In Retrospect

Contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provides a compass to tackle the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate and health. Swiss TPH is committed to the achievement of the SDGs, placing particular emphasis on SDG 3 “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” and Universal Health Coverage (UHC). With our research projects and service mandates, we contribute to 14 of the 17 SDGs.

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JANUARY

New Programme to Tackle Non-Communicable Diseases in Lesotho Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the number one cause of death and disability globally. More than 75% of premature NCD-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). A new Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) programme called ComBaCaL (Community Based chronic disease Care Lesotho), coordinated by SolidarMed, Swiss TPH and partners in Lesotho, aims to tackle NCDs in Lesotho.

→ The study is the first to estimate the mortality burden attributable to air pollution in European cities. → ComBaCal builds on long-term experience in HIV/AIDS chronic disease care.

Study Identifies European Cities with Highest Mortality Due to Air Pollution A health impact study estimated the mortality burden attributable to air pollution in over 1,000 European cities. The study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, included a ranking of the European cities with the highest rates of mortality attributable to the two air pollutants studied: fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The research project was led by ISGlobal in collaboration with Swiss TPH and Utrecht University.

FEBRUARY

Global Action Required to Tackle Hunger and Poverty According to a study by an international team of economists including Swiss TPH, the onset of the COVID–19 pandemic caused a sharp decline in living standards and rising food insecurity in LMICs across the globe. Published in Science Advances, the study provided novel insights into the collateral damage of the pandemic, and urged the international community to take action to mitigate the impact on the dire hunger and poverty crises.

→ COVID– 19 presented a threat to residents of LMICs who lack social safety nets.

→ Researchers conduct community outreach in remote areas in Lesotho.

Improving Access to Schistosomiasis Treatment for Young Children The Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium received funding for the implementation of the ADOPT programme, which paves the way for the introduction of a child-friendly formulation to treat schistosomiasis in preschool-aged children. Swiss TPH, as a consortium partner, is co-leading the ADOPT programme. Improving Access to COVID–19 Screening and Testing in African Countries A joint initiative between the Botnar Research Centre for Child Health (BRCCH) and the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) supported three COVID–19-related projects, ranging from immunology to diagnostics in LMICs. One of the key projects was led by Swiss TPH and Zambart, which focused on improving access to COVID–19 screening and testing in Lesotho and Zambia.

→ Schistosomiasis is an acute and chronic disease caused by parasitic worms.

MARCH

Swiss-Tajik Cooperation: Nearly 20 Years of Primary Healthcare Development Two longstanding SDC projects that are implemented by Swiss TPH, Project Sino and the Medical Education Reform Project, came to a close after nearly 20 successful years of primary healthcare development. The projects represent a sustainable partnership between Switzerland and Tajikistan, and serve as a model for other health sector reform initiatives.

→ At present, ivermectin is the only efficacious treatment option against Strongyloidiasis. → Swiss-Tajik cooperation has led to two decades of primary healthcare development.

Promising Treatment Alternative Against Parasitic Worm Infection Strongyloidiasis, a parasitic worm infection caused by strongyloides stercoralis, remains a neglected public health problem with limited treatment options. Swiss TPH researchers conducted the first dose-finding study with moxidectin against strongyloidiasis. The drug could become a treatment alternative to ivermectrin, the only treatment available so far, and help fill the empty anthelminthic drug pipeline.

APRIL

Pollen Season in Switzerland Earlier and More Intense Due to Climate Change A collaborative study between Swiss TPH and the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss) confirmed that the rising temperatures over the past three decades have impacted the pollen season in Switzerland. The investigation into pollen due to climate change was published in Science of the Total Environment.

MAY

→ The need for effective COVID– 19 treatments remains acute, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mathias Kronig Elected New Administrative Director at Swiss TPH Mathias Kronig was elected as the new Administrative Director of Swiss TPH. He succeeds Matthias Schmid-Huberty who led the Department of Administration from January 2018 until August 2020. Kronig has worked in different positions within the Finances/Controlling unit at Swiss TPH since 2003.

JUNE

→ The planet has warmed approximately 1°C over preindustrial times, with more warming predicted. → Climate change increases suffering for people allergic to hazel and other species.

ANTICOV: Largest Clinical Trial in Africa to Test New Drug Combination The ANTICOV clinical trial, which is a consortia led by DNDi with partners including Swiss TPH, started the recruitment of participants to test a new drug combination, nitazoxanide and ciclesonide, to treat people with mild-to-moderate COVID–19 before their cases become severe.

→ Kronig will be a part of the Directorate of Swiss TPH.

More than a Third of Heat Deaths Are Linked to Climate Change Between 1991 and 2018, more than a third of all deaths in which heat played a role were attributable to global warming, according to a study in Nature Climate Change. The study was led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the University of Bern with partners including Swiss TPH. The findings provided additional evidence of the necessity to adopt strong mitigation policies to reduce further warming.

New Clinical Decision Support Tool Reduces Antibiotic Prescription in Children by a Fourfold A pilot study conducted in Tanzania and Rwanda demonstrated that the quality of care for sick children is improved through the use of clinical decision support algorithms. These algorithms, which have been designed by medical experts through an innovative digital platform called medAL-creator, could prevent millions of unnecessary prescriptions of antibiotics each year in Africa, and potentially in Europe.

→ Every year, around 3 million children die from acute febrile episodes, particularly in LMICs.

→ The symposium provided a platform for experts to discuss public health issues. Swiss TPH Symposium: Global Health in the 21st Century Though much progress has been made in improving global health, many new obstacles have emerged. On 28–30 June 2021, Swiss TPH hosted a virtual symposium ‘Global Health in the 21st Century’, which brought together experts from the public, private, non-profit and governmental sectors to discuss the pressing global health issues of our time.

JULY

Nicole Probst-Hensch Elected to SAMS Executive Board Nicole Probst-Hensch became a new member of the Executive Board of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS), representing Swiss TPH on this important scientific body. She was elected for her scientific achievements in public health.

→ The re-designation reflects Swiss TPH’s commitment to tackling malaria. → Probst-Hensch is the Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Swiss TPH.

Swiss TPH Re-Designated as WHO Collaborating Centre for Expertise in Malaria Swiss TPH has been re-designated as the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Modelling, Monitoring and Training for Malaria Control and Elimination, following many years of fruitful collaboration with the WHO and partner institutions in Africa. By providing technical advice, Swiss TPH will continue to offer strategic guidance on WHO policies for malaria control and elimination.

AUGUST

→ There is a need for equitable distribution of vaccines, health interventions and global action. Collateral Damage of COVID–19 on LMICs The COVID–19 pandemic has had a major impact on human health, the economy and society at large. The control measures indirectly effected people’s health and well-being, particularly in LMICs where the pandemic amplified and deepened existing inequalities. To mitigate the collateral damage, Swiss TPH worked on a myriad of projects to support vulnerable populations around the globe.

SEPTEMBER

Key Handover for New Building of Swiss TPH On 17 September 2021, the key handover for the new building of Swiss TPH took place in Allschwil. 150 employees and guests attended the event, including representatives of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), the University of Basel, the building planners and architects and the municipality of Allschwil.

→ As of 1 April 2022, 700 employees from 80 nations moved into the new Swiss TPH headquarters.

OCTOBER

→ Hope is on the horizon for a shorter treatment regimen for drug-resistant tuberculosis. Clinical Trial Yields Promising Results for Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Treatment TBPRACTECAL, a clinical trial led by Médecins Sans Frontières with partners including Swiss TPH, found that a new all-oral treatment regimen for rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis is safer and more efficacious than the current accepted standard of care. These results signal the start of a new chapter for patients who often endure grueling treatment regimens that have a catastrophic effect on physical and mental health.