News - Takeoff-NTD

19.06.2025

Vector-borne helminthiases: A road map for current and future research to support control and elimination in sub-Saharan Africa

The Lancet commission on vector helminthiases, has published an in-depth review of the state of the art of filariasis research, translational results and things to do/next steps. The commission, composed of experts from the field of onchocerciasis (river blindness), lymphatic filariasis, Loa loa and Mansonella, looked into the current advances in the control of these disases and the clinical care…

15.06.2025

Prof. Alexander Debrah receives the Prestigious EDCTP Dr. Pascoal Mocumbi Prize award 2025

TAKeOFF Coordinator, Prof. Alexander Yaw Debrah has been awarded the 2025 Dr. Pascoal Mocumbi Prize by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) for his contributions to global health research and capacity development in Africa.

21.05.2025

Research Suggests Parasitic Worm Infections May Lower COVID-19 Severity

The study, conducted in Ghana, sought to find out why people on the African continent had a milder course compared to those from the advanced countries. The study involving KNUST's Prof. Alexander Yaw Debrah revealed that those with no symptoms of COVID-19 had the highest rates of parasitic worm infections, while those with mild or moderate symptoms had lower rates.

16.05.2025

KNUST's Filariasis Team Conducts Hydrocele Surgeries for 60 Patients in Western Region

The Filariasis Team at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Tropical Medicine (KCCR) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, in collaboration with Nana Hima Dekyi Government Hospital in the Ahanta West District, has conducted hydrocele surgeries for about sixty (60) patients from Nzema East, Ahanta West, and Ellembelle Districts in the Western Region…

27.03.2025

‘Translator’ between science, politics and administration

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…

17.03.2025

KCCR/KNUST Trains Over 190 Health Personnel on Elephantiasis Management

The Filariasis team at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, has conducted a foot-care hygiene workshop for over 190 healthcare personnel from Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds in the Kassena Nankana East Municipal and Kassena Nankana West district. This second…

16.03.2025

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.

25.02.2025

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…

28.01.2025

Lymphatic filariasis: Simple Measures with a Big Impact

“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…

04.11.2024

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…

03.10.2024

Clinical Trials to Assess Effectiveness of Treatment Guidelines for Lymphedema Induced by Lymphatic Filariasis

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…

24.09.2024

TAKeOFF Consortium Scientists participate at the Science Summit held in NewYork

The TAKeOFF Consortium, dedicated to addressing the challenges of filarial and podoconiosis diseases in Africa, showcased its collaborative research experiences at the 2024 Science Summit during the 79th UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City. As part of the Research Networks for Health Innovations in Sub-Saharan Africa (RHISSA), TAKeOFF participated by presenting talks during the sessions…

19.09.2024

Professorial Inaugural Lecture Highlights: Integrate NTDs Control into National Health Policies: KNUST Scientist Urges

KNUST Parasitologist, Professor Alexander Yaw Debrah has emphasized the importance of prioritizing Neglected Tropical Diseases (#NTDs) control within national health plans. Speaking at his professorial inaugural lecture, he stressed that adequate funding should be allocated for NTD control programs, including surveillance, treatment, and research. "Local and endemic country governments, including…

17.09.2024

United Nations Science Summit (SSUNGA) 2024: TAKeOFF-Ghana Scientists to hold RHISSA Sessions on UN SDGs

Two TAKeOFF Consortium scientists, Prof. Alexander Yaw Debrah and Dr. (Mrs.) Linda Batsa Debrah from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, are set to represent the consortium from Ghana, together with Dr. Ute Klarmann-Schulz from Bonn University, Uniklinikum Bonn, Germany, at the upcoming Science Summit of the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York City,…

16.09.2024

TAKeOFF Scientists and Students Participated in the Second DAAD Global Centres Conference in Berlin

TAKeOFF scientists and students participated in the Second DAAD Global Centres Conference in Berlin, held from 10th to 12th September 2024. The conference featured the Global Centres for Health and Pandemic Prevention (G-WAC, PACE-UP, CAIDERA, GLACIER) and Climate and Environment (SAGE-Centre, TRAJECTS, AFAS, ABCD-Centre), with participation as part of G-WAC. The conference of the Global…

16.09.2024

TAKeOFF Consortium Engages in Capacity Building Workshop on Policy Briefs

The TAKeOFF Consortium, involving partners from Germany, Ghana, Tanzania, and Cameroon, held a 2-day Policy Brief Workshop on 24th January and 15th February 2024. The workshop, facilitated by our partners at NIMR, Tanzania, through the Tanzanian Ministry of Health, provided a valuable opportunity for scientists and students to develop skills in creating policy brief documents based on their…

09.09.2024

VACANCY: Masters Students for TAKeOFF Project

The management of the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Tropical Medicine (KCCR) together with the Filariasis project at KCCR is looking for 2 Master’s students. The project, titled “Tackling the Obstacles to Fight Filarial infections and podoconiosis (TAKeOFF-2)” is funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The project seeks to address the barriers to lymphatic…

28.08.2024

TAKeOFF Annual Meeting 2024 in Munich- Germany

The TAKeOFF research team held its annual meeting this year in Munich. The meeting, attended by all the country PI’s and representatives from DLR. The annual meeting held as a hybrid, enabled TAKeOFF students and other research team members to participate and be up to date with what the other partners were doing. The meeting which will run for 4 days, will include updates from all the partners on…

05.08.2024

Professorial Inaugural Lecture by Professor Alexander Yaw Debrah

The Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, through the Public Lectures Committee invites the Academic Community and the general public to a Professorial Inaugural Lecture of Professor Alexander Yaw Debrah scheduled as follows:

05.08.2024

Unveiling mysteries of elephantiasis: The feat of KNUST’s Prof. Alexander Yaw Debrah

Alexander Yaw Debrah, PhD is a professor of Parasitology and Global Health at the Department of Medical Diagnostics and Dean of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. As a typical African child who started his education in the 70s, Alexander’s academic journey has been quite challenging. He began in Akyem Buadua in the Eastern Region. By…

16.05.2024

TAKeOFF Tanzania attends NIMR Annual Joint Scientific Conference in Dar es Salaam

The TAKeOFF Project made a notable appearance at the 32nd Annual Joint Scientific Conference, a prestigious gathering in the realm of health research, organized by the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR). This landmark event took place from May 14th to 16th, 2024, at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. In a compelling address, Deputy Prime…

14.05.2024

TAKeOFF-Ghana Principal Investigators Receive Mentorship and Best Senior Member (Teaching) at the KNUST College of Health Sciences Excellence Awards

Prof. Alexander Yaw Debrah, TAKeOFF Consortium Director and Director of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences of the College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST, along with Dr. Linda Batsa Debrah, TAKeOFF-Ghana Principal Investigator and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Clinical Microbiology at KNUST, were honoured with the Mentorship and Best Senior…

30.11.2023

KNUST TAKeOFF-2 Project carries out free surgery for elephantiasis patients in Western Region of Ghana

KNUST TAKeOFF-2 Project carries out free surgery for elephantiasis patients in Western Region of Ghana The Filariasis Team at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Tropical Medicine (KCCR) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), in collaboration with Nana Hima Dekyi Government Hospital in the Ahanta West District, has conducted surgeries for about 60…

25.09.2023

KNUST's Professor Addresses the UN General Assembly Science Summit on Combatting Filarial Infections and Podoconiosis Diseases in the World

Professor Alexander Yaw Debrah, a Professor of Parasitology and Global Health at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, delivered a presentation titled 'Tackling the Obstacles to Fight Filarial Infections and Podoconiosis' at the 9th UN General Assembly Science Summit held in New York City. The Summit, which convened on September 12, 2023, was dedicated to…

14.08.2023

Successful Kick-off Meeting of the TAKeOFF-2 Project in Ghana

The Ghana TAKeOFF-2 team had its official kick-off meeting on July 14, 2023, at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) in Ghana. The event marked the beginning of an ambitious scientific journey aimed at building upon the achievements of the TAKeOFF-1 project.

03.08.2023

VACANCY NOTICE - Master Student (Ghana) - 2 Positions

The management of the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Tropical Medicine (KCCR) together with the Filariasis project at KCCR is looking for 2 Master’s students. The project, titled “Tackling the Obstacles to Fight Filarial infections and podoconiosis (TAKeOFF-2)” is funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The project seeks to address the barriers to lymphatic…

03.08.2023

VACANCY NOTICE - PhD STUDENTS (Ghana) - 2 Positions

The management of the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Tropical Medicine (KCCR) together with the Filariasis project at KCCR is looking for 2 PhD students. The project, titled “Tackling the Obstacles to Fight Filarial infections and podoconiosis (TAKeOFF-2)” is funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The project seeks to address the barriers to lymphatic…

03.08.2023

VACANCY NOTICE - Caterer (Ghana)

CATERER The management of the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Tropical Medicine (KCCR) together with the Filariasis project at KCCR is looking for a caterer. The project, titled “Tackling the Obstacles to Fight Filarial infections and podoconiosis (TAKeOFF-2)” is funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The project seeks to address the barriers to lymphatic…

23.06.2023

BEST MID CAREER RESEARCHER AWARD - Dr. (Mrs.) Linda Batsa Debrah

As part of activities that marked the maiden Research Week Celebration of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, the 2023 Research Excellence Awards was held to climax the week-long celebration. Given the significance of the event, the director of the Office of Grants and Research (OGR), Professor Philip Antwi-Agyei, stated that this year’s event sought to…

23.06.2023

Leaps made in LF elimination

Recent data has shown that LF cases are greatly reduced globally. Data from a reliable source has shown this trend and LF is expected to be eliminated by the target year.

20.06.2023

ERASMUS+ PROGRAMME, INTERNATIONAL CREDIT MOBILITY

Erasmus+ Program, International Credit Mobility The University of Bonn has a strong regional focus on research cooperation with countries in the Global South. The Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology (IMMIP) has for over 20 years had an equal partner research cooperation with the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine. In July 2020, the long…

09.06.2023

Tanzania Hosts Kick- Off Meeting

The TAKeOFF kick off meeting was held in Arusha on the 6th - 9th of June. The meeting was opened by the DG Prof. Dr. Said Aboud

14.03.2023

The Search for New Treatment for River Blindness

The World Health Organization estimates that 1.15 million people have lost their vision due to river blindness, while 220 million require preventive therapy against onchocerciasis. For over 25 years, the Institute of Medical Microbiology Immunology and Parasitology, at the University Hospital Bonn and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, in Kumasi Ghana have been…

03.03.2023

World NTD Day - 5 Questions for the Expert

World NTD Day - 5 Questions for the Expert The National Research Platform for Zoonoses took the opportunity of the World NTD day to inteview to Prof. Achim Hoerauf on NTDs. Prof. Achim Hoerauf is the Speaker of the German Network against Neglected Tropical Diseases (DNTDS) and Director of IMMIP, he has been conducting research on neglected tropical diseases for years, especially on filariasis…

12.09.2022

First National Conference on Podoconiosis in Cameroon: Advocacy for a Very Neglected Tropical Disease

Given that podoconiosis has been clearly identified as a very neglected disease of tropics, common to poor and vulnerable persons, there is need for a global advocacy to end the neglect. This global advocacy cannot have the strength it deserves, and certainly not the ground impact, if the real burden of the disease is not identified and quantified at the community levels, within each country and…