African experts join forces to beat tropical infectious diseases

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Making a Difference

The £2m Making a Difference initiative will seek novel solutions for infectious diseases that affect more than 300 million people across Africa. 

Leading African experts in infectious diseases will conduct the research in collaboration with researchers from the University of Edinburgh.

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.

We are proud to be working with some of Africa’s best scientists to find African solutions to African health problems.

Professor Mark Woolhouse

Research across the African continent

The new research will be carried out 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.

Professor James Smith, TIBA researcher and the University of Edinburgh’s Vice Principal International, said

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.

Further information

Please contact Andrew Moffat

Related links

Tackling Infection to Benefit Africa (TIBA) Partnership

Making a Difference projects