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The Africa Oxford Initiative (AfOx) invites applications for the 2019 AfOx Visiting Fellowships Programme. Our programme is designed to enhance academic mobility and network building. We support African scholars and researchers working over various areas to spend periods of flexible time in Oxford.
Leveraging malaria microscopy infrastructure to diagnose common and neglected skin diseases using direct microscopy in Sumba, Indonesia
Posted 22/11/2025. Our new study in The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific describes how existing malaria microscopy infrastructure in Sumba, eastern Indonesia, can be leveraged to diagnose common and neglected skin diseases using direct microscopy. This low-resource, scalable approach has the potential to greatly improve access to skin health in remote communities. By Marlous Grijsen
Transplacental Transfer of Lumefantrine, Mefloquine, and Piperaquine: A Comparison of Concentrations in Mothers, Neonates, and Cord Blood
Posted 12/11/2025. Malaria parasites cross the placenta, but what about antimalarials? Makoto Saito and SMRU researchers found neonatal capillary drug levels nearly matched maternal levels for piperaquine but were under half for lumefantrine and mefloquine. Cord levels were lowest, suggesting neonatal capillary sampling is essential.
Climate change, disability, and water, sanitation and hygiene: A scoping review of evidence and interventions in low and middle-income countries
Posted 22/11/2025. Climate shocks destabilise WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) services in LMICs, intensifying risks of waterborne disease, dehydration and psychological distress. Women, girls and people with disabilities face the steepest barriers. Communities improvise but fixes remain fragile. Julian Natukunda and colleagues call for disability-disaggregated data and gender-responsive, community-led, climate-resilient WASH policies and evaluated interventions.
Nationwide seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic and prepandemic periods in Lao PDR
Posted 21/11/2025. Laos reported the region’s fewest COVID-19 cases in 2020–early 2021, leading some to suspect weak surveillance. However, gold-standard serology showed minimal SARS-CoV-2 exposure, no cross-reactive neutralising antibodies before the pandemic, and low seroprevalence before vaccination, confirming Laos had little transmission prior to the surge beginning in May 2021. By Koukeo Phommasone
Causes of death in rural southeast Asia by electronic verbal autopsy: a population-based observational study
Posted 20/11/2025. A five-country rural verbal-autopsy study finds a substantial burden of non-communicable diseases alongside persistent infectious threats. High rates of undocumented home deaths and limited access to care highlight the need to strengthen primary healthcare systems, improve mortality surveillance, and target interventions across Southeast Asia’s rural communities. By Nan Shwe Nwe Htun
A Pragmatic Trial of Glucocorticoids for Community-Acquired Pneumonia
Posted 11/11/2025. Anthony Etyang and colleagues found that adding low-dose oral steroids to routine antibiotic treatment reduced pneumonia deaths among adults in Kenyan hospitals. The SONIA trial, involving 2,180 patients across 18 sites, showed improved 30-day survival without increased side effects, suggesting a safe, low-cost intervention for resource-limited settings.
Factors associated with positive blood cultures in children in nine African and Asian countries: the ACORN2 surveillance network
Posted 07/11/2025. Blood culture yield is low in children. Cristina Ardura-Garcia and colleagues used data from ACORN2, a surveillance network including 19 African and Asian hospitals, to identify routinely collected and readily available factors associated with blood culture positivity in hospitalised children. These findings may optimise blood culture indications in children in LMICs.
How should health researchers advance health equity?
Posted 05/11/2025. In this commentary, Phaik Yeong Cheah and Michael Parker outline ways in which health researchers can advance health equity. They focus on often-overlooked areas, including identifying context-specific drivers of inequity, carefully selecting research questions and priorities, engaging stakeholders, including those whose voices are seldom heard, improving diversity and inclusiveness among study participants, and using equity-oriented study designs.
Stakeholder analysis for ‘One Health’ approach to tackle antimicrobial resistance
Posted 04/11/2025. The varied understanding of stakeholder engagement often limits its effective use. In their BMJ Global Health analysis, Bipin Adhikari and colleagues draw lessons from Nepal to show how applying stakeholder analysis through a 'One Health' approach can bridge sectors, clarify roles, and strengthen collective action against antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Optimal gestational weight gain and pregnancy outcomes, by BMI and height, in a marginalised population of women with short stature living along the Thailand-Myanmar border: A retrospective cohort, 2004–2023
Posted 21/10/2025. Pregnancy guidelines are frequently derived from populations in high income countries. International gestational weight gain guidelines are based on taller populations from North America and Western Europe. Mary Gouws, Rose McGready and SMRU colleagues suggest that lower weight gain during pregnancy in women with short stature on the Thailand-Myanmar border is associated with optimal outcomes.
Placental and cord blood DNA methylation in preterm birth: exploring the epigenetic role of maternal dietary protein
Posted 31/10/2025. Fatima Ahmed, Annalisa Terranegra and SMRU colleagues compared DNA methlyation in placental and cord blood samples from preterm birth and full-term pregnancies among Karen and Burmese populations in Myanmar and Thailand. The findings provide novel insights into how protein deficiency may epigenetically predispose to preterm birth and suggests potential biomarkers for early detection and intervention
Antiviral efficacy of oral ensitrelvir versus oral ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir in COVID-19 (PLATCOV): an open-label, phase 2, randomised, controlled, adaptive trial
Posted 27/10/2025. Ensitrelvir shows strong antiviral activity against COVID-19 in first head-to-head comparison with Paxlovid. In the PLATCOV phase 2 trial, ensitrelvir accelerated SARS-CoV-2 clearance by 82% versus no treatment and was only slightly slower than Paxlovid. Both drugs were well tolerated although bad taste was much less frequent with ensitrelvir. The study supports ensitrelvir as an effective, once-daily oral COVID-19 antiviral alternative. By William Schilling.
Identification and pathogen screening of ectoparasites from companion animals in urban Vientiane, Lao PDR
Posted 29/10/2025. Vanheuang Phommadeechack and colleagues examined the prevalence of zoonotic pathogens within ectoparasites found on dogs and cats in Vientiane, Laos. Fleas and ticks carried Rickettsia and Anaplasmataceae, seen as potential human pathogens. This highlights risks of zoonotic infections and the need for vector control strategies with companion animals, supporting public health and awareness.
Plasma folate dynamics in Plasmodium falciparum-infected African children treated with artemisinin combination therapy and single low-dose primaquine or placebo
Posted 20/10/2025. In 408 falciparum-infected under-5 African children treated with single low dose primaquine (SLDPQ) or placebo plus dihydroartemisinin piperaquine, plasma folate dynamics followed those of haemoglobin with an initial fall followed by a rise and were unaffected by SLDPQ or G6PD status. This research provides more evidence of the safety of SLDPQ. By Bob Taylor
Newborn technology use in low-resource settings: the role of health professionals’ communication in implementation
Posted 16/10/2025. How does the hospital environment in low-resource settings influence the use of newborn care technologies? Gloria Ngaiza and colleagues examined Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) and phototherapy. They highlight how the physical setting, socio-organizational factors, technological features, and the broader context impact how health professionals in Kenya communicate, and, ultimately, make decisions to use or not use technologies.
Sustainable by Design: Digital Health Business Models for Equitable Global Health Impact in Low-Income and Low-Middle-Income Countries
Posted 13/10/2025. Drawing on the business model challenges faced by digital health entrepreneurs in LMICs and lessons from market-shaping approaches that have expanded access to essential medicines in global health, Elvin Irihamye and colleagues provide a framework that shows how business strategy and market-shaping practices can be adapted to align digital health business models with the delivery of tangible global health impact.
Applying a multi-layered, mixed methods approach to evaluate technology and workforce interventions in Kenyan neonatal units
Posted 07/10/2025. How do we design and ethically implement complex health interventions and evaluations in settings that are under resourced without compromising patient care or research data? Michuki Maina and colleagues used layered mixed methodologies and sustained stakeholder engagement to design and conduct implementation research of a complex intervention in Kenyan neonatal hospitals.
Antimicrobial usage among acutely ill hospitalized children aged 2‒23 months in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia
Posted 29/09/2025. Overuse of antimicrobials strongly drives antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Among 3,101 acutely ill children admitted to 9 hospitals in Africa and South Asia, 91% received antimicrobials, including 11% where antimicrobials were not indicated. Notably, there was limited escalation and de-escalation of antimicrobial treatment, likely due to a lack of guidance. By Jay Berkley
Communication among health professionals using newborn technology for care: an exploratory scoping review
Posted 30/09/2025. Effective communication supports the adoption of health interventions. Gloria Ngaiza and colleagues reviewed communication among health professionals using newborn technology for care. The findings showed limited information, centred on a few technologies and disciplines of health professionals. The context of technology use was also crucial in communication, and further research is necessary to explore these areas.
Engagement with migrant communities at the Thai-Myanmar border: Lessons learnt from a community advisory board
Posted 26/09/2025. Supa-at Asarath, Napat Khirikoekkong, Phaik Yeong Cheah, and colleagues reflects on engagement with the Tak Province Community Ethics Advisory Board (T-CAB), established in 2009 on the Thai-Myanmar border, capturing views from members on their involvement in health and research topics, their motivations, benefits, and challenges. Findings show how T-CAB improves research ethics, design, and community trust.