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The COVID-19 pandemic has seen some extraordinary medical feats and achievements, which are being rightly celebrated. Researchers at Oxford University have been at the forefront of global efforts, including the first human trials of a COVID-19 vaccine, and the world’s biggest trial of potential COVID-19 treatments, RECOVERY.
Edna Mutua: Antimicrobial resistance surveillance and governance
In our global fight against antimicrobial resistance, KWTRP is piloting a surveillance project where hospital samples are transfered to high-capacity laboratories for analysis, to inform patient treatment and policy planning. Mitigating AMR is crucial as it can be costly in lives, hospital stays and livelihoods. An equitable AMR mitigation needs to balance gains and harms for just outcomes.
Paul Turner: Improving data for infection management
The ACORN project gathers clinical, microbiology, and antibiotic use data from nine countries in Asia and Africa to understand the burden and impact of antibiotic resistance on patient treatment and outcomes. It aims to improve direct patient care, generate treatment guidelines, and inform interventions to combat antibiotic resistance globally, ensuring better antibiotics for all.
Claire Chewapreecha: Melioidosis genomics
Genetic investigations into melioidosis, profiling both bacteria and patients, help understand disease acquisition and outcomes. Furthermore, identifying prevalent harmful bacterial genes supports vaccine development, and the development of CRISPR-Cas-based tests responds to an urgent need for rapid diagnosis that can reduce the detection time to under three hours with higher sensitivity. Applications developed in resource-limited settings show improved global applicability and impact on patients’ outcomes.
Carlo Perrone: Improving scrub typhus detection and prevention
In northern Thailand, MORU researchers focus on scrub typhus, a disease transmitted by small bugs in rural environments. A simple diagnostic cartridge for rapid detection would avoid critical delays and issues of current antibody-based tests. If accessible in small hospitals, this improved diagnostics has the potential to save lives by providing timely treatment. Involving local communities is essential to address the endemic nature of scrub typhus in rural areas.
Stuart Blacksell: Risk-based approach to biosafety
In biosafety and biosecurity, the recent risk-based approach departs from a rigid one-size-fits-all model. Tailoring safety measures to pathogen and activity levels enhances flexibility, which is vital in resource-limited settings. Systematic reporting of lab incidents globally is lacking, hindering transparency and root cause analysis. Most accidents result from human or procedural errors, highlighting the need for investment in personnel training.
Direk Limmathurotsakul: AMR: local, national, global impact
To fight antimicrobial resistance, researchers at MORU utilise hospital data to assess global impact and guide interventions. By analysing data, they identify hospitals needing support which enables targeted interventions. Automation and simplification aid data utilization in low-middle-income countries. This approach, bridging implementation and epidemiological research, is crucial and has the potential to save many lives.
Nick White: Improving the treatment of infectious diseases
With nearly 50 years in malaria research and more recent focus on COVID-19, research at MORU led to more effective treatments. In COVID-19, trials debunked drugs like ivermectin or favipiravir, but validated remdesivir, molnupiravir and protease inhibitors. As malaria faces drug resistance, triple therapies offer hope. MORU research aims for tangible health impacts, with an approach applicable to other infectious diseases.
Naomi Waithira: Data, science and health
MORU Data Management focuses on tropical infectious diseases, gathering data from diverse sources like patient interviews, medical records and laboratory results. This data, stripped of identifying information, is organized for analysis. Past clinical data aids new insights, augmented by mathematical modelling and AI. MORU aims to improve healthcare by leveraging technology for accurate, impactful solutions.
IHTM Podcasts
The IHTM podcast series provides a platform to discuss and address some of the current challenges in global health, particularly in resource limited contexts. The series will draw on IHTM faculty, teachers and alumni, who are at the forefront of international health, and we hope the podcasts will appeal to a broad global health audience and in particular the populations and organisations with which IHTM alumni work.