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 |
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