Search results
Found 22693 matches for
OUCRU Photographer in Residence Pearl Gan has been awarded the International Society for Neglected Tropical Diseases (ISNTD) Festival Award for her submission to the ISNTD Festival Showcase. Pearl submission included seven photographs, and was recognised for its impact on tropical diseases and its broader development goals.
©
Credit: Pearl Gan
Low-dose yellow fever vaccination in infants: a randomised, double-blind, non-inferiority trial
Posted 23/01/2026. George Warimwe and colleagues investigated fractional dosing of yellow fever vaccine in Kenya and Uganda. While 500 IU was effective in adults, new results show it is insufficient in infants. These findings support WHO’s dose-sparing strategy for adults during outbreaks but confirm standard doses are necessary for routine infant immunisation.
One health perspective of antibiotic resistance in enterobacterales from Southeast Asia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Posted 21/01/2026. Antimicrobial resistance in Enterobacterales remains a critical challenge in Southeast Asia. Yewei Xie, Mo Yin and colleagues synthesised regional data, identifying high resistance burdens across sectors while revealing critical gaps in cross-sectoral surveillance . These findings highlight the urgent need for a standardised regional network to strengthen evidence-informed preparedness and response
Housing modifications for heat adaptation
Posted 20/01/2026. Better housing can lead to better health. Retrofitting of existing housing may be the fastest way and needs the least start up capital but the results are often suboptimal compared to a novel house design. Salum Mshamu, Lorenz von Seidlein, and Jakob Knudsen comment on a recent study of house modification in Kenya in nature medicine.
Developing and integrating physician assistants/associates in UK hospital teams: a realist review of lessons from international experiences
Posted 16/01/2026. Physician associates / assistants (PAs) were introduced into NHS hospitals to help address workforce shortages, but recent controversy exposed concerns about roles, supervision, and professional boundaries. Yingxi Zhao and colleagues reviewed international evidence on how PAs are developed and integrated in hospital teams, offering practical lessons to inform ongoing workforce reforms in the UK.
Teledermatology Exposes a Neglected Endemic: The Hidden Burden of Tinea Imbricata in Eastern Indonesia
Posted 14/01/2026. Tinea imbricata is a severely neglected skin condition that remains under-reported in Indonesia. Through their teledermatology initiative, Marlous Grijsen and colleagues identified six individuals affected by this condition and demonstrated how digital tools can help bridge gaps in access to skin care in remote settings.
Tafenoquine lactation pharmacokinetics: a pilot study
Posted 09/01/2026. First report: tafenoquine antimalarial concentrations in breast milk have been measured by Mellie Gilder, Eh Heet and colleagues at Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, an important step to vivax elimination. Details of drug concentrations in foremilk vs. hindmilk, and abundant vs. scarce milk volumes shed new light on the dynamics of lactation pharmacokinetics.
Single-step versus conventional injectable artesunate for severe malaria in children: an open label, non-inferiority randomized clinical trial, Democratic Republic of the Congo and United Republic of Tanzania
Posted 7/1/2026. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania, a randomized clinical trial led by Prof Marie Onyamboko, Dr Samwel Gesase, and Dr Caterina Fanello demonstrated that, in children with severe malaria, one-step injectable artesunate was quicker and cheaper to administer and had equivalent safety and efficacy compared with the conventional formulation.
Longitudinal patterns of antiretroviral treatment interruptions in a high burden, low-resource setting in South Africa: a retrospective cohort study
Posted 13/1/2026. This analysis of a large South African cohort demonstrated that HIV treatment interruptions were common and recurrent: nearly three-quarters of people disengaged from ART within six years, undermining the impact of antiretroviral programmes. Although most re-engaged, viral suppression remained poor after return, and interruptions were poorly predicted by routine demographic and clinical profiles, highlighting the need for more nuanced targeting of engagement support. By Claire Keene
The underperforming Abbott-Bioline Malaria Ag P.f/P.v rapid diagnostic test: a whiter shade of pale - where the truth is not plain to see
Posted 06/01/2026. Widely used Abbott-Bioline malaria RDTs failed to detect most vivax malaria cases in Myanmar (sensitivity: 0.24). The absence of the positivity colour band was objectively confirmed using ImageJ® image-processing software. Despite clear evidence of poor performance presented since August 2024, neither WHO (ISF) nor Abbott took action, resulting in large-scale, preventable morbidity and mortality. These RDTs should not be used. By Frank Smithuis.
Prospective characterisation of drug-resistant bloodstream infections in Africa and Asia (ACORN2): a surveillance network assessment
Posted 17/12/2025. The burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in many low- and middle-income countries remains largely unknown. The Wellcome-funded ACORN2 study worked with clinical teams in 19 hospitals across Africa and Asia to identify a high incidence of AMR in bloodstream infections caused by global priority bacterial pathogens. By Paul Turner
Access to hypertension services and health-seeking experiences in rural Coastal Kenya: A qualitative study
Posted 12/12/2025. Robinson Oyando, Benjamin Tsofa and colleagues examined barriers to hypertension care in rural coastal Kenya, revealing low awareness, weak patient-provider relationships, medicine shortages, and financial challenges. Many begin treatment late, often after complications arise. These findings highlight the need for patient-centred care and stronger health system capacity to improve hypertension management and outcomes.
Assessing the impact of tungiasis on children’s quality of life in Kenya
Posted 16/12/2025. Tungiasis, a neglected tropical skin disease, harms children’s quality of life. Lynne Elson and colleagues found its effects worsened when caregivers were depressed but lessened with caregiver affection. The infection disrupts sleep and provokes sadness and shame, underscoring the importance of psychosocial factors in disease burden and child well‑being.
Methods for assessing climate vulnerability in Africa across two decades: a scoping review
Posted 09/12/2025. Effective climate vulnerability assessment helps identify at-risk communities and guide appropriate interventions. Emily Odipo and colleagues reviewed approaches for assessing climate vulnerability in Africa. Their findings highlighted the methodological robustness of existing methods, while emphasizing the importance of choosing models that reflect the unique dynamics and context of the systems being evaluated. Notably, climate vulnerability assessment within the health sector was limited, highlighting a significant research gap.
Engagement and justice considerations in mitigation of antimicrobial resistance
Posted 10/12/2025. In this paper, Phaik Yeong Cheah and colleagues stressed that mitigation of antimicrobial resistance should include perspectives of communities most affected by it. They also said that multiple dimensions of justice should be considered e.g. procedural justice, distributive justice, reparative justice.
Inflammation impairs post-hospital discharge growth among children hospitalised with acute illness in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia
Posted 05/12/2025. Data from the CHAIN Network show that among children hospitalised in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, persistent systemic inflammation has a greater role than gut damage or social factors in driving poor post-discharge weight gain and suppresses key growth mediators, helping explain continued growth faltering after discharge from hospital. By James Njunge and Jay Berkley
Guidelines for the treatment of tungiasis
Posted 03/12/2025. Tungiasis, a neglected tropical skin disease, lacked evidence-based treatment until recently. Lynne Elson chaired an expert group that created new PAHO/WHO guidelines. These provide governments in endemic regions with a vital tool to strengthen disease control, marking a significant advance in public health intervention and neglected tropical disease management.
Plasma lipopolysaccharide levels predict mortality in acutely ill children in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Posted 02/12/2025. Data from the CHAIN Network show that in acutely-ill hospitalised children from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, high plasma levels of bacterial Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at admission, independently of malnutrition, predict 90-day mortality, linking microbial translocation and systemic inflammation to death risk. By Jay Berkley
Serial cross-sectional school surveys identifies C469Y, P553L, R561H and A675V kelch 13 mutations associated with artemisinin resistance in Western Kenya
Posted 23/11/2025. Analysis of over 24,000 samples from schoolchildren in western Kenya revealed rising genetic mutations linked to artemisinin resistance, including the emerging A675V and newly detected R561H. This study by Isabella Oyier and colleagues highlights school-based surveillance as an effective tool to detect early resistance and calls for urgent follow-up to safeguard malaria treatment efficacy.
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.