Child survival
In 2024, we advanced two key projects aimed at increasing child survival in sub-Saharan Africa. For MULTIPLY – a study conducted in Sierra Leone, Mozambique and Togo – we collected data on malaria prevalence and treatment coverage to assess the impact of delivering malaria preventive treatment to infants through the Expanded Program on Immunization (1). For the ICARIA trial, we completed the recruitment of almost 20,000 participants in Sierra Leone to test whether adding azithromycin to preventive malaria treatment further reduces child mortality. We are now studying antibiotic resistance within the trial cohort.
We also participated in the WHO Strategic Advisory Group meeting on RSV, contributing to recommendations on maternal vaccination and the use of monoclonal antibodies in infants.
Malaria in pregnancy
The results of the MAMAH trial demonstrated that dihydroartemisin-piperaquine reduces malaria infection risk in pregnant women with HIV, supporting its use as preventive treatment for this vulnerable group (2). Our team also contributed to a WHO review on the safety of antimalarials in early pregnancy (3) and to a Cochrane review on malaria prevention in HIV-positive pregnant women (4).
Debate
At the EASA conference in Barcelona, we co-hosted a panel with former CISM colleagues titled “Challenging Global Health through a Socio-Anthropological Lens”. Discussions covered epistemic justice, colonial legacies, donor influence, and the disconnect between global agendas and local needs. The key takeaway was the need for interdisciplinary approaches, challenging knowledge hierarchies, and amplifying marginalised voices.
Training and Education
We coordinated the Maternal and Reproductive Health module of ISGlobal’s Master in Global Health.
References
- Wassenaar M et al. BMC Public Health.
- González R et al. The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
- Recht J et al. World Health Organization.
- Pons-Duran C et al. Cochrane Reviews.
