28 December 2021

4,7 million EUR to new global health research projects

GLOBAL HEALTH RESEARCH

Three new global health research projects will see the light of day in 2022. Two of them each received 1,6 million EUR from DANIDA – Denmark’s development cooperation. They both take place in Tanzania and focus on climate change resilience and adaptation. The third project received 1,5 million EUR from the Novo Nordisk Foundation and takes place in the South Sudanese – Ugandan migration corridor.

Mosquito sucking blood
Climate change have a direct effect on mosquitoes and their capacity as disease vectors. One of the new projects seeks to prevent hospital-transmission and acute epidemic spread of climate-sensitive mosquito-borne viral diseases in Zanzibar hospitals. Photo: Colourbox.

1,6 million EUR for building resilience to climate-sensitive mosquito-borne viral diseases through integrated mosquito control and sentinel surveillance in Zanzibar hospitals

Climatic change and mosquito-borne viral diseases epidemics interlink as increasing temperature, humidity and precipitation exert direct effects on the biological processes of mosquitoes and their capacity as disease vectors. The project seeks to prevent hospital-transmission and acute epidemic spread of climate-sensitive mosquito-borne viral diseases by combining locally tailored mosquito control and sentinel disease surveillance at selected hospital facilities in support of the national disease control and surveillance programmes of Zanzibar.

The project brings together a strong, interdisciplinary network of research and government institutions across Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania with a clear aim to strengthen South-South collaborations, while building on well-established partnerships with the University of Copenhagen - now extended to the Royal Danish Academy - Architecture, Design, Conservation.

The team behind the application is Karin Schiøler (University of Copenhagen), Fatma Saleh (The State University of Zanzibar), Shaali Ame (Public Health Laboratory - Ivo de Carneri), Khamis Haji (Ministry of Health, Zanzibar), Happiness Kumburu (Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College), Leonard E.G. Mboera (Sokoine University of Agriculture) and Michael Alifrangis (University of Copenhagen).

1,6 million EUR for gender transformative climate change adaptations in Tanzania 

The Himili Pamoja (Adapt Together) project investigates climate change adaptation (CCA) initiatives at household and district council levels to identify associated transitions in gender roles and in social and health-related challenges in four sites in mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.

The project seeks to identify socio-cultural and structural dimensions that directly or indirectly exclude women from mainstream CCA initiatives. The project entails strategic public-private partnerships that have as their aim to promote gender transformative CCA. The interdisciplinary Tanzanian and Danish research team brings together social and health sciences, humanities, geography, biology and environmental sciences.

The team behind the application is Britt Pinkowski Tersbøl, Peter Furu, Helle Samuelsen (University of Copenhagen), Edmund Mabhuye (University of Dar es Salaam), Mary Mtumwa Khatib (State University of Zanzibar), Eugenia J. Kafanabo (University of Dar es Salaam).

1,5 million EUR for addressing the challenges forcibly displaced persons face in accessing and maintaining diabetes and hypertension care in the South Sudanese – Ugandan migration corridor

The CONTINUITY project seeks to understand and address the challenges forcibly displaced persons (FDPs) face in accessing and maintaining diabetes and hypertension care, chronic conditions that global data suggest affect between 10-18% of FDPs.

Focusing on the South Sudan to Uganda migration corridor, the project brings together an interdisciplinary team of researchers and practitioners, who, together with FDPs will draw on research findings to develop innovative frameworks and educational products to advance responses to the diabetes and hypertension care needs of FDPs in the region.

The team behind the application is Morten Skovdal (University of Copenhagen), David Kyaddondo (Makerere University), Patterson Siema (African Population and Health Research Centre) and Akway Cham (University of Juba).

Karin Schiøler, Britt Pinkowski Tersbøl and Morten Skovdal
The three applicants from University of Copenhagen (left to right): Karin Schiøler, Britt Pinkowski Tersbøl and Morten Skovdal

Contact

Karin Schiøler
ksch@sund.ku.dk

Britt Pinkowski Tersbøl
briter@sund.ku.dk

Morten Skovdal
m.skovdal@sund.ku.dk

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