Tackling the Obstacles to Fight Filarial Infections and

Podoconiosis - TAKeOFF

Tackling the Obstacles to Fight Filarial Infections and

Podoconiosis - TAKeOFF

NEWS

30th January is World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day

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

Lymphatic filariasis: Simple Measures with a Big Impact

The investigated disease management is based particularly on hygiene measures. The swellings and wounds, which usually occur on the feet and legs of patients, must be carefully cleaned once or twice a day and treated with antiseptic ointments if necessary. Other measures such as light physical activity, elevation of the affected leg and simple massage techniques - as well as wearing appropriately adapted footwear - are also necessary. In addition to the hygiene measures, some patients also benefit from taking the antibiotic doxycycline. “Conducting our studies was extremely challenging. Our study teams travelled long, and sometimes dangerous, distances to visit the affected population in the often difficult-to-reach villages and communities and trained them in disease management,” says Hörauf. “This was successful: in total, we were able to include around 1,400 patients suffering from advanced lymphatic filariasis in the studies - and comprehensively track their disease progression over two years. This is very important data, that is incorporated into the WHO's treatment recommendations, for example.” Continue reading...

 

EDCTP visit to Cameroon

Mr Abdoulie Barry, acting Executive Director, and Dr Pauline Beattie, Operations Manager and Scientific Adviser, EDCTP Association visited the ESRIFAL project in Cameroon from 21-22 October 2024. ESRIFAL is a Senior Fellowship-Plus project led by Professor Samuel Wanji, University of Buea (Senior Fellow), working with Dr Hamit Mahamat Mahamat Alio of the University of N’Djaména, Chad (Trainee Fellow). The project involves a clinical trial to explore the efficacy of rifampicin and albendazole in treating Onchocerciasis in areas of co-endemicity with Loiasis, and supports PhD and Masters students in Cameroon and Chad. More information about the project is available from EDCTP’s recent interview with Professor Wanji.

TAKeOFF Consortium Scientists Participate at the Annual UN Science Summit 2024

The TAKeOFF Consortium joined other RHISSA funded consortia to present at the annual Science Summit at UN General Assembly 2024 held in New York. Prof. Alexander Debrah , KNUST Ghana, Dr Ute Klarmann-Schulz from IMMIP Bonn and Dr. Linda Batsa Debrah from KNUST Ghana, presented during the session "Collaborative African-German research exchange, implementation & uptake." Hosted by BMBF funded RHISSA . RHISSA, (Research Networks for Health Innovations in Sub-Saharan Africa), is made up of 9 BMBF funded consortia, one of them being our TAKeOFF Project.  Continue reading


News Highlights


Youtube links

The Search for New Treatments Against Filariasis

 


Überschrift H2

Überschrift H2