ZIG Newsletter 3|2024

New PhD Programme Global Health in Berlin

Global Health is a dynamic and interdisciplinary field that involves lots of collaboration. The new interdisciplinary Global Health PhD programme is a collaboration between seven institutions from Berlin and Potsdam: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Robert Koch Institute, Freie Universität Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, University of Potsdam and WZB Berlin Social Science Center. It aims to train excellent scientists for leadership positions in global health. The start of the programme is planned for October 2024. Applications are possible from 20 June to 20 August 2024.

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ZIG supports Joint German EMT Exercise in Ahrtal

Joint training for joint deployments - under this theme, the second joint exercise of the German Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) took place in the Ahr Valley from 29 May to 2 June. The EMTs from Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB), CADUS e.V., humedica and Johanniter trained for humanitarian deployments, supported by staff from RKI’s Centre for International Health Protection (ZIG) and other partner organisations.

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Strengthening early warning and detection of public health threats in South Africa

Time is critical when it comes to detecting emerging public health threats. Media, hotlines, healthcare facilities, communities: These are all sources of valuable epidemiological information employed by event-based surveillance (EBS) systems to allow for early detection and timely response to outbreaks and epidemics.
RKI’s Public Health Intelligence team at the Centre for International Health Protection has joined Africa CDC in its first EBS workshop conducted in South Africa.

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Second CARe face-to-face workshop on applied public health research methods in Namibia

The CARe project (Capacity Building in Applied Public Health Research in GHPP Partner Countries) continues its training program on applied public health research methods with its second face-to-face workshop. From June 10 to 14, 2024, 26 public health experts from 10 African countries met in Windhoek, Namibia.The week-long event covered important topics such as quantitative and qualitative study designs, sampling, development of research instruments, data collection and research ethics. The exchange was particularly valuable: participants presented their own work and research plans, which led to lively discussions and interactions.The success of the workshop clearly shows how high the need for exchange and cooperation is among scientists from the Global South. Such formats are invaluable in the international and African context.This workshop was the second face-to-face event within the CARe project, which is part of the Global Health Protection Program (GHPP) and strengthens capacities in health research.

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Partnership to strengthen integrated genomic surveillance through increased capacity in national public health institutes: Foresight workshop in Namibia under the Integrated Genomic Surveillance (IGS) project

On 9 and 10 July 2024, a foresight workshop was held in Windhoek, Namibia, organized by the RKI in cooperation with the Namibian Ministry of Health & Social Services (MoHSS) with the aim of identifying opportunities, needs and challenges for the implementation of integrated genomic surveillance in Namibia's public health system.The workshop brought together key stakeholders in public health in Namibia, including representatives from ministries, research and academic institutions as well as international organizations such as WHO and Africa CDC. The participants were presented with four different scenarios that could occur in the healthcare sector in the future. In small groups, the participants developed concrete steps and strategic options to respond to these scenarios. The results of these discussions formed the basis for the joint identification of necessary measures and preparations to be prepared for similar future scenarios. This meeting provided important insights into the collaborative actions needed within and between institutions. It also provided valuable input for the creation of a roadmap to establish integrated genomic surveillance in Namibia.

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Public events

ZIG-Talk on 16^th May 2024: Kenneth Sherr – “Promise and pitfalls of implementation research in global health”

Robert Koch Colloquium 2024: "On the Move: Public Health in a Globalized World" on 23-24^th May

Recent publications

Borodova A., Diallo A. A., Wood R., Tounkara O., Rocha C., Bayo M., Landsmann L., Cherif M. S., Borchert M., Meinus C., Nabé I., Doumbouya S., Diallo K. M., Diallo M., Arvand M., & Müller S. A. (2024). PASQUALE - A long-term partnership to improve hand hygiene and capacity building in infection prevention and control in the Faranah region of Guinea. International Journal of Medical Microbiology, 314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmm.2024.151612

Issahaku G. R., Fischer H. T., Appiah-Brempong E., Opoku D., & Hanefeld J. (2024). Strategies to foster community engagement for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol. BMJ Open, 14(6), e082757. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082757

Lachmann R., Domingo C., Frank C., Ochs A., Pauly A. K., Weber-Schehl M., Schmidt M., Tonn T., Müller T. H., Barzon L., Sinigaglia A., Esquevin S., Preußel K., & Offergeld R. (2024). West Nile Virus Emergence in Germany 2019: Looking for Hidden Human West Nile Virus Infections. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. https://doi.org/10.1089/vbz.2023.0103

Mazhnaya A., Geurts B., Brigida K., Bakieva S., Sadirova S., Witzigmann A., Musabaev E., Brandl M., Weishaar H., Dudareva S., & Bcheraoui C. E. (2024). Barriers and facilitators to viral hepatitis testing in Uzbekistan: scoping qualitative study among key stakeholders, healthcare workers, and the general population. BMC Public Health, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18953-5

Matran Y. M., Al-Haddad A. M., Kour A., Al-Shehabi H., Sharma S., Suttee A., & Sharma S. (2024). Streptococcus pneumoniae among the children of Aden, Yemen: a cross-sectional report of post-pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 18(4), 579-586. https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.18935

Meierkord A., Körner-Nahodilová L., Gotsche C. I., Baruch J., Briesemeister V., Correa-Martinez C. L., & Hanefeld J. (2024). Strengthening disease surveillance capacity at national level across five countries: a qualitative study. Public Health, 233, 115-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2024.04.040

Mbiri P., Matomola O. C., Muleya W., Mhuulu L., Diegaardt A., Noden B. H., Changula K., Chimwamurombe P., Matos C., Weiss S., Nepolo E., & Chitanga S. (2024). Molecular Detection and Characterization of Rickettsia Species in Ixodid Ticks from Selected Regions of Namibia. Microorganisms, 12(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12050912

Müller S. A., Elimian K., Rafamatanantsoa J. F., Reichert F., Mosala F., Böff L., Touré S. F., Boone I., Ravaoarisoa L., Nduenga S., Ortu G., Pozo-Martin F., Tomczyk S., Eckmanns T., Okwor T., Akoua-Koffi C., Diané B., Randriamanantany Z. A., Ahuka S., Ochu C. L., & El-Bcheraoui C. (2024). The burden and treatment of non-communicable diseases among healthcare workers in sub-Saharan Africa: a multi-country cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Public Health, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1375221

Näher A. F., Schulte-Althoff M., Kopka M., Balzer F., & Pozo-Martin F. (2024). Effects of Face Mask Mandates on COVID-19 Transmission in 51 Countries: Retrospective Event Study. JMIR public health and surveillance, 10, e49307. https://doi.org/10.2196/49307

Robé C., Projahn M., Boll K., Blasse A., Merle R., Roesler U., & Friese A. (2024). Survival of highly related ESBL- and pAmpC- producing Escherichia coli in broiler farms identified before and after cleaning and disinfection using cgMLST. BMC Microbiol, 24(1), 143. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-024-03292-7

Samkange A., Mbiri P., Matomola O. C., Zaire G., Homateni A., Junias E., Kaatura I., Khaiseb S., Ekandjo S., Shoopala J., Hausiku M., Shilongo A., Mujiwa M. L., Dietze K., Busch F., Winter C., Matos C., Weiss S., & Chitanga S. (2024). Serological Evidence of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever in Livestock in the Omaheke Region of Namibia. Microorganisms, 12(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12040838

Saso M., Schutte N., Borg M., Calleja N., Schmidt A. E., Peyroteo M., Lapão L. V., Fehr A., Thißen M., Courtney M., & Bogaert P. (2024). COVID-19 health information system assessments in eight European countries: identified gaps, best practices and recommendations. Eur J Public Health, 34(Supplement_1), i74-i80. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckae041

Weishaar H., Pozo-Martin F., Geurts B., Lopez de Abechuco E., Montt-Maray E., Cristea F., Abrokwa S. K., Bahr T., Al-Awlaqi S., & El Bcheraoui C. (2024). Capacity-building during public health emergencies: perceived usefulness and cost savings of an online training on SARS-CoV-2 real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) diagnostics in low- and middle-income settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Public Health, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1197729

Wieters I., Johnstone S., Makiala-Mandanda S., Poda A., Akoua-Koffi C., Abu Sin M., Eckmanns T., Galeone V., Kaboré F. N., Kahwata F., Leendertz F. H., Mputu B., Ouedraogo A. S., Page N., Schink S. B., Touré F. S., Traoré A., Venter M., Vietor A. C., Schubert G., & Tomczyk S. (2024). Reported antibiotic use among patients in the multicenter ANDEMIA infectious diseases surveillance study in sub-saharan Africa. Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-024-01365-w

Wood R., Tembele W., Hema A., Somé A., Kinganda-Lusamaki E., Basilubo C., Lumembe R., Alama N., Mbunsu G., Zongo A., Ahuka S., Muyembe J. J., Leendertz F., Eckmanns T., Schubert G., Kagoné T., Makiala S., & Tomczyk S. (2024). Implementation of the WHO core components of an infection prevention and control programme in two sub-saharan African acute health-care facilities: a mixed methods study. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control, 13(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-023-01358-1