Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health and socioeconomic crisis. Regardless of its impact on human and animal health, food production, and the environment that could happen to everyone, everywhere, there\u2019s still much to be done to raise public and stakeholder awareness. A global online survey of nearly 200 stakeholders from human, animal, plant, and environmental health sectors also highlighted the need for increased public awareness and action.
OUCRU and the Phu Tho Department of Health have partnered to improve antibiotic stewardship and microbiology capabilities in underserved districts of the province. A recent semi-final meeting was held to review the project's progress and celebrate its achievements.
A participatory-action approach involving community members and adolescents resulted in a dialogue-drama on adolescent pregnancy, contraception, and choice in the event of an unplanned pregnancy. The dialogue-drama augmented discussion of traditionally taboo issues and this ethnographic method is potentially useful for similar global health settings.
A nationwide study led by Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia (FMUI) and OUCRU Indonesia found that 9 out of 10 hospitals in a sample of 575 across 34 provinces of Indonesia had a formal Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme. But only half of those had reached a development level where they could run a robust, functional stewardship programme.
The 5th Annual BactiVac Network Meeting, co-hosted by the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) and the Bacterial Vaccines Network, took place from 4-7 November 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Vietnam remains a country with a high tuberculosis burden, with tuberculous meningitis (TBM) being particularly challenging to detect early, often leading to severe neurological sequelae in patients. With the mission of addressing global health issues, Collab Lab, an initiative led by OUCRU\u2019s Public and Community Engagement group, has chosen to animate a publication about TBM, aims to raise awareness about tuberculosis in general, TBM, and the importance of BCG vaccination for children.
Dr Gesa Gnegel and Dr C\u00e9line Caillet were invited to present their current work during a session at the World Health Summit. This international forum and leading global health conference brings together stakeholders from politics, science, the private sector, and civil society. The aim of this event that took place in Berlin from the 13th to the 15th of October 2024 is \u2018to set the agenda for a healthier future by inspiring innovative solutions for better health and well-being for all\u2019.
In a new study published in eLife Journal, OUCRU researchers identified gene activity signatures in the blood of patients with a life-threatening form of tuberculosis.
Did you know that dengue fever cases have witnessed a ten-fold surge in the past two decades? This tropical disease continues to be a global health situation. The fight against dengue has become increasingly complicated due to drastic changes in mosquito behavior and geographical distribution. Traditionally, we\u2019ve focused on preventing mosquito bites. But now, researchers are asking a crucial question: What happens when the dengue virus passes from mosquito to mosquito? Through vertical transmission - where a mother mosquito passes the virus to her offspring - could baby mosquitoes also spread dengue? If so, we\u2019re facing a new threat and have to develop new strategies against this new enemy, baby mosquitos!
From 24-26 Sept, the Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN) Vivax Working Group (VxWG) and Surveillance & Response Working Group (SRWG) held their 2024 Joint Annual Meeting in Kuching, Malaysia. Co-organized by SRWG and VxWG host institutions MORU and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), the event took place immediately following the 2024 International Congress for Tropical Medicine and Malaria (ICTMM).
Dr Chewapreecha, a Wellcome International Intermediate Fellow and computational biologist at NDM's Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, has been announced as the Individual Winner at this year\u2019s Inspiring Women in Science Awards hosted by Nature and The Est\u00e9e Lauder Companies. She was honoured at a ceremony in London on 31 October.
Experts from across Europe joined forces to discuss research on substandard and falsified medical products and how to translate the evidence into policy and implementation. Over forty participants from various countries around the world, all based in Europe, including the UK, Sweden, France, Germany and Belgium, joined the in-person informal event at the Richard Doll Building, in Oxford, on the 24th of October.
On 10 Oct in London, the Royal Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH) awarded MORU\u2019s Prof Lorenz von Seidlein (centre) the Donald Mackay Medal for outstanding work in tropical health, especially relating to improvements in the health of rural or urban workers in the tropics.
Forum Theatre, a branch of the so-called Theatre of the Oppressed, is an interactive and participatory form of theatre developed by Brazilian theatre practitioner Augusto Boal in the 1970s. This unique approach has the potential to explore a community\u2019s voice and raise awareness by empowering people with a tool that encourages them to change reality through their own suggestions for real social issues.
The Global Health Network, hosted by NDM-CGHR, proudly announced the official launch of its Middle East North Africa (MENA) Regional Hub, an initiative set to revolutionise health research, education, and practice across the region. The launch event was held at the Canadian University Dubai on the 21st October 2024, and brought together leading experts, policymakers, and academic institutions to chart a path toward a healthier and more resilient future for the MENA region.
On 14 October 2024, a delegation from Wellcome visited OUCRU Indonesia to deepen their understanding of the unit\u2019s research, learn about its collaborations with various partners, and gain insights into its capacity-building initiatives for local researchers.
IHTM Course Director, Proochista Ariana, travelled to Seychelles in October to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, between the University of Oxford and the University of Seychelles, with the focus on research, education and evidenced-based policymaking.
A promising human vaccine candidate against the potentially deadly Rift Valley fever, a mosquito-borne disease affecting countries across Africa, is set to begin Phase II trials in Kenya. This is the most advanced stage of testing a human Rift Valley fever vaccine has reached in an outbreak-prone area to date. A team of scientists at the Nuffield Department of Medicine and the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme will lead the $3.7m trial, funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
10th October is World Mental Health Day. This year\u2019s official theme, \u201cIt\u2019s Time to Prioritise Mental Health in the Workplace,\u201d once again emphasised the importance of mental health in professional settings. The global campaign aimed to advocate for improved mental healthcare systems and procedures in workplaces, ensuring employees feel their mental health is prioritised, protected, and promoted.
Dr Geetanjali Kapoor gives a series of talks on AMR surveillance best practices 9-15 October, understanding real-world challenges associated with large datasets from disparate sources, laboratory methods, country workshops, and the importance of AMR surveillance. The series is based on her experiences as a Fleming Fund regional grantee in Africa.
Luu Phuoc An, a PhD student at NDM\u2019s Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU), is dedicated to improving end of life care in Vietnam. Her research explores the complex cultural, emotional, and medical aspects of death and dying in hospital settings.
The MORU-OUCRU Discovery Research Academy (MODRA) recently concluded its inaugural workshop in Bangkok. This intensive five-day programme equipped 15 promising postdoctoral researchers with the skills required to complete a high-quality seed proposal.
A new study which will help inform World Health Organization guidelines for treating children with Plasmodium vivax malaria has found that giving children higher doses of primaquine substantially reduced recurrences of malaria.
OUCRU Youth Science Ambassadors (YSA) project, launched in 2021, has become a key youth engagement activities of OUCRU\u2019s Public and Community Engagement Group. Becoming part of the project, young participants are empowered to lead, propose, plan, and execute their own initiatives addressing specific issues they identify themselves.
OUCRU Hanoi\u2019s new study has found high levels of acceptability for a point-of-care testing service to improve antibiotic dispensing for respiratory infections in Vietnamese pharmacies.
Collaborators of a multi-country project aimed at better understanding the impact, origin and trade routes of falsified medical products gathered to share updates and make final year plans.
Research on sickle cell disease conducted by KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP) at the Nuffield Department of Medicine shows significant progress in understanding how to improve survival rates and quality of life for those living with the condition.
A recent study identified key factors contributing to the tuberculosis burden in Ho Chi Minh City, conducted by researchers from the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam (OUCRU) and Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital.
Last week Professor Mike English led a workshop at the Christ Church Research Centre focused on Patient Safety in Low-Resource Setting Hospitals. The event is part of a broader initiative aimed at developing practical solutions for improving patient safety in healthcare environments with limited resources.
Four years after being derailed by scientific fraud and politicised science in the first year of the pandemic, COPCOV, the world\u2019s largest COVID-19 chemoprevention study, finally published results today that showed that hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) does have a moderate benefit in preventing COVID-19.
KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP) hosted an exhibition as part of the British High Commission Pavilion during the Kenya National Research Festival 2024. Under the theme \u201cResearch Partnerships and collaborations for Socio-Economic Transformation\u201d the festival aimed to raise awareness about the diverse spectrum of research activities in Kenya and internationally encouraging collaboration.
We are delighted to announce that seven of our researchers have been awarded the title of Professor, in recognition of their research achievements, contribution to teaching, and contribution to the general work of the Nuffield Department of Medicine.
A team from the University of Oxford and MORU have developed a first of its kind mass spectrometry method for vaccine authenticity screening using machine learning. The method repurposes clinical mass spectrometers already present in hospitals worldwide, making the approach feasible for global supply chain monitoring. The discovery offers an effective solution to the rise in substandard and counterfeit vaccines threatening public health.
Researchers at the University of Oxford and the University of Liverpool have for the first time been able to estimate the current burden of Lassa fever, project the impacts of a Lassa fever vaccination programme, and demonstrate how it may help avoid the next pandemic.
The Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia (FMUI) and OUCRU Indonesia have completed a phase 2 clinical trial for two new malaria vaccines developed by Sanaria Inc. This is the first malaria vaccine trial ever conducted in Indonesia and the first in the Asia-Pacific region in over 30 years.
D\u00e9irdre Hollingsworth, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the University of Oxford, has been awarded a prestigious Simons Foundation Fellowship from the Isaac Newton Institute. This recognition supports her efforts in using mathematical modelling to improve global health outcomes. As part of this initiative, D\u00e9irdre is organizing a one-day event on August 13, 2024, focusing on pandemic preparedness. The event aims to address key policy questions through mathematical modelling, covering vaccine development, diagnostics and funding.
Professor Sassy Molyneux has received a prestigious five-year NIHR Global Health Research Professorship to study how to better protect frontline staff in international health research from moral distress. This is one of only five to seven such `flagship\u2019 professorships awarded by the NIHR each year to outstanding scientists.
A previously unknown strain of Mpox is spreading near DRC\u2019s border with Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda. GAVI Linda Geddes spoke to Leandre Murhula Masirika, Jean Claude Udahemuka and Trudie Lang who are working to understand and contain the virus.
OUCRU Indonesia scientist, Dr Edward Sutanto MPH, was awarded \u2018Best Poster Presentation\u2019 in the topic of Vaccine and Immunology at the International Pandemic Sciences Conference 2024. Edward\u2019s poster showcased a recently completed study on Covid-19 vaccines for pregnant women in Indonesia.
At OUCRU, we have integrated public and community engagement projects into our research program since 2011. But what exactly is community engagement (and involvement), and why is it important to global health research? Let\u2019s take a look at the summary of a new free course on MESH, a community engagement knowledge and professional support hub by The Global Health Network, and the research outputs made by and led by community members at OUCRU throughout the years to find out.
The Malariaworld exhibition was developed in conjunction with World Malaria Day 2024 to raise awareness of malaria and malaria research, and to highlight some of our contributions to malaria research. You can now visit our virtual exhibition!
The efficacy of artemisinin derivatives, the cornerstone of current treatments for malaria, is being compromised in Africa where over 1,000 children are estimated to die each day from the disease. The spread of artemisinin-resistant malaria parasites across East Africa and beyond could result in millions more deaths without immediate health policy changes, warn experts in a paper published in Science.
The MORU \u2013 OUCRU Discovery Research Academy (MODRA) is thrilled to announce the selection of its first cohort of the programme. The MORU \u2013 OUCRU Discovery Research Academy (MODRA), funded by Wellcome, is a collaborative initiative by the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) and the Madihol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) to nurture the next generation of scientific leaders in low- and middle-income (LMICs) countries of South Asia.
A recent publication by OUCRU researchers, published in the journal Public Health Action, highlights the importance of community engagement in TB research.
In this new report the World Bank invited Professor Mike English to explain how learning health systems approaches can improve hospital care. Professor English with Dr Mulenga-Willows and Ms Rosie Mazhar also contribute a chapter on the varied thinking and practice around what is a district hospital in low resource settings.
![\"AMR](\"https://www.tropicalmedicine.ox.ac.uk/news/the-important-role-of-young-people-in-tackling-amr/responsive_image?ratio=r16x9&scale=w760\")
\n \n \n\n\n