In a new study published in The Lancet, a team of international researchers has highlighted the urgent need for action to address the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.
On 20 May in Hanoi, Dr Mary Chambers and Associate Professor Sonia Lewycka presented on One Health activities at OUCRU, highlighting the essential role of public engagement and communication with various communities in raising awareness as well as how to integrate One Health approach and climate change into infectious diseases research.
On 31st May, the Public and Community Engagement Group at OUCRU re-launched the Science Visit project. This event saw 25 enthusiastic students from Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, the Phillipines, and Cambodia. This student group is a part of the ASEAN Social Impact Program (ASIP), visit OUCRU. They joined a lab tour and participated in several group games centered around the clinical trials process.
At OUCRU, we believe that science can excite and inspire children, contribute to their understanding of the world, and present opportunities for life skill development. The better children understand and appreciate science, the better-informed decisions they can make throughout their lives.
OUCRU Hanoi and its host, the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases (NHTD), recently organised a workshop entitled \u201cThe Value of Vaccines in Mitigating Antimicrobial Resistance in Vietnam.\u201d
OUCRU recently hosted an intensive week-long training event, the Viral Genomics and Bioinformatics course. This event was organised in collaboration with Wellcome Connecting Science, highlighting the ongoing commitment of both institutions to enhance global health research capacity, particularly in the field of infectious diseases.
The Public and Community Engagement group at OUCRU has a strong commitment to community engagement, particularly in the field of vaccine research. Let\u2019s look at some featured projects in all OUCRU\u2019s local offices, spreading out from typhoid in Nepal to TB in Vietnam.
22th April is Earth Day. As important as clinical research, at OUCRU, we are also committed to promoting environmental activities and encouraging a culture of sustainability. Our initiatives include a dedicated Green Team and several activities, one of which is the Green Day event. The OUCRU Green Team is a group of passionate volunteers who work tirelessly to equip our office with eco-friendly systems and inspire staff to adopt environmentally sustainable lifestyles.
The Malariaworld exhibition has been developed for World Malaria Day 2024 to raise awareness of malaria and malaria research. We highlight some of the Nuffield Department of Medicine\u2019s contributions to malaria research. Come and visit our exhibition at the John Radcliffe Academic Centre, 22-29 April 2024.
The objectives of the dengue group over the last 20 years have been to improve the diagnosis and management of dengue and to facilitate and enhance disease prevention strategies at a local, regional and global level.
A recent study published in the Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine has validated a novel biomarker that accurately predicts preterm births. The research represents an important advancement in the early detection and management of preterm labour risks, with potential implications for improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes in the Southeast Asian region.
It has been well-documented that healthcare workers were significantly affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. They faced increased risks, shortage of protective equipment, heavy workloads, and severe mental distress. However, most existing studies explored healthcare workers\u2019 experiences at the individual level rather than examining the collective responses. Exploring these experiences can highlight the local culture and social influence during the pandemic and point out system limits during public health crises.
In the 1st week of April each year, the global community comes together to celebrate health workers, the backbone of the health industry and society. This year, the theme is #SafeSupportedHealthWorkers. The Frontline Health Workers Coalition and its partners are leading the effort. The goal is to unite advocates, health workers, leaders, and communities worldwide to call for investment, protection, and support for the health workforce. This is especially important in low\u2014and middle-income countries.
Social workers play an important role in complex and fast-paced environments like hospitals. They support hospital staff, patients, and carers professionally, physically, and mentally.
OUCRU, in collaboration with KPMG Vietnam, recently led a delegation from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health (DoH) on a visit to the United Kingdom. This visit is a part of a UK-funded strategic initiative to support the DoH in developing Ho Chi Minh City as a health innovation hub for Vietnam and the region.
Members of OUCRU\u2019s Tuberculosis group have contributed to the World Health Organization's latest edition of the tuberculosis (TB) diagnostic handbook. The \"WHO operational handbook on tuberculosis\" is an important resource for the rapid detection and diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB).
Since obtaining her PhD from the University of Oxford in 2017, Dr Vu Thi Lan Huong has charted a transformative journey, rising to spearhead the Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) programme. Currently, as the Senior Research Fellow at OUCRU Ha Noi, she has dedicated her career to unravelling the complexities of this silent but deadly threat.
OUCRU and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust have partnered to deliver a specialised training program in critical care medicine at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases (Ha Noi) and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases (Ho Chi Minh City).
Bachtiar Andy Musaffa (Andy) stands at the intersection of data management and human leadership\u2014a place where numbers meet the nuanced complexities of team dynamics. As the Senior Research Data Manager at OUCRU Indonesia, Andy is not only at the helm of organising critical clinical trial data and developing databases but also at the core of leading a diverse team through the highs and lows of intensive research environments.
Oxford University Clinical Research Unit\u2019s host and partner in Ho Chi Minh City, the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, was recently honoured with the Vietnam 2023 Medical Achievement Award at an event hosted by Voice of Ho Chi Minh City (VoH).
Dr Suwarti began her journey with OUCRU Indonesia in 2018 as an awardee of the OUCRU Young Scientist Fellowship programme, when she embarked on a research journey into leptospirosis, a neglected tropical disease. Her curiosity and commitment to improving health outcomes have seen her research interests expand to the molecular diagnostic of Tuberculosis, Covid-19, and HIV.
A team of researchers at OUCRU has pioneered a novel, microbiological assay-independent diagnostic model for Adult Tuberculous Meningitis (TBM), leveraging Bayesian latent class analysis to improve the accuracy of diagnoses. This innovative approach, recently published in BMC Infectious Diseases, promises to enhance the detection and treatment of one of the most severe forms of tuberculosis (TB).
With a passion for making a tangible impact on global health, Dr Jennifer van Nuil has not only established herself as a leading scientist in her field but has also championed change and personal growth in her team.
A teledermatology initiative by OUCRU Indonesia, in partnership with the Sumba Foundation and Gadjah Mada University, has made significant strides in transforming rural healthcare in Eastern Indonesia.
A recent study led by OUCRU researchers highlighted the factors associated with the number of visits to one tertiary public hospital (Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City) that serves as the referral clinic for two-thirds of Vietnam for Hepatitis C virus treatment.
OUCRU are tackling the global health threat of Antimicrobial Resistance \u2013 a silent pandemic claiming millions of lives yearly. Learn about our collaborative research, our interventions in local hospitals, and our ongoing efforts to combat AMR.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health crisis that jeopardizes our ability to effectively treat infections caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites. To address this urgent issue, OUCRU has been implementing projects involving the youth and empowering young individuals to take action and make a difference.
As part of the global efforts to raise awareness about Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) during World AMR Awareness Week, OUCRU Nepal has been actively engaging in public outreach activities since 2016. These initiatives aim to educate and empower individuals to take action in preventing the spread of AMR and promote responsible antibiotic use in the country.
At OUCRU, we are committed to raising awareness about antimicrobial resistance in the communities we work with. To fulfil our commitment, OUCRU\u2019s Public and Community Engagement team has organised several activities and projects across our sites. The aim has been to educate and empower individuals to take action in preventing the spread of AMR by promoting responsible antibiotic use.
AMR has been linked to close to 5 million deaths annually. We need urgent global action to counter antimicrobial resistance, but current efforts focus on solutions developed in high-income settings. If we want people to become less dependent on antibiotics, we must address the factors that create dependency on antibiotics in the first place. The solution we are working towards is fair and inclusive; it respects people and their traditions while also benefiting human health, animal welfare and the natural environment.
OUCRU will be a part of a new initiative aimed at developing a strategic roadmap for Ho Chi Minh City to become a regional Health Innovation Hub. The project, supported by a \u00a375,000 grant from the UK Government, is a strategic move to transform Ho Chi Minh City into ASEAN's leading health innovation centre.
In collaboration with Ho Chi Minh City's healthcare sector, OUCRU has successfully identified the primary agent causing the outbreak of pink eye disease. Testings revealed an unexpected finding: enterovirus was the primary agent, contrary to previous reports from Vietnam wherein adenovirus was the culprit.
The ACT HIV trial conducted by NDM\u2019s Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU), investigated the effectiveness of dexamethasone in reducing death, disability, and other complications in HIV-positive adults with tuberculous meningitis.
On October 7th, we had the privilege of hosting a live webinar together with the Vietnamese Psychotherapy Association (VnPA) and Medisetter, titled \u201cMental Healthcare for Carers: We Support the Supporters!\u201d in honour of World Mental Health Day 10th October 2023.
October 10th is World Mental Health Day. This year, the global theme, \u201cOur Minds, Our Rights,\u201d emphasises the universal right to access mental healthcare services as part of basic healthcare, which is considered one of our fundamental human rights.
Analysis of data from more than 6,800 patients located across 16 countries has supported the need to increase the dose of the antimalarial drug, primaquine, in Plasmodium vivax malaria endemic countries.
We are delighted to announce that three of our researchers have been awarded the Professor title, in recognition of their research achievements, contribution to teaching, and contribution to the general work of the Nuffield Department of Medicine.
A study coordinated by NDM researchers published in BMC Medicine explores the factors predicting higher mortality in pregnant women with severe malaria and describes how severe falciparum malaria in pregnancy affects foetal health and mortality.
A new study published in The Lancet Global Health highlights the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tuberculosis (TB) control in Indonesia, the nation with the second highest TB burden globally and the second highest burden of COVID-19 in the Asian region.
The ABACUS II Consortium, which includes the Medicine Quality Research Group, published a new viewpoint calling for the standardisation of antibiotics appearance and better information around usage. Changes to the appearance of antibiotic medicines could help avoid confusion and reduce misuse. These measures could help reduce antibiotic resistance, an urgent and global problem that is growing every year.
Four major clinical trial networks, including Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, The Global Health Network, hosted by NDM\u2019s Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, based in low-resource settings are embarking on an exciting partnership with the Good Clinical Trials Collaborative (GCTC) to enhance clinical research in low-resource settings.
According to the World Health Organisation, 10-15% of Vietnam\u2019s population is estimated to have viral hepatitis, including 1,07 million people who have Hepatitis C. Over 90% of those who have Hepatitis C are not aware of their positive status. OUCRU, the Hospital for Tropical Diseases (Ho Chi Minh City), and Vietnam\u2019s National Hospital for Tropical Diseases (Hanoi) have been collaborating on Hepatitis C clinical trials since 2018. Our research is centred around predictive factors for selecting persons who could be successfully treated with shorter durations of antiviral therapy for Hepatitis C.
Digital health and artificial intelligence have the potential to transform healthcare, making health care management more efficient and accessible. However, a new paper by Ho Quang Chanh et al, detailed why engagement with policymakers, local patients and healthcare workers, and integrating with local systems and practice are crucial to ensure that digital health technologies can thrive in low- and middle-income settings.
The OUCRU Indonesia project, \u201cImproving access to skincare through teledermatology in Eastern Indonesia\u201d, is one of five laureates selected this year from 193 applications in 66 countries by an independent scientific committee of five dermatologists and ILDS board members.
We are delighted to announce that four of our researchers have been awarded the Associate Professor title, in recognition of their research achievements, contribution to teaching, and contribution to the general work of the Nuffield Department of Medicine.
OUCRU, in collaboration with Dak Lak\u2019s Department of Health and Centre for Disease Control (CDC), developed a training programme to enhance the capacity of commune vaccine staff, with a particular focus on supporting their communication about the vaccines and vaccination process.
'Just Transitions to mitigate antimicrobial resistance' is a multidisciplinary social science and humanities programme funded by the British Academy. Led by Dr Sonia Lewycka and Professor Phaik Yeong Cheah, its team of 20 researchers will convene global and regional dialogues, engaging with key stakeholders to co-create equitable and sustainable solutions to manage antimicrobial resistance.
Vaccines are the most effective and affordable way to prevent diseases. The pandemic led to a lag in immunisation for essential vaccines \u2013 25 million children worldwide missed out on vaccination in 2021, according to WHO. At OUCRU, in addition to research and collaborations on various vaccine projects, we are committed to public and community engagement and education around vaccines. Look at some engagement projects that help raise awareness about vaccination and build the capacity for frontline healthcare workers, especially in rural areas.
OUCRU study explored why participants made decisions to participate in clinical trials and outlined ways to improve participants\u2019 experience during the informed consent process.
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