Millions of people are set to benefit from projects involving Edinburgh researchers that aim to improve health in Sub-Saharan Africa. The £2m Making a Difference initiative will seek novel solutions for infectious diseases that affect more than 300 million people across the continent. Research will target malaria, sleeping sickness, schistosomiasis – a severe worm infection – and other tropical diseases. Leading African experts in infectious diseases will conduct the research in collaboration with Edinburgh researchers. Projects will take place in Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The work is planned to impact health across the continent. Research will focus on innovative approaches to developing vaccines against malaria. Experts will also seek to extend treatment of schistosomiasis to pre-school children and improving the diagnosis of sleeping sickness and infectious diseases, including those that cause epidemics. Each project is designed to improve the health of local populations by providing new tools to combat these infections. We are proud to be working with some of Africa’s best scientists to find African solutions to African health problems. Professor Mark WoolhouseTIBA Director, Usher Institute Tackling infections The work is part of a £7m initiative called Tackling Infections to Benefit Africa (TIBA), a partnership between African experts and University of Edinburgh researchers. TIBA research is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) using Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding. TIBA demonstrates the power of working through partnerships in seeking novel solutions to the problems of infectious diseases and emerging epidemics in Africa. Together, the University of Edinburgh and its African partners can contribute to improving the lives of millions of people. Professor James SmithVice Principal International, the University of Edinburgh Links Tackling Infections to Benefit Africa Publication date 07 Feb, 2019
