Grants awarded in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region for implementation research on infectious diseases of poverty

15 October 2020 – 11 research projects have been awarded grants following a call for applications that aims to support the generation of evidence from local research for the prevention and control of tropical diseases in the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

The Small Grants Scheme is a joint initiative of TDR and WHO regional offices, which aims to strengthen the research capacity of individuals and institutions in countries. These grants will support implementation/operational research on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), malaria and tuberculosis.

The selected proposals are:

Neglected tropical diseases

Country Institution Project title
Morocco Regional Directorate of Ministry of Health – El Ghessani Regional Hospital – Dhar Al Mehraz, Fez Comparative assessment of thermotherapy and mini-dose intralesional meglumine antimonials to improve access, safety, cost-effectiveness, and scarring outcome of cutaneous leishmaniasis treatment in Morocco
Pakistan National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi Comparative assessment of sodium stibogluconate intralesional therapy versus combination of thermal therapy with sodium stibogluconate interlesional therapy for skin lesions in cutaneous leishmaniasis in Pakistan
Somalia East Africa University Active search of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) endemic focuses
Sudan Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Khartoum Determination of risk factors for severity and death from visceral leishmaniasis (VL) among seasonal migrant and resident agricultural workers in Gallabat

Malaria

Country Institution Project title
Sudan Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Khartoum Investigating the role of the newly introduced invasive Asian malaria vector Anopheles stephensi in malaria transmission in eastern Sudan
Sudan Faculty of Public and Environmental Health, University of Kordofan, El-Obeid, North Kordofan State Study of reasons that lead to infection with malaria and repeated infection with malaria among pregnant women, Elfaitih Elnour Clinic, El-Obeid City, North Kordofan State, Sudan
Yemen Community Medicine and Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Aden University, Aden Knowledge of and adherence to the National Guidelines for Malaria Case Management: A survey among physicians in Sanaa and Aden private hospitals, Yemen

Tuberculosis

Country Institution Project title
Egypt High Institute of Public Health, University of Alexandria, Alexandria A survey to estimate direct and indirect costs due to tuberculosis and proportion of tuberculosis-affected households experiencing catastrophic costs due to TB in Alexandria, Egypt
Islamic Republic of Iran Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht Measuring the catastrophic cost of diagnosis, treatment, care and support on people and families affected by tuberculosis in Iran and Afghanistan
Pakistan The Solution Pakistan (Pvt) Financial burden of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis on patients attending the PMDT sites in Pakistan
Yemen University of Science and Technology Multi-center estimation of the catastrophic costs associated with tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and treatment in Yemen in the context of conflict

For more information, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (TDR) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Related links

TDR grants