Context There is an urgent need to strengthen diagnostic capacities for Yersinia pestis and Vibrio cholerae in Madagascar. Yersinia pestis is endemic in the country and therefore represents a major public health concern. Vibrio cholerae is gaining increasing importance both locally and globally in the context of climate change and…
Context The SPHERE project builds on cooperation with Western Balkan (WB) countries that has been in place since 2016 and follows the success of the WASP (Western Balkan Strategic Partnership for Health Protection) project. SPHERE continues to support public health institutes in Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, and North Macedonia in enhancing…
Context Rapid Response Mobile Laboratories (RRMLs) provide crucial support during infectious disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and humanitarian crises by enabling on-site testing and diagnostics. During these emergencies, countries can experience gaps in human and infrastructural resources, underscoring the need for flexible and portable laboratory solutions. SMILE strengthens emergency response capacities…
Context Pathogens with outbreak and zoonotic potential pose a significant threat to public health, particularly when antimicrobial resistance (AMR) further limits treatment options. In both cases, strong laboratory-based surveillance is essential, as its data can inform national health policies as well as infection prevention and outbreak control measures. Building on…
Context In Sri Lanka, infectious diseases caused by viruses are widespread and are often diagnosed solely through medical examination. Due to insufficient access, modern laboratory diagnostic methods are used only to a limited extent in this region. As a result, numerous diseases either remain undetected or are not detected in…
Context Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases and is closely linked to low socioeconomic and poor sanitary conditions. The increasing emergence of tuberculosis strains resistant to key medicines poses a serious threat to global tuberculosis control. In many countries with a high disease burden, rapid diagnostic methods…
Context The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the critical importance of genomic surveillance for protecting public health. By analysing the genetic material of viruses, outbreaks can be detected earlier, transmission pathways can be understood, and effective control measures can be implemented. This is particularly useful, for example, when new variants emerge or…
Context Malaria remains a major public health challenge in Ghana, particularly in rural areas. Effective malaria medicines are currently available, but rising drug resistance could reverse recent gains. Malaria transmission is also changing due to climatic and environmental factors. The project responds to the need for strengthened malaria surveillance to…
Context Antimicrobial resistance occurs when antibiotics lose their effectiveness against bacterial infections. It is a growing public health concern, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Key contributing factors include uncontrolled access to antibiotics, inappropriate use in human and animal medicine, and limited access to laboratory-based diagnostics. Many rural areas lack adequate laboratory…