported young people being able to make informed decisions about their health, and to ensure that their rights are respected.

12.02.2021

Improving Access to COVID-19 Screening and Testing in African Countries

A joint initiative between several collaborator inlcuding the Swiss TPH and SolidarMed

Swiss TPH A new joint initiative from the Botnar Research Centre for Child Health and the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership will support three COVID-19-related projects in low- and middle-income countries, including a project led by Swiss TPH and Zambart that improves access to COVID-19 screening and testing in Lesotho and Zambia.

MMS Bulletin #156

Dezember 2020

Midwives of the future

Four stories of midwives from Chile, to Uganda, Malawi and Nepal

Every day over 800 pregnant women are dying - most of the deaths could be prevented by skilled birth attendants. Improving maternal health outcomes is one of the unfinished agendas and remains a priority of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, many countries face a tremendous shortage of skilled healthcare providers. In recognition of the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, this article features the motivations, challenges and dreams of young people from Chile, to Uganda, Malawi and Nepal, and who decided to become midwives of the future. This is only the start of a series of portraits by Dr Leah Bohle, soon launched on www.midwivesofthefuture.com

26.11.2020

Largest Clinical Trial in Africa to Treat COVID-19 Cases is Launched in 13 Countries

Press Release

Swiss TPH African countries and an international network of research institutions, including the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), have joined forces to launch the largest COVID-19 clinical trial in mild-to-moderate outpatients in Africa. The ANTICOV clinical trial aims to respond to the urgent need to identify treatments that can be used to treat mild and moderate cases of COVID-19 early and prevent spikes in hospitalisation that could overwhelm fragile and already overburdened health systems in Africa.

09.11.2020

Successful use of HIV self-tests in rural Lesotho

SolidarMed / Swiss TPH Niklaus Labhardt, President of SolidarMed, together with his team at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and employees of SolidarMed, has developed a strategy to increase HIV test coverage by 20 percent in the remote areas of Lesotho. In this strategy, home visits are combined with HIV self-tests.

06.11.2020

In Conversation With… Mathebe Kopo and Alain Amstutz

Podcast with SolidarMed and Swiss TPH

The Lancet HIV "Deputy Editor Philippa Harris discusses HIV testing and the HOSENG trial with researchers Mathebe Kopo (SolidarMed, Lesotho) and Alain Amstutz (Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland). Listen to the podcast."

02.10.2020

Only One Third of Children Receive Appropriate Malaria Care

Swiss TPH Despite lots of progress made in the past decade, more than 270,000 children die from Malaria each year. Most of these deaths could be avoided through timely diagnosis and treatment. Despite better availability of tests and medication, a new study shows that large gaps remain in the quality of malaria care for children. The study by Swiss TPH and partners was published yesterday in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS Medicine. (Photo: Danielle Powell/Swiss TPH) Description Used in item listings and search results.