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TAKeOFF KCCR/KNUST Opens Elephantiasis Management Clinics in Upper East Region
The Filariasis team at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Tropical Medicine (KCCR) of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, has opened two Elephantiasis Management clinics in the Upper East Region of Ghana. The clinics are located at the WAR Memorial Hospital in Navrongo and the Kasena Nankana Health Centre in Kandiga. This initiative, funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), is part of the “Tackling the Obstacles to Fight Filarial Infections and Podoconiosis” (TAKeOFF) project. The newly established clinics are equipped with medications, hygiene supplies, and trained healthcare personnel to provide comprehensive care. Services will include elephantiasis management, health education, counseling, and research surveillance. Professor Alex Yaw Debrah, the Principal Investigator and Dean of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, highlighted that the clinics will provide quality healthcare to those affected by elephantiasis. He noted that the concept began in 2017 after observations showed that proper foot hygiene significantly improves patient outcomes, accelerates wound healing, and reduces acute attacks.
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KCCR/KNUST Opens Elephantiasis Management Clinics in Upper East Region
KCCR/KNUST Trains Over 190 Health Personnel on Elephantiasis Management
‘Translator’ between science, politics and administration
Jeannette Endres-Becker heads the Global Health team at DLR Projektträger, leading a group of around ten people. How did she come to join DLR? In an interview posted on the DLR website, she explains why she values her role as a scientific officer at DLR Projektträger and why she feels she is exactly where she is meant to be...
What, for example, is one of your current projects about?
One of our current projects is the research network TAKeOff. In many cases, we don't supervise individual projects, but rather collaborations and networks where various partners work together in an interdisciplinary way to create added value. The focus of TAKeOff is the treatment of filariasis, an infection caused by parasitic threadworms. This disease is prevalent in certain countries in sub-Saharan Africa and is one of the neglected tropical diseases. Filariasis is a highly debilitating condition that also stigmatises those affected, as it causes painful, disfiguring swelling in the feet and legs. Although there are existing therapies, they are not sufficiently targeted. The network is investigating whether certain drug combinations might be more effective. An important aspect of the project is also local health education: training and information campaigns aim to help people better understand the disease and learn how to prevent it, such as through regular foot hygiene.
Full article on the DLR website: link DLR.de
The TAKeOFF Consortium together with other LeDoxy trial centres have published their joint study on Lymphedema management using hygiene measures and doxycycline administration. The multi-centre, multi-country clinical trial, was conducted in 5 country, Ghana, Tanzania, Mali, Sri Lanka and India. The trials were a collaborative effort between COR-NTD (TaskForce for Global Health, Atlanta, USA) and IMMIP (Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, The German Center for Infection Research, Bonn-Cologne site, Germany). Trials in Ghana and Tanzania were funded by The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its Neglected Tropical Diseases Program through their support of the Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases (COR-NTD) grant (AID-OAA-G-14-00008), funded those conducted in Mali, Sri Lanka and India. Continue reading
The 2nd Podoconiosis Conference: From Neglect to Elimination with Country Ownership
The 2nd Podoconiosis Conference was held under the auspices of the International Conference on Neglected Tropical Diseases (InCORNTD) in Kigali, Rwanda. Under the theme "From Neglect to Elimination with Country Ownership," over 100 delegates from 14 countries convened. Participants included individuals affected by podoconiosis, researchers, implementers, people with lived experience and policymakers, all united in the shared goal of eliminating this neglected tropical disease (NTD). The conference aligned with the WHO NTD Roadmap, emphasizing the critical role of country ownership in driving progress towards elimination.
The 2nd Podoconiosis Conference was a resounding success, achieving high levels of attendee satisfaction. Participants expressed positive feedback regarding the informative research and implementation sessions, noting the clear objectives, appropriate duration, and balanced content. The panel discussion, focused on advocating for WHO recognition of podoconiosis and developing community-based strategies, was particularly well-received. Networking opportunities were also highly valued by attendees. Continue reading...
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The Search for New Treatments Against Filariasis
