Short Description Since 2016, the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine has been working with the Global Health Protection Programme (AfroLabNet) in Nigeria, Benin and Guinea to strengthen stationary and mobile laboratory capacities on viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) of the risk group 4 such as Lassa fever. The COVID-19 pandemic…
Short Description The capacity to safely diagnose infectious diseases caused by tropical pathogens with epidemic potential is limited in many African countries. This limitation in diagnostic capacities results in failure to react adequately to outbreaks, which likely contributed to the delayed response observed during the Ebola virus outbreak in West…
Following the establishment of SARS-CoV-2 serology in 2021, the “Laboratoire des Fièvres Hémorragiques Virales de Gueckédou” (LFHV-GKD), with support of the “Délégation Préfectorale de la Santé” (DPS) and of the Gueckédou prefecture, launched a seroprevalence study in four local communities of Gueckédou prefecture in September 2021 to better understand the…
As part of the ORDER-HC project, a team of the RKI and COMAHS conducted a qualitative study in Sierra Leone between the end of 2021 and the end of 2022. The aim of the study was to identify and analyse strategies, measures and experiences of health care providers of maintaining…
The Robert Koch Institute is keen on sharing research findings with international partners to support evidence-informed decision making. In November 2022, a team of two RKI units and their local partner, College of Medicine & Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS), co-organised stakeholder workshops to present and discuss early findings of two…
To continue our capacity building program in Guinea, refresher trainings were organized in the three laboratories for viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) in Conakry (CRV-LFHVG*), Gueckédou (LFHV-GKD*) and N’Zérékoré (LFHV-HRNZE*) to reinforce the laboratory preparedness and to contribute actively to the surveillance system of the country. Enhancement of reliable diagnostics in…
The European Mobile lab (EMLab), managed by the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), is specialized in field diagnostics of high consequence pathogens such as Ebola and Lassa viruses. The EMLab is a partner of the World Health Organization and the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), and…
Following the request of the Beninese Ministry of Health, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) staff deployed to Benin on 6 – 12 June 2022 to assist with the establishment of Mpox diagnostics at the national laboratory for viral hemorrhagic fevers in Cotonou (LFH). In addition…
To support the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) with the establishment of Mpox virus diagnostics, and to increase the diagnostic capacities of the Institute for Lassa Fever Research and Control (ILFRC), a team from Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) trained ILFRC staff…