http://www.swisstph.ch/ en http://www.swisstph.ch/typo3conf/ext/tt_news/ext_icon.gif http://www.swisstph.ch/ 18 16 TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:37:00 +0200 http://www.swisstph.ch/fr/archives-des-news/news/news/world-malaria-day-2013-invest-in-the-future-defeat-malaria.html The highly effective NETCELL programme in Tanzania has been extended for another five years. The... A woman unpacks her brand new bed net before using it for the first time. Photographer: Matthieu Zellweger (Swiss Malaria Group photocontest) «NETCELL has dramatic effects on health, especially for children, in Tanzania», says Christian Lengeler of Swiss TPH and lead coordinator of the NETCELL programme. Thanks to NETCELL, more than 28 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets were distributed in Tanzania. The nets provide both personal protection, by acting as a physical barrier against mosquito bites, and community protection, by killing mosquitos that come into contact with the net. Today, nearly all households in Tanzania have at least one mosquito net. As a result, more than 70% of the population can be protected from a malaria infection. Monitoring data indicate that all income groups, including the poorest, have benefitted from this campaign. «The next step is to evaluate the distribution of nets in schools», says Lengeler. This step should increase the distribution of mosquito nets and further reduce the chance of a malaria infection. Tanzania likely to achieve MDGs 4 and 6 By effectively controlling malaria transmission, the mosquito net programme helped to slash the child mortality rate in Tanzania by 44% within five years (2007-2012). This translates into about 45,000 child deaths averted per year. Tanzania’s success in the fight against malaria is the result of major international collaborative efforts. Under the leadership of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) of the Tanzanian government, Swiss TPH plays a critical role, contributing long-term technical support. The total cost of the two largest net campaigns amounted to 220 million USD. They were funded by the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) and the US President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI). As a result, Tanzania is one of the few large countries in Africa likely to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 6. Additional information

• NETCELL
• National Insecticides Treated Nets Programme (NATNETS)
• Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)

]]> Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:37:00 +0200 http://www.swisstph.ch/fr/archives-des-news/news/news/swiss-malaria-group-announces-winners-of-malaria-photo-contest.html Genève, le 22 avril 2013. A l’occasion de la Journée mondiale contre le paludisme 2013, le Swiss... Genève, le 22 avril 2013. A l’occasion de la Journée mondiale contre le paludisme 2013, le Swiss Malaria Group (SMG), annonce les gagnants du concours de photographie «Malaria: The Big Picture». Le concours photo en ligne et l’exposition  qui a suivi étaient organisés par le SMG pour mettre en lumière la réalité des personnes exposées au paludisme et le travail de ceux qui s’emploient à faire bouger les choses. Depuis 2000, grâce au renforcement des mesures de lutte contre le paludisme (ou malaria), telles que les moustiquaires, la pulvérisation d’insecticides, le diagnostic de la maladie et la prise de médicaments efficaces, le monde a fait de grands progrès dans la réduction des souffrances et des décès liés au paludisme. De nombreux pays ont réussi à évincer la maladie de leur territoire. Dans les pays où le paludisme est endémique, les autorités s’engagent pour circonscrire et enrayer la maladie, et de nouveaux instruments et approches sont mis au point pour soutenir cette tâche. Pour la première fois, il paraît envisageable de vaincre la maladie.
La lutte contre le paludisme est à ce jour l’un de nos meilleurs investissements dans la santé mondiale. Pourtant, ces récentes avancées sont de plus en plus menacées par un manque de financement. Il est donc crucial de mobiliser toutes les ressources possibles pour garder le cap, car la résurgence du paludisme demeurera une menace constante tant que celui-ci n’aura pas été complètement éradiqué.
Pour célébrer les avancées réalisées et souligner la nécessité absolue de maintenir la mobilisation, entre le 15 février et le 24 mars, des photographes du monde entier ont soumis au concours plus de 700 photos dans trois catégories (« People », « Healthcare & control » et « Research & development »). Le public a été invité à voter avant le 7 avril pour élire les finalistes. Les lauréats ont ensuite été désignés par un jury international.  
Les trois grands gagnants, désignés par le jury dans les différentes catégories, recevront un appareil photo Fuji dernier cri et 400 francs en espèces. Les suivants, de la 2e à la 5e place, se verront remettre différentes récompenses en espèces : 2e : 400 francs ; 3e : 300 francs ; 4e : 200 francs ; 5e : 100 francs.
« Le niveau du concours est l’un des plus relevés qu’il m’ait été donné de voir », confie David Burnett, membre du jury qui a déjà fait partie à trois reprises du jury du World Press Photo. « Combinant à merveille reportages et portraits, cette impressionnante sélection de photos souligne les efforts déployés pour venir en aide aux personnes vivant dans des endroits où sévit le paludisme. Je suis heureux d’avoir participé à ce jury ; il est très important de soutenir les photographes qui mettent en images le paludisme et font voir au grand public les questions de prévention et de traitement. »
« Le Swiss Malaria Group remercie Fuji Suisse, qui a généreusement fait don de trois appareils photo pour les premiers prix, ainsi que les quinze organisations  qui ont offert leur soutien promotionnel et notre jury d’experts pour sa sélection », a déclaré Thomas Teuscher du programme Roll Back Malaria. « Nous espérons que le concours attirera l’attention sur le paludisme et encouragera d’autres organisations à se joindre au SMG pour le rendre encore plus fort dans les années à venir. »
« Les photos ont le pouvoir d’ouvrir une porte sur un monde jamais montré jusque-là », indique Gerhard Siegfried, responsable de la division Afrique orientale et australe de la Direction au développement et à la coopération. « Les photos soumises au concours ont non seulement ouvert une porte sur ce qu’est le paludisme mais nous ont également donné à voir ses facettes et une vue d’ensemble ; les victimes du paludisme, les outils et interventions qui peuvent les sauver de la maladie et les personnes qui œuvrent à mettre au point ces instruments. Je vous invite à contempler ce tableau d’ensemble. »
Le Swiss Malaria Group marquera la Journée mondiale contre le paludisme 2013 et proclamera les gagnants le 22 avril 2013 à 18h00 lors de la conférence Malaria Vaccines for the World à Lausanne (Suisse), où les photos lauréates seront exposées. Ces photos peuvent aussi être vues par le biais de l’exposition en ligne à partir du 22 avril 2013. Félicitations aux gagnants que voici :

Catégorie 1 : People [Personnes]

• 1er : Dimple Pancholi pour « Untitled »
• 2e : Somenath Mukhopadhyay pour « Look beyond »
• 3e : Rabin Chakrabarti pour « Preventing mosquito bites »
• 4e : Allan Jay Quesada pour « Poverty and malaria risks »
• 5e : Fabian Biasio pour « Children jumping into the water »

Catégorie 2 : Health care and control [Soins et lutte contre la maladie]

• 1er : Sandipan Majumdar pour « Malaria prevention »
• 2e : Andre Laas pour « The art of war »
• 3e : Matthieu Zellweger pour « Unpacking the net »
• 4e : Sarah Hoibak pour « Spaceman? No, vector-man! »
• 5e : Oliver Lassen pour « Two for one»

Catégorie 3 : Research and development [Recherche et développement]

• 1er : Jennifer Jackson pour « Bloodsuckers »
• 2e : Konstantin Ikonomidis pour « Thermal (un)comfort of a bed-net »
• 3e : Quique Bassat pour « Looking for a patient’s missing file »
• 4e : Andre Laas pour « Know the enemy »
• 5e : Ken Mwai pour « See it large, see it minute »

]]> Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:03:00 +0200 http://www.swisstph.ch/fr/archives-des-news/news/news/launch-of-the-re-designed-community-health-funds-in-dodoma-region.html On 16th February the Re-designed Community Health Funds (CHF Iliyoboreshwa) for Dodoma Region,... On 16th February the Re-designed Community Health Funds (CHF Iliyoboreshwa) for Dodoma Region, Tanzania, were launched in an official launching ceremony officiated by the Deputy Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office - Regional Administration and Local Government, the Honorable Aggrey Mwanri. The political leaders of Dodoma Region and its seven districts were prominently represented by five Members of Parliament, the Regional Commissioner, Regional Administrative Secretary, Regional Medical Officer, the District Commissioners, District Executive Directors, District Medical Officers, among others. The redesign of the “CHF Iliyoboreshwa” has been developed in the framework of the Health Promotion and System Strengthening Project (HPSS) and is implemented by the district authorities of all seven districts of Dodoma Region who aim at establishing the CHF as a sustainable health insurance scheme.
Insurance Management Information System (IMIS) The core of the re-design is the new Insurance Management Information System (IMIS) which provides the Community Health Funds with a comprehensive solution for data management, including membership enrolment through mobile phone technology, contribution management, claims processing and payment, as well as member feedback collection. The IT system will allow online and offline operation. Each family member is now getting their own CHF card – it used to be one card per family – and with this individual card has easy access to health services. One of the major problems up to now has been the limitation of access to only one health facility in the home place of members. With the new system this limitation is overcome. The new CHF card can be used in any public health facility across the districts of Dodoma Region, including hospitals. Each health facility attached to the CHF network received a smart phone which is readily available in Tanzania that is able to connect to the data base to instantly download member photos from the IT system for easy identification of the member.
The same mobile phones are also used to enrol people into the CHF by taking their photo and uploading them to the IMIS database. All this can also work in rural areas with limited internet access through backup provisions for offline data management. Enrolment Officers are now placed at the community level to enrol members in a quick and easy procedure using the CHF phone. The new system will also allow health facilities a fast and simple processing of claims they submit after treating CHF patients. This is expected to strengthen the financial capacities of the health services. The new CHF system, once tested and proven to be effective in Dodoma Region, is designed in a way that it can easily be rolled out nationwide. The investments done into developing the CHF Iliyoboreshwa are therefore hoped to benefit not only Dodoma Region, but the whole population of Tanzania. Funding and Implementation The HPSS project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), Switzerland, and her partner organization the Micro Insurance Academy (MIA), Germany. Monitoring is supported by the Ifakara Health Institute, Tanzania. The IT system has been developed by the Dar es Salaam based Exact Software Company and HPSS experts.
Vodacom Tanzania supports the project as the key communications partner. For the development and pilot phase up to January 2015 Vodacom provides the Community Health Funds with free internet and text message communication between the central database and the health facilities and enrollment officers attached to the CHF network.
The development of the IMIS data management system was done in cooperation with experts from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Prime Minister’s Office Regional Administration, and the National Health Insurance Fund in order to ensure full compliance with Tanzanian standards and compatibility with the local government IT systems. Contact:
For further information and comment, please contact: Manfred Stoermer, Project Manager HPSS Project and Head Health Economics and Financing Group at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (SwissTPH): 41 61 284 8321 manfred.stoermer@unibas.ch, or Prof. M. Meshack, Team Leader HPSS Project, Dodoma, Tanzania: +255 26 2323 084, meshack@sjut.ac.tz

Reports in the Media
The launching event captured broad attention in the Tanzanian media in radio, TV, newspapers and internet blogs. For further information please consult:
In Kiswahili language:

• http://williammalecela.blogspot.ch/2013/02/coming-live-from-dodoma-our-super-blog.html?spref=fb

In English language:

• http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=51400
• http://kenyadailyeye.jibostudios.com/2013/02/low-income-earners-to-benefit-from-chf/
• http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/business/13-local-business/28924-state-mulls-broadening-community-health-fund.html
• http://dailynews.co.tz/index.php/local-news/14804-low-income-earners-to-benefit-from-chf

]]> Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:27:00 +0100 http://www.swisstph.ch/fr/archives-des-news/news/news/road-traffic-pollution-as-serious-as-passive-smoke-in-the-development-of-childhood-asthma.html New research conducted in 10 European cities has estimated that 14% of chronic childhood asthma is... New research conducted in 10 European cities has estimated that 14% of chronic childhood asthma is due to exposure to traffic pollution near busy roads. The results are comparable to the burden associated with passive smoking: the World Health Organization estimates that between 4% and 18% of asthma cases in children are linked to passive smoking. The findings, published online today (22 March 2013) ahead of print in the European Respiratory Journal, come as the European Commission has declared 2013 the ‘Year of Air’, which highlights the importance of clean air for all and focuses on actions to improve air quality across the EU. Until now, traffic pollution was assumed to only trigger asthma symptoms and burden estimations did not account for chronic asthma caused by the specific range of toxicants that are found near heavily used roads along which many Europeans live. The researchers used a method known as population-attributable fractions to assess the impact of near-road traffic pollution. This calculates the proportional reduction in disease or death that would occur if exposure to a risk factor were reduced to a lower level. The new research used data from existing epidemiological studies which found that children exposed to higher levels of near-road traffic-related pollution also had higher rates of asthma, even when taking into account a range of other relevant factors such as passive smoking or socioeconomic factors. The researchers aimed to take these findings further and estimate how many asthma cases could be avoided if exposure was removed. The results found that 14% of asthma cases across the 10 cities could be attributed to near-road traffic pollution. The findings also take into account differences in the health of the overall population in different cities. Lead author, Dr Laura Perez at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, said: “Air pollution has previously been seen to trigger symptoms but this is the first time we have estimated the percentage of cases that might not have occurred if Europeans had not been exposed to roadtraffic pollution. In light of all the existing epidemiological studies showing that road-traffic contributes to the onset of the disease in children, we must consider these results to improve policy making and urban planning.” Original Article: Laura Perez, Christophe Declercq, Carmen Iñiguez, Inmaculada Aguilera, Chiara Badaloni, Ferran Ballester, Catherine Bouland, Olivier Chanel, FB Cirarda, Francesco Forastiere, Bertil Forsberg, Daniela Haluza, Britta Hedlund, Koldo Cambra, Marina Lacasaña, Hanns Moshammer, Peter Otorepec, Miguel Rodríguez-Barranco, Sylvia Medina and Nino Künzli (2013) Chronic burden of near-roadway traffic pollution in 10 European cities (APHEKOM network). Eur Respir J (Published ahead of print, 22 March 2013). doi:10.1183/09031936.00031112 Contact: For further information and comment, please contact: Dr. Christian Heuss, Head Communications at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH): +41 61 284 86 83 or christian.heuss@unibas.ch Find out more about the EU Year of Air initiative: http://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/2013-kicking-off-the-2018year For further information on the ERJ, please contact: Lauren Anderson, European Lung Foundation, lauren.anderson@europeanlung.org ]]> Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:44:00 +0100 http://www.swisstph.ch/fr/archives-des-news/news/news/malaria-the-big-picture-the-swiss-malaria-group-hosts-an-online-photo-contest.html Le paludisme affecte la vie de millions de personnes au niveau mondial. Le but de ce concours de...
Le concours est ouvert à tous. Il vous suffit de télécharger vos photos sur le thème du paludisme entre le 15 février et le 24 mars sur la plateforme en ligne : www.malariaphotos.org, où vous trouverez les détails relatifs aux différentes catégories. Le vote du public décidera des finalistes et un panel d’experts sélectionnera les vainqueurs.

Les heureux gagnants- 15 photographes du monde entier- seront annoncés à la Conférence des « Malaria Vaccines for the World» du 22 Avril à Lausanne. Les prix comprennent trois nouveaux appareils photos de la marque Fuji plus CHF 400 (premiers prix) et une série de prix en espèce. Les photographies gagnantes seront aussi publiées lors d’une exposition en ligne à l’occasion du « World Malaria Day » le 25 Avril.
Vous avez une photo racontant une histoire sur le paludisme ? Envoyez-la !

*Acino Pharma AG, Biovision, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Medicines for Malaria Venture, Medicus Mundi Suisse, Novartis, Fondation Novartis pour un développement durable, Roll Back Malaria, SoildarMed, Direction du Développement et de la Coopération, Swiss Malaria Foundation, Croix Rouge Suisse, Institut Tropical et de Santé Publique Suisse, Syngenta, Vestergaard Frandsen

]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:46:00 +0100 http://www.swisstph.ch/fr/archives-des-news/news/news/registration-is-now-open-primary-health-care-and-ncds-in-eastern-europe-and-central-asia-where-d.html The Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute will be holding its annual Spring Symposium on...
Participation is free of charge, but registration is mandatory.

For more information and registration please visit: http://www.swisstph.ch/spring_symposium_2013.html Contact: scih-tph@unibas.ch ]]> Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:19:00 +0100 http://www.swisstph.ch/fr/archives-des-news/news/news/new-mba-in-international-health-management-application-deadline-25-march-2013.html Swiss TPH is offering an MBA in International Health Management, a professional postgraduate course...
The MBA in International Health Management offered by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), an associated institute of the University of Basel and a member of the Swiss School of Public Health+ (SSPH+), is a worldwide unique opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills outlined above. The content of the modular programme goes beyond classical MBA programmes in healthcare, as it maintains a global perspective and interdisciplinary approach throughout, with a strong focus on meso- and macro-level leadership positions.

The long-standing experience and expertise of Swiss TPH in international collaboration in research, teaching and services guarantees high-quality learning experiences, that are always based on empirical and practical evidence. In particular the experience of Swiss TPH as a Local Fund Agent for the Global Fund and the numerous advisory and supervisory mandates for GAVI, DNDi the World Health Organization and other global initiatives is relevant for the MBA programme.

Lecturers and facilitators in our programme not only have sound scientific backgrounds, but also practical expert knowledge. In addition to Swiss TPH staff, we also involve national and international experts and institutions in the planning and implementation of modules.

Information evenings:

Please join our information evenings and learn more about the new Master of Business Administration in International Health Management (MBA).

- 4 February 2013 6.00 pm - 8.00 pm
- 4 March 2013 6.00 pm - 8.00 pm

Venue: Swiss TPH, Seminar Room 3, Socinstrasse 55, 1st floor

More information:
http://www.swisstph.ch/mba-in-international-health-management.html
http://www.facebook.com/events/458289540891385/ ]]> Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:31:00 +0100 http://www.swisstph.ch/fr/archives-des-news/news/news/the-7th-rudolf-geigy-award-was-awarded-on-the-20th-december-to-dr-manuel-hetzel.html Every second year the award including prize money of 10’000 CHF is given to young researchers who –...
This year’s award goes to the scientist Manuel Hetzel. In the last few years, Hetzel has intensively worked to mitigate the global burden of disease, especially malaria. He conducted his PhD within the framework of the “access-programme” that aimed to facilitate the population’s access to the health system in Tanzania. In the last four years, Hetzel evaluated the National Malaria Control Programme in Papua New Guinea (PNG) where he supervised the work of over 60 collaborators.
 

• Laudatio Dr. Manuel Hetzel
• Rudolf Geigy Foundation

]]> Thu, 20 Dec 2012 20:31:00 +0100 http://www.swisstph.ch/fr/archives-des-news/news/news/biennial-report-2011-2012.html Le nouveau Rapport biennal 2011-2012 de l'Institut Tropical et de Santé Publique Suisse (Swiss TPH)... cliquant ici. ]]> Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.swisstph.ch/fr/archives-des-news/news/news/new-oral-drug-candidate-for-african-sleeping-sickness.html Phase II/III Clinical Trial with significant involvement of Swiss TPH launched in the Democratic... The study, conducted by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), Swiss TPH and other partners, will test the efficacy and safety of fexinidazole, with once daily tablets for ten days. Professor Marcel Tanner, Director Swiss TPH and chair of the board of Directors of DNDi emphasized that this study represents one of many important collaborations between Swiss TPH and DNDi. Sleeping sickness – or human African trypanosomiasis – is fatal without treatment. Spread by the bite of a tsetse fly, the disease threatens the most remote areas of 36 sub‐Saharan African countries and, while currently in a period of decline, is known to re‐emerge to epidemic levels when surveillance efforts wane. Children below 15 years of age represent nearly a quarter of current patients and DRC alone accounts for the majority of reported cases throughout Africa. Current treatments for stage 2 of the disease – or late stage, when the parasites cross the bloodbrain barrier – are difficult to administer as they require infusions that are only possible within a hospital infrastructure, in addition to the heavy transport necessary to get them there. Patients living far from this type of structure often have to travel for days, even by foot, to access treatment centres. ‘This is a major step in research and development for neglected tropical diseases. It shows that it is possible to bring a new chemical entity through the pipeline to offer an entirely new perspective on tackling a disease like sleeping sickness’, comments Dr Bernard Pécoul, DNDi’s Executive Director. ‘It is by connecting all of our partners in the endemic countries and around the world with the support of engaged donors – all with a common goal – that we can and will continue to search for adapted treatments for these diseases’, he added. Fexinidazole is the first success of the extensive compound mining efforts pursued by DNDi within the nitroimidazole project initiated in 2005 to explore new and old nitroimidazole drug leads. The objective is to progress fexinidazole through this pivotal Phase II/III study in order to register the drug as a new treatment for stage 2 sleeping sickness caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei (T.b.) gambiense, as well as for stage 1 sleeping sickness and sleeping sickness caused by T.b. rhodesiense. If ultimately successful, fexinidazole would be the first oral treatment to be used for both stage 1 and stage 2 sleeping sickness, thereby replacing the complicated diagnosis and treatment paradigm, which includes systematic lumbar punctures of every diagnosed patient to determine the stage of the disease before deciding which treatment to administer.
‘This new chemical entity gives us hope of a drastically simplified way to care for our patients’, said Dr Wilfried Mutombo, National Human African Trypanosomiasis Control Programme , DRC, Investigator and Coordinator of the fexinidazole trial. ‘In addition, the investments made into renovating the laboratories and hospital wards, training personnel, and introducing adapted technologies that allow us to report in real time on each patient, has elevated an entire group of dedicated professionals to international clinical research standards’, he added. The study was initiated and is conducted by DNDi in collaboration with the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) and the Human African Trypanosomiasis national control programmes of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Central African Republic, in addition to collaboration with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The French pharmaceutical company Sanofi and DNDi co‐develop the drug: DNDi is responsible for preclinical, clinical, and pharmaceutical development, while Sanofi is responsible for the industrial development, registration, and production of the drug at its manufacturing sites. Recruitment for the study will include 510 patients at five clinical sites in DRC and one site in Central African Republic. About the fexinidazole study The efficacy and safety study is a pivotal, non‐inferiority, open, multi‐centric and randomized Phase II/III study. The treatment regimen for fexinidazole will consist of 1 dose of 1800mg (3 pills) once a day for the first 4 days and 1 dose of 1200mg (2 pills) once a day for the following 6 days (10 days in total). The reference treatment, NECT, which will be administered for 10 days as well, with 3 oral administrations per day of nifurtimox for 10 days in combination with 2 intravenous infusions per day of elfornithine (2‐hours long each) for 7 days. Two‐thirds of patients will receive fexinidazole, and one‐third will receive NECT. The study will measure the safety and efficacy of fexinidazole, with NECT as the active comparator. NECT is currently the first‐line treatment for stage 2 of the disease, which notably has replaced since 2009 the toxic arsenicbased melarsoprol. The protocol for the fexinidazole study was reviewed by an international ethics working group convened by the Société Française et Francophone d’Ethique Médicale (SFFEM) with WHO support, before being approved by the national authorities and the MSF ethics committee. Support for the study This project is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Médecins Sans Frontières, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the British Department for International Development (DFID), the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MAEE), the GIZ on behalf of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and other individual donors. About sleeping sickness
Sleeping sickness (or human African trypanosomiasis, HAT), which threatens millions in 36 countries in sub‐Saharan Africa, is fatal if left untreated. The disease is caused by parasites transmitted by the bite of a tsetse fly and is often asymptomatic for years (stage 1) until the infection reaches stage 2, where it crosses into the central nervous system and brain. Currently, prior to treatment, the stage of the disease must be determined using a diagnostic spinal tap to extract cerebrospinal fluid from the patient. About DNDi The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) is a not‐for‐profit research and development organization working to deliver new treatments for neglected diseases, in particular sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis), Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, specific helminth (filarial) infections, malaria, and paediatric HIV. Since its inception in 2003, DNDi has delivered six treatments: two fixed‐dose antimalarials (ASAQ and ASMQ), nifurtimox‐eflornithine combination therapy (NECT) for late‐stage sleeping sickness, sodium stibogluconate and paromomycin (SSG&PM) combination therapy for visceral leishmaniasis in Africa, a set of combination therapies for visceral leishmaniasis in Asia, and a paediatric dosage form of benznidazole for Chagas disease. DNDi has helped establish three clinical research platforms: Leishmaniasis East Africa Platform (LEAP) in Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Uganda; the HAT Platform based in Africa for sleeping sickness; and the Chagas Clinical Research Platform in Latin America. www.dndi.org Media contact: Violaine Dällenbach, Press & Communications Manager, vdallenbach@dndi.org Tel: +41 22 906 92 47 / Mobile: +41 79 424 14 74 ]]> Sat, 22 Dec 2012 11:40:00 +0100