Unit | Health Interventions

The Health Interventions Unit deals with the development and field testing of new health interventions, with a strong focus on malaria. We operate a dual portfolio of service projects and research studies in a number of countries in Africa South of the Sahara (chiefly Tanzania, Ivory Coast and Democratic Republic of Congo) and in Papua New Guinea. Because of the very applied nature of our work, we collaborate extensively with the service departments in the institute. We also interact regularly with the Health Systems Research and Dynamical Modelling Unit, as well as with the Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology (MPI) research groups.

Research

Research work deals with the integration of new interventions into the health system (for example injectable or rectal artesunate for the treatment of severe malaria), doing trials of new vaccine candidates, developing new treatment algorithms for children with fever, improving the monitoring and evaluation of national programmes, and finally developing new vector control tools and testing them in the field. All groups also aim to strengthen capacity in malaria-endemic countries on the basis of institutional collaborative arrangements and formal training courses.

Manuel Hetzel

Manuel Hetzel

, Prof. Dr.

Deputy Head of Unit
+41612848168
manuel.hetzel@swisstph.ch

Where we work

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Selected projects at this location:

Latest Publications

All Publications

Hetzel M.W et al. Pre-referral rectal artesunate is no "magic bullet" in weak health systems. BMC Med. 2023;21:119. DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-02777-y

Lambiris M.J et al. Health system readiness and the implementation of rectal artesunate for severe malaria in sub-Saharan Africa: an analysis of real-world costs and constraints. Lancet Glob Health. 2023;11(2):e256-e264. DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00507-1

Signorell A et al. Health worker compliance with severe malaria treatment guidelines in the context of implementing pre-referral rectal artesunate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, and Uganda: an operational study. PLoS Med. 2023;20(2):e1004189. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004189

Awor P et al. Acceptability of pre-referral rectal artesunate for severe malaria in children under 5 years by health workers and caregivers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Uganda. Malar J. 2022;21:322. DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04348-7

Awor P et al. Care seeking and treatment of febrile children with and without danger signs of severe disease in northern Uganda: results from three household surveys (2018-2020). Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2022;107(4):934–938. DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-1132

Brunner N.C et al. Prereferral rectal artesunate and referral completion among children with suspected severe malaria in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Uganda. BMJ Glob Health. 2022;7(5):e008346. DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-008346

Fink G et al. Mosquito net use in early childhood and survival to adulthood in Tanzania. N Engl J Med. 2022;386:428-436. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2112524