Swiss TPH joins the Swiss Alliance against Neglected Tropical Diseases

“We are proud to be part of the Swiss Alliance against Neglected Tropical Diseases,” said Peter Steinmann, Swiss TPH, and Board Member of the Alliance. “Joining forces and expertise from research institutions, civil society and the private sector, Switzerland has the potential to contribute to ending neglected tropical diseases.”

Combatting NTDs has been a focus of Swiss TPH since its foundation in 1943. Today, Swiss TPH actively contributes to NTD control at all levels from basic research to capacity building, medical care and project implementation. For instance, the institute develops new drugs and diagnostic tests for sleeping sickness and various helminth infections and implements epidemiological studies to identify risk factors for infection with Buruli ulcer and develop predictive maps for schistosomiasis.

Swiss TPH also works on innovations in disease control and elimination. For example, Swiss TPH currently supports a multi-country programme focusing on the feasibility and impact of tracing contacts of newly diagnosed leprosy patients and the administration of a single dose of rifampicin to eligible contacts. The goal is to reduce the risk that contacts develop leprosy themselves, and thereby contribute to the interruption of transmission.