Annual Report
2021

Research & innovation

Scientific progress in tropical medicine and international health is at the heart of our institute’s mission. We tackle important health challenges, with a particular focus on low-resource settings.
Discover more
1
Annual Report
2021

Education

ITM thrives in being a vibrant, open global campus that offers science-driven and societally relevant post-graduate training to over 500 students annually.
Discover more
2
Annual Report
2021

International cooperation

Together with our 19 partner institutions from 11 countries we work on capacity strengthening initiatives in research and education.
Discover more
3
Annual Report
2021

Medical services

We provide world class medical care and laboratory services in the domain of tropical infectious diseases.
Discover more
4
/ 4
Portrait image of Cathy Berx
Foreword

Cathy Berx

“Over the 14 years that I have had the great honour to be the Chair of the Board, I have seen the Institute define and deliver on its strategy towards being a science-driven organisation and have worked together with many amazingly driven people – inside and outside the institute – to have this embedded in its governance and management structure.

As is the case today, ensuring the institute evolves and thrives in tumultuous times has been a consistent theme that has required persistence and unwavering commitment.”
Read the full interview
Portrait picture of Marc-Alain Widdowson
Director’s note

Marc-Alain Widdowson

"It seems that at the beginning of 2021 I looked down and when I looked up again the year was over. 2021 was a ‘nose to the grindstone’ year for all at ITM. Not only were we working on realising our Institutional Policy Plan along with the added demands brought by COVID-19, but also on securing new funding and initiatives to grow and ensure our future.

What has this meant for us at ITM? Non-stop commitment and delivery. With this we made quantum steps towards ITM’s key annual goals of continuing to build a strong ITM team given expected retirements, delivering excellence in education, moving towards more sustainable funding, and of strengthening our robust partnerships across our ecosystem to collaborate and co-create on solutions to health challenges across the world."
Read the full interview

Global Science for Health Worldwide

Tropical diseases, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and inadequate health care influence the lives of billions of people wordlwide.

The Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, promotes the advancement of science and health for all, through innovative research, advanced education, professional services and capacity building of partner institutions in the South.

For us, scientific excellence and societal impact are two sides of the same coin.

Pathogens, Patients,
Populations = P3

Research
& innovation

Research
& innovation

Scientific progress in the fields of tropical medicine and international health is at the heart of our institute’s academic mission. ITM’s research activities range from basic to operational research and all aim to tackle important health challenges, with a particular focus on low-resource settings and vulnerable populations. Our research policy in 2020–2024 underpins our pursuit of conducting excellent and relevant science, with continued emphasis on equitable partnerships throughout the world. Our research aims to respond to the formidable challenges and opportunities in today’s rapidly changing world: researching (re-)emerging infections and outbreaks, designing sustainable health systems and strategies, accelerating disease elimination, and tackling antimicrobial resistance in viruses, bacteria and parasites.

In 2021, the coronavirus pandemic accelerated ITM’s ambitions to develop vaccine research. Our institute became a trial site in three COVID-19 vaccine-related clinical trials, involving more than 800 participants. It supported Belgian vaccination policy and studied vaccine hesitancy. In 2021 the institute was awarded an extra 1 million euro from the Flemish government to boost our infrastructure, some of which will help build a Clinical Trials Centre (CTC) to further strengthen these activities. Thanks to a structural increase of the research funds from the Flemish government, approved in 2021, ITM can invest in research professor positions in the areas of One Health, (re-)emerging infectious diseases and healthy ageing, involving vulnerable groups in Flanders and worldwide. The funds will also support a new Global Population Data Science Hub.

Research highlights

ITM and COVID-19
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

ITM and COVID-19

In 2021 globally, more than three million people died of COVID-19 - the novel coronavirus disease. Our scientists have been fully committed to limiting the impact of the disease and have joined forces with experts in Belgium and abroad to map the epidemic, find treatments through biomedical research and clinical trials and study its impact on people and society. ITM is a part of BelCoVac - a consortium of nine Belgian research, public health and higher education institutions. This initiative brought together several non-commercial clinical trials and follow-up projects in the context of COVID-19 vaccines marketed in Belgium. Thanks to their work, research on COVID-19 vaccines is conducted, recorded and reported in a uniform way. The ITM virology lab was instrumental in providing the virus-neutralising antibody results in our high-security laboratories.

Read the full article
Read the full article
ITM prepares for final phase in fight against sleeping sickness
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

ITM prepares for final phase in fight against sleeping sickness

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) or sleeping sickness is a disease caused by the Trypanosoma parasite, which is transmittable by the tsetse fly. The disease is fatal when left untreated. ITM has taken a major role in the fight against sleeping sickness for decades and has a long tradition in developing and manufacturing diagnostic tests, which are now used in all HAT control programs. 

Read the full article
Read the full article
The search for exotic mosquitoes in Belgium continues
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

The search for exotic mosquitoes in Belgium continues

Exotic mosquitoes are spreading as a result of increased globalisation and climate change. An example is the tiger mosquito or Aedes albopictus, which can carry pathogens such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus. This species was able to establish itself in Southern Europe and has also been spotted in Belgium. Early detection enables better control.

Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

Challenges in interpreting SARS-CoV-2 serological results in African countries

Read the full article
Read the full article
Preventing type 2 diabetes among women in DRC
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Preventing type 2 diabetes among women in the DRC

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancer and others kill 41 million people annually, and 77% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. In a new project called Kis-Santé, ITM researchers aim to develop and implement a programme for the prevention of type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes among women in Kisantu, DRC, through the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and the maintenance of a healthy weight. The programme will also be evaluated through a cluster-randomised clinical trial in six primary healthcare facilities in Kisantu, where 300 participants will be recruited. Researchers are partnering with Memisa-DRC for the operational activities, the local health systems, and the DRC’s Ministry of Health for outreach and potential scaling up. The project is sponsored by the City of Antwerp.

Read the full article
Read the full article
Towards a new state-of-the-art, versatile and safe blood self-sampling device
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Towards a new state-of-the-art, versatile and safe blood self-sampling device

Home-based self-tests for infectious diseases are on the rise. Currently, even WHO recommends integrating self-tests and home-based self-sampling into health care for the control of HIV and STIs (sexually transmitted infections). Nowadays, a microcontainer and the free-fall method are still used to collect whole blood at home for the detection of HIV and syphilis. This is very unhygienic, uncomfortable and often collects an insufficient amount of blood to carry out all the necessary tests. ITM researchers are developing a new device that circumvents these shortcomings. The new device would still use the finger stick method but will integrate it with a collection tube, sparing patients from having to put the blood into the tube themselves. This method would be more hygienic and could double the amount of blood collected. Researchers aim to facilitate the diagnostic process and to make the device available in lower-resource settings as a cheaper diagnostic alternative. For its development, ITM is collaborating with Voxdale. Financial support comes from the Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO).

Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

The Burden of Malnutrition and Fatal COVID-19: A Global Burden of Disease Analysis

Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

A double-edged sword-telemedicine for maternal care during COVID-19: findings from a global mixed-methods study of healthcare providers

Read the full article
Read the full article
New basic research projects to underpin new innovations for Leishmania elimination
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

New basic research projects to underpin new innovations for Leishmania elimination

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease, spread by sandfly bites. Its most common form in people is cutaneous leishmaniasis, which causes painful skin sores, and visceral leishmaniasis, which affects internal organs and is lethal if left untreated. Visceral leishmaniasis is the second-largest parasitic killer in the world after malaria, responsible for 30,000 deaths each year.

Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

High throughput single-cell genome sequencing gives insights into the generation and evolution of mosaic aneuploidy in Leishmania donovani

Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense-iELISA: A Promising New Test for the Post-Elimination Monitoring of Human African Trypanosomiasis

Read the full article
Read the full article
Community pharmacies can play a big role in combatting AMR
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Community pharmacies can play a large role in combatting AMR

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to public health worldwide. Particularly in low-income countries that have high rates of infectious diseases and where people often receive antibiotics without prescription from local pharmacies. The CABU-EICO project, coordinated by ITM, aims to improve antibiotic use and hygiene practices, to ultimately reduce antimicrobial resistance. Starting from 2022, the research team will develop and evaluate a one-year behavioural intervention for communities and community pharmacy staff in Burkina Faso and the DRC. The project, one of the new JPIAMR 13th transnational call projects, receives financial support from FWO, the Medical Research Council in the UK, ANRS | Emerging Infectious Diseases in France and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The consortium includes Institut de Recherche en Science de la Santé (Burkina Faso), Institut Médical Evangélique de Kimpese (DRC), University of Antwerp (Belgium), Institut Pasteur (France), University of Cambridge (UK) and University of Oxford (UK).

Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

An alarming high prevalence of resistance-associated mutations to macrolides and fluoroquinolones in Mycoplasma genitalium in Belgium: results from samples collected between 2015 and 2018

Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

Deep amplicon sequencing for culture-free prediction of susceptibility or resistance to 13 anti-tuberculous drugs

Read the full article
Read the full article
FWO awards funding for ITM’s collaborative research
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

FWO awards funding for ITM’s collaborative research

The Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO) has awarded five PhD projects, five collaborative research projects and one scientific network to ITM in 2021. The research topics, aligning with ITM’s research priorities, include modelling of pathogen spread and field research on pathogen spill-over to human populations; antimicrobial resistance in tuberculosis (TB) and malaria; and new strategies to accelerate elimination of leishmaniasis and onchocerciasis.

Read the full article
Read the full article
40 years HIV research at ITM
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

40 years HIV research at ITM - from the AIDS epidemic to sustainable HIV infection care and research innovation

The importance of ITM in HIV and AIDS research cannot be overestimated. It is thanks to ITM that this disease was recognised as an African heterosexual disease which affects poor people. ITM has also been a medical services provider and a taboo-breaking champion of HIV-infected people in Belgium for decades. The institute has a strong commitment to HIV/AIDS research in the areas of virology, epidemiology, prevention, education, diagnosis, therapy and social issues.

Read the full article
Read the full article
Research inspiring solutions in the fight against antimicrobial resistance
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Research inspiring solutions in the fight against antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an urgent global health threat that develops when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to treatment. Globalisation, migration and (medical) tourism will inevitably lead to the world-wide spread of new (multi-)resistant mutant pathogens. 

Read the full article
Read the full article
A clinical research platform for virus detection in tropical fever patient populations
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

A clinical research platform for virus detection in tropical fever patient populations

Important patient sample collections have been gathered over recent years through collaborative ITM research projects on acute undifferentiated febrile illness with partner institutions in the South (sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America) and clinical studies in the ITM travel clinic. Interestingly, targeted diagnostic tools (e.g. rapid tests, serology and PCR) have failed to identify underlying causative agents of febrile illness in most patient samples.

Within the framework of the new METATROPICS project financed by EWI, ITM aims to build a platform that uncovers and describes endemically circulating viral pathogens and potentially also new viruses causing febrile illnesses. The research will be carried out by sequencing all nucleic acid sequences in a patient sample. Beyond available samples, this platform will form the basis for future prospective epidemiologic viral outbreak surveillance to be rolled out locally in tropical settings and combining human, vector and animal reservoir sampling.

Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

Evaluating SARS-CoV-2 spike and nucleocapsid proteins as targets for antibody detection in severe and mild COVID-19 cases using a Luminex bead-based assay.

Read the full article
Read the full article
A promising new tool for tuberculosis testing
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

A promising new tool for tuberculosis testing

The Lung Flute®, a flute-shaped hand-held device that helps reduce thin mucus, is a promising tool to increase the volume and quality of tuberculosis testing. ITM researchers are testing a simple and inexpensive paper version of the Lung Flute®, the Lung Flute ECO®, to enable sputum sample collection for tuberculosis testing. Initial testing showed similar performance of the Lung Flute ECO® at lower cost and reduced environmental impact. Researchers will evaluate its performance in target groups in Cameroon to determine its potential contribution to the volume of molecular testing, diagnostic yield, as well as safety, acceptability, and cost-effectiveness. If viable, the Lung Flute ECO® will be an affordable and eco-friendly tool for the early detection of tuberculosis.

The study is funded by the Global Health Innovation Technology Fund. The partners for the study are the Research Institute of Tuberculosis (Japan), the Center for Health Promotion and Research (Cameroon), and Acoustic Innovations (US).

Read the full article
Read the full article
Ensuring the continuity of care for women and newborns during disruptive events
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Ensuring the continuity of care for women and newborns during disruptive unforeseen events

The COVID-19 pandemic shook health systems worldwide, including the care for pregnant women and newborns. To understand the impact of the pandemic on the provision of essential maternal and newborn care globally, ITM launched a global study - a collaboration of two European and seven African institutions. One of the sub-studies was carried out in 2020-2021, and it prospectively assessed how maternal healthcare was provided in six referral hospitals in Guinea, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. These hospitals are located in crowded urban areas, which were often epicentres of the pandemic. This study also serves as a platform for the exchange of information and experiences across the contexts studied. Furthermore, this research contributes to more people-centred, integrated, accountable, equitable and resilient health systems that lead to responsive and high-quality care for all mothers and newborns. This study was made possible by ITM’s COVID-19 Pump Priming Fund supported by EWI and by the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Belgium.

Read the full article
Read the full article
An interdisciplinary take on malaria
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

An interdisciplinary take on malaria

Malaria is a tropical disease spread by mosquitoes (as vectors) that still kills more than half a million people every year. 

ITM is part of the interdisciplinary CEASE project, led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), which aspires to map the spread of the malaria mosquito vector Anopheles stephensi in Ethiopia and Sudan. The social science work package, led by ITM researchers, aims to understand how social and ecological factors affect the spread of the mosquito in this region. They will also model the public health impact and the cost-effectiveness of different emerging vector control strategies. Besides LSTM and ITM, the collaboration brings together experts from the Jimma University and Armauer Hansen Research Institute (Ethiopia), the University of Khartoum (Sudan),  Imperial College London and Lancaster University (UK). The project is funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Read the full article
Read the full article
Improving leprosy prevention strategies in the Comoros
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Improving leprosy prevention strategies in the Comoros

Since 2018, ITM researchers have been conducting research into leprosy, an ancient infectious disease transmitted by Mycobacterium leprae. Although it is assumed that humans transmit the disease to other humans, it is still poorly understood exactly how this happens.

ITM is currently involved in an ongoing cluster randomised trial in the Comoros (PEOPLE study). Here the study team is producing spatial-epidemiology data and phylogenetic trees - diagrams representing evolutionary relationships between organisms. The institute has now also started a follow-up study called SNA Leprosy, financed by EWI. This is to compliment the data emerging from the PEOPLE study with the analysis of social networks. Here, they will study entire villages combining qualitative and quantitative research methods. By understanding how transmission occurs, researchers will know who benefits most from leprosy screening within the patient's social network - beyond those living nearest. They will be able to formulate concrete recommendations to improve leprosy prevention and control efforts in the Comoros, and more generalisable recommendations that could benefit leprosy interventions globally. For this study ITM is teaming up with the Damien Foundation.

Read the full article
Read the full article
Innovate to reduce rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in Rwanda and beyond (InnoR3TB)
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Innovate and evaluate to detect antimicrobial resistance in tuberculosis

Accurate and timely detection of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is key to patient management. Rifampicin is one of the key anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs, but current routine diagnostics fail to detect a small percentage of rifampicin-resistant TB strains. Consequently, patients are not adequately treated, have low chances of being cured and are likely to continue transmitting the disease. In a collaborative study, ITM researchers applied a non-commercial method, Thin Layer Agar (TLA), to detected rifampicin-resistant strains. TLA, which was previously extensively evaluated at ITM, is an affordable method that provides accurate test results, detecting also resistant strains missed by the other methods. Importantly, clinical samples require very limited manipulation, eliminating the need for high-level biohazard containment. The TLA method is now under evaluation for its performance on the detection of bedaquiline resistance. Bedaquiline is a novel antibiotic, used in the treatment of multidrug-resistant TB, that significantly shortens the treatment duration. 

Ardizzoni et al. 2021 Antimicrobe Agents Chemother

Read the full article
Read the full article
Using cutting edge gene sequencing technologies in the fight against drug-resistant malaria
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Using cutting edge gene sequencing technologies in the fight against drug-resistant malaria

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by single-celled microorganisms of the Plasmodium group. Of the five species infecting humans, P. vivax is the predominant species outside of Africa, causing millions of cases. A major challenge to achieve malaria elimination by 2030 is the parasite’s resistance against chloroquine. While the first cases of P. vivax chloroquine resistance (PvCQR) were reported in 1989, the markers and mechanism of chloroquine resistance (CQR) remain unknown, hampering molecular surveillance and accurate diagnosis.   

In order to address PvCQR, ITM researchers will capitalise on a large collection of existing P. vivax clinical samples to pioneer in the application of cutting-edge RNA sequencing technologies. They will unravel the network of genes underlying PvCQR, and the impact of parasite stage and infection complexity in treatment outcome. The results of the study will directly benefit P. vivax patients and drug resistance surveillance, while advancing research with new protocols, tools, datasets and transgenic lines to investigate P. vivax biology.

Partner institutions for the study include the Royal Veterinary College (UK), the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology (Vietnam), the Institute of Medical Research (Papua New Guinea) and the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru).

Read the full article
Read the full article
Seed funding inspires three new cross-organisational research projects
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Seed funding inspires three new cross-organisational research projects

In the framework of the second edition of the Joint Pump Priming Programme (JPPP), ITM researchers submitted joint applications with outside researchers who are willing to co-invest in the development of a new research idea. Three joint projects were awarded in 2021 and include two collaborations with the University of Antwerp, one on health governance in challenging urban environments and one on Leishmania parasites. For the third project, ITM is teaming up with the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology at the Universidade Federal de São Paulo to study epigenetic regulation of P. knowlesi (malaria-causing parasite) phenotypes.

Read the full article
Read the full article
ITM and COVID-19
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

ITM and COVID-19

Globally, more than three million people died of COVID-19 in 2021, the novel coronavirus disease. Our scientists have been fully committed to limiting the impact of the disease and have joined forces with experts in Belgium and abroad to map the epidemic, find treatments through biomedical research and clinical trials and study its impact on people and society.
Read the full article
Read the full article
40 years HIV research at ITM
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

40 years HIV research at ITM

The importance of ITM in HIV and AIDS research cannot be overestimated. It is thanks to ITM that this disease was recognised as an African heterosexual disease which affects poor people. ITM has also been a medical services provider and a taboo-breaking champion of HIV-infected people in Belgium for decades. The institute has a strong commitment to HIV/AIDS research in the areas of virology, epidemiology, prevention, education, diagnosis, therapy and social issues.
Read the full article
Read the full article
ITM prepares for final phase in fight against sleeping sickness
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

ITM prepares for final phase in fight against sleeping sickness

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) or sleeping sickness is a disease caused by the Trypanosoma parasite, which can be transmitted onto humans by the tsetse fly. The disease can be fatal when left untreated. ITM has played a leading role in the fight against HAT for decades. Thanks to the joint efforts of ITM and its partners, sleeping sickness is finally under control as a public health problem. Now it is time for the final phase in the fight against HAT, to eliminate the disease by interrupting the transmission of the parasite from tsetse flies to humans.
Read the full article
Read the full article
Research inspiring solutions in the fight against antimicrobial resistance
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Research inspiring solutions in the fight against antimicrobial resistance

Read the full article
Read the full article
The search for exotic mosquitoes in Belgium continues
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

The search for exotic mosquitoes in Belgium continues

Exotic mosquitoes are spreading as a result of increased globalisation and climate change. An example is the tiger mosquito or Aedes albopictus, which can carry pathogens such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus. This species was able to establish itself in Southern Europe and has also been spotted in Belgium. Early detection enables better control.
Read the full article
Read the full article
A clinical research platform for virus detection in tropical fever patient populations
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

A clinical research platform for virus detection in tropical fever patient populations

Important patient sample collections have been gathered over recent years through collaborative ITM research projects on acute undifferentiated febrile illness with partner institutions in the South (sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin-America) and clinical studies in the ITM travel clinic. Interestingly, targeted diagnostic tools (e.g. rapid tests, serology and PCR) have failed to identify underlying causative agents of febrile illness in most patient samples. Within the framework of the new METATROPICS project financed by EWI, ITM aims to build a platform that uncovers and describes endemically circulating viral pathogens and potentially also new viruses causing febrile illnesses. The research will be carried out by sequencing all nucleic acid sequences in a patient sample. Beyond available samples, this platform will form the basis for future prospective epidemiologic viral outbreak surveillance to be rolled out locally in tropical settings and combining human, vector and animal reservoir sampling.
Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

Challenges in interpreting SARS-CoV-2 serological results in African countries
Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

Evaluating SARS-CoV-2 spike and nucleocapsid proteins as targets for antibody detection in severe and mild COVID-19 cases using a Luminex bead-based assay.
Read the full article
Read the full article
Preventing type 2 diabetes among women in DRC
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Preventing type 2 diabetes among women in DRC

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancer and others kill 41 million people annually, 77% of which occur in low-and middle-income countries. In a new project called Kis-Santé, ITM researchers aim to develop and implement a programme for the prevention of type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes among women in Kisantu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), through the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and maintenance of healthy weight. The programme will be also evaluated through a cluster-randomized clinical trial in six primary healthcare facilities in Kisantu from where 300 participants will be recruited. Researchers are partnering with Memisa-DRC for the operational activities, the local health systems, and the DRC’s Ministry of Health for outreach and potential scaling up. The project is sponsored by the City of Antwerp.
Read the full article
Read the full article
A promising new tool for tuberculosis testing
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

A promising new tool for tuberculosis testing

The Lunge Flute®, a flute-shaped hand-held device that helps reduce thin mucus, is a promising tool to increase the volume and quality of tuberculosis testing. ITM researchers are testing a simple and inexpensive paper version of the Lung Flute, the Lung Flute ECO, to enable sputum sample collection for tuberculosis testing. Initial testing showed similar performance with lower cost and environmental impact. Researchers will evaluate the Lung Flute ECO performance in target groups in Cameroon to determine its potential contribution to the volume of molecular testing, diagnostic yield, as well as safety, acceptability, and cost effectiveness. If viable, the Lung Flute ECO will be an affordable and eco-friendly asset for the early detection of tuberculosis. The study is funded by the Global Health Innovation Technology Fund. The partners for the study are Research Institute of Tuberculosis (Japan), Center for Health Promotion and Research (Cameroon), and Acoustic Innovations (US).
Read the full article
Read the full article
Towards a new state-of-the-art, versatile and safe blood self-sampling device
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Towards a new state-of-the-art, versatile and safe blood self-sampling device

Home-based self-tests for infectious diseases is on the rise. Currently, even WHO recommends integrating self-tests and home-based self sampling into health care for the control of HIV and STIs (sexually transmitted infections). Nowadays, a microcontainer and the free-fall method are still used to collect whole blood at home for the detection of HIV and syphilis. This is very unhygienic, uncomfortable and usually not enough blood is collected to carry out all the necessary tests. ITM researchers are developing a new device that circumvents these shortcomings. The new device would still use the finger stick method but will integrate it with the collection tube, sparing patients from getting the blood into the tube themselves. This method would be more hygienic and could increase the amount of blood collected from 500µl to 1mL. Researchers aim to facilitate the diagnostic process and to make the device available in lower resource settings as a cheaper alternative for diagnosis. For the development, ITM is collaborating with Voxdale. Financial support comes from the Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO).
Read the full article
Read the full article
Ensuring the continuity of care for women and newborns during disruptive events
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Ensuring the continuity of care for women and newborns during disruptive events

The COVID-19 pandemic shook health systems worldwide, including care for pregnant women and newborns. To understand the impact of the pandemic on the provision of essential maternal and newborn care globally, ITM launched a global study. One of the sub-studies of the MATCO project, carried out in 2020-2021, prospectively assessed how maternal healthcare was provided in six referral hospitals in Guinea, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. These hospitals are located in crowded urban areas, which were often epicentres of the pandemic. This study also serves as a platform for exchange of information and experiences across the contexts studied. Furthermore, this research contributes to more people-centred, integrated, accountable, equitable and resilient health systems that lead to responsive and high-quality care for all mothers and newborns. This study was made possible by ITM’s COVID-19 Pump Priming fund supported by EWI and by the Embassy of the UK in Belgium, and it was a collaboration of two European and seven African institutions.
Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

The Burden of Malnutrition and Fatal COVID-19: A Global Burden of Disease Analysis
Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

A double-edged sword-telemedicine for maternal care during COVID-19: findings from a global mixed-methods study of healthcare providers
Read the full article
Read the full article
An interdisciplinary take on malaria
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

An interdisciplinary take on malaria

Malaria is a tropical disease that still kills more than half a million people every year. By acting on the biological, human and social chains, ITM contributes to the control of this disease.
Read the full article
Read the full article
New basic research projects to underpin new innovations for Leishmania elimination
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

New basic research projects to underpin new innovations for Leishmania elimination

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease, spread by sandfly bites. Its most common form in people are cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), which causes painful skin sores, and visceral leishmaniasis (VL), which affects internal organs and is lethal if left untreated. VL is the second-largest parasitic killer in the world after malaria, responsible for 30,000 deaths each year.
Read the full article
Read the full article
Improving leprosy prevention strategies in the Comoros
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Improving leprosy prevention strategies in the Comoros

Since 2018, ITM researchers have been conducting research into leprosy, an ancient infectious disease transmitted by Mycobacterium leprae. Although it is assumed that humans transmit the disease to others humans, it is still poorly understood how this happens exactly. In a follow-up study called SNA Leprosy, financed by the Flemish Government’s Department of Economy, Science & Innovation (EWI), ITM researches aim to complement spatial-epidemiology data and phylogenetic trees emerging from the on-going cluster randomized trial in the Comoros (PEOPLE study) with the analysis of social networks. They will study the social networks of entire villages combining qualitative and quantitative research methods. By understanding how transmission works, researchers will know who benefits most from leprosy screening within the patient's social network - beyond those living nearest. They will be able to formulate concrete recommendations to improve leprosy prevention and control efforts in the Comoros, as well as more generalisable recommendations that could benefit leprosy interventions globally. For this study ITM is teaming up with the Damien Foundation.
Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

High throughput single-cell genome sequencing gives insights into the generation and evolution of mosaic aneuploidy in Leishmania donovani
Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense-iELISA: A Promising New Test for the Post-Elimination Monitoring of Human African Trypanosomiasis
Read the full article
Read the full article
Innovate to reduce rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in Rwanda and beyond (InnoR3TB)
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Innovate to reduce rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in Rwanda and beyond (InnoR3TB)

Innovate and evaluate to detect antimicrobial resistance in tuberculosis . Accurate and timely detection of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is key to patient management. Regarding the detection of Rifampicin resistance, one of the key anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs, current routine diagnostics fail to detect a small percentage of drug resistant strains. Consequently, patients are not adequately treated, with low chances to cure and likely continue transmitting the disease. In a collaborative study, ITM researchers applied a non-commercial method, Thin Layer Agar (TLA), to detected Rifampicin-resistant strains. TLA, which was previously extensively evaluated at ITM, is an affordable method that provides accurate test results, detecting also resistant strains missed by the other methods. Importantly, clinical samples require very limited manipulation, eliminating the need for high-level biohazard containment. The TLA method is now under evaluation for its performance on the detection of Bedaquiline resistance. Bedaquiline is a novel antibiotic used in the treatment of multidrug-resistant TB significantly shorting the treatment duration. Ardizzoni et al. 2021 Antimicrob Agents Chemother
Read the full article
Read the full article
Community pharmacies can play a big role in combatting AMR
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Community pharmacies can play a big role in combatting AMR

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which causes the failure of successful treatment, is a major threat to public health worldwide. Particularly in low-income countries that have high rates of infectious diseases and where people often receive antibiotics without prescription from local pharmacy shops. The CABU-EICO project, coordinated by ITM, aims to improve antibiotic use and hygiene practices, to ultimately reduce antimicrobial resistance. Starting from 2022, the research team will develop and evaluate a one-year behavioural intervention for communities and community pharmacy staff in Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The project, one of the new JPIAMR 13th transnational call projects, receives financial support from FWO, the Medical Research Council in the UK, ANRS | Emerging Infectious Diseases in France and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The consortium includes Institut de Recherche en Science de la Santé (Burkina Faso), Institut Médical Evangélique de Kimpese (DRC), University of Antwerp (Belgium), Institut Pasteur (France), University of Cambridge (UK) and University of Oxford (UK).
Read the full article
Read the full article
Using cutting edge gene sequencing technologies in the fight against drug-resistant malaria
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Using cutting edge gene sequencing technologies in the fight against drug-resistant malaria

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by single-celled microorganisms of the Plasmodium group. Of the five species infecting humans, P. vivax is the predominant species outside of Africa, causing millions of cases. A major challenge to achieve malaria elimination by 2030 is the parasite’s resistance against chloroquine. While the first cases of P. vivax chloroquine resistance (PvCQR) were reported in 1989, the markers and mechanism of chloroquine resistance (CQR) remain unknown; hampering molecular surveillance and accurate diagnosis. In order to address PvCQR, ITM researchers will capitalise on a large collection of existing P. vivax clinical samples to pioneer in the application of cutting-edge RNA sequencing technologies. They will unravel the network of genes underlying PvCQR, and the impact of parasite stage and infection complexity in treatment outcome. The results of the study will directly benefit P. vivax patients and drug resistance surveillance, while advancing research with new protocols, tools, datasets and transgenic lines to investigate P. vivax biology. Partner institutions for the study include the Royal Veterinary College (UK), National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology (Vietnam), the Institute of Medical Research (Papua New Guinea) and the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru).
Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

An alarming high prevalence of resistance-associated mutations to macrolides and fluoroquinolones in Mycoplasma genitalium in Belgium: results from samples collected between 2015 and 2018
Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

Deep amplicon sequencing for culture-free prediction of susceptibility or resistance to 13 anti-tuberculous drugs
Read the full article
Read the full article
FWO awards funding for ITM’s collaborative research
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

FWO awards funding for ITM’s collaborative research

The Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO) has awarded five PhD projects, five collaborative research projects and one Scientific Network to ITM in 2021. The research topics, aligning with ITM’s research priorities include modeling of pathogen spread and field research on pathogen spill-over to human populations; antimicrobial resistance in tuberculosis (TB) and malaria; and new strategies to accelerate elimination of leishmaniasis and onchocerciasis.
Read the full article
Read the full article
Seed funding inspires three new cross-organisational research projects
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Seed funding inspires three new cross-organisational research projects

In the framework of the second edition of the Joint Pump Priming Programme (JPPP) ITM researchers submitted joint applications with outside researchers who are willing to co-invest in the development of a new research idea. Three joint projects were awarded in 2021 and include two collaborations with the University of Antwerp, one on health governance in challenging urban environments and one on Leishmania parasites. For the third project ITM teams up with the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology at the Universidade Federal de São Paulo to study epigenetic regulation of P. knowlesi (malaria-causing parasite) phenotypes.
Read the full article
Read the full article
ITM and COVID-19
Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

ITM and COVID-19

In 2021 globally, more than three million people died of COVID-19 - the novel coronavirus disease. Our scientists have been fully committed to limiting the impact of the disease and have joined forces with experts in Belgium and abroad to map the epidemic, find treatments through biomedical research and clinical trials and study its impact on people and society. ITM is a part of BelCoVac - a consortium of nine Belgian research, public health and higher education institutions. This initiative brought together several non-commercial clinical trials and follow-up projects in the context of COVID-19 vaccines marketed in Belgium. Thanks to their work, research on COVID-19 vaccines is conducted, recorded and reported in a uniform way. The ITM virology lab was instrumental in providing the virus-neutralising antibody results in our high-security laboratories.

Read the full article
Read the full article
The search for exotic mosquitoes in Belgium continues
Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

The search for exotic mosquitoes in Belgium continues

Exotic mosquitoes are spreading as a result of increased globalisation and climate change. An example is the tiger mosquito or Aedes albopictus, which can carry pathogens such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus. This species was able to establish itself in Southern Europe and has also been spotted in Belgium. Early detection enables better control.

Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

Challenges in interpreting SARS-CoV-2 serological results in African countries

Read the full article
Read the full article
A clinical research platform for virus detection in tropical fever patient populations
Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

A clinical research platform for virus detection in tropical fever patient populations

Important patient sample collections have been gathered over recent years through collaborative ITM research projects on acute undifferentiated febrile illness with partner institutions in the South (sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America) and clinical studies in the ITM travel clinic. Interestingly, targeted diagnostic tools (e.g. rapid tests, serology and PCR) have failed to identify underlying causative agents of febrile illness in most patient samples.

Within the framework of the new METATROPICS project financed by EWI, ITM aims to build a platform that uncovers and describes endemically circulating viral pathogens and potentially also new viruses causing febrile illnesses. The research will be carried out by sequencing all nucleic acid sequences in a patient sample. Beyond available samples, this platform will form the basis for future prospective epidemiologic viral outbreak surveillance to be rolled out locally in tropical settings and combining human, vector and animal reservoir sampling.

Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

Evaluating SARS-CoV-2 spike and nucleocapsid proteins as targets for antibody detection in severe and mild COVID-19 cases using a Luminex bead-based assay.

Read the full article
Read the full article
ITM and COVID-19
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

ITM and COVID-19

Globally, more than three million people died of COVID-19 in 2021, the novel coronavirus disease. Our scientists have been fully committed to limiting the impact of the disease and have joined forces with experts in Belgium and abroad to map the epidemic, find treatments through biomedical research and clinical trials and study its impact on people and society.
Read the full article
Read the full article
The search for exotic mosquitoes in Belgium continues
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

The search for exotic mosquitoes in Belgium continues

Exotic mosquitoes are spreading as a result of increased globalisation and climate change. An example is the tiger mosquito or Aedes albopictus, which can carry pathogens such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus. This species was able to establish itself in Southern Europe and has also been spotted in Belgium. Early detection enables better control.
Read the full article
Read the full article
A clinical research platform for virus detection in tropical fever patient populations
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

A clinical research platform for virus detection in tropical fever patient populations

Important patient sample collections have been gathered over recent years through collaborative ITM research projects on acute undifferentiated febrile illness with partner institutions in the South (sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin-America) and clinical studies in the ITM travel clinic. Interestingly, targeted diagnostic tools (e.g. rapid tests, serology and PCR) have failed to identify underlying causative agents of febrile illness in most patient samples. Within the framework of the new METATROPICS project financed by EWI, ITM aims to build a platform that uncovers and describes endemically circulating viral pathogens and potentially also new viruses causing febrile illnesses. The research will be carried out by sequencing all nucleic acid sequences in a patient sample. Beyond available samples, this platform will form the basis for future prospective epidemiologic viral outbreak surveillance to be rolled out locally in tropical settings and combining human, vector and animal reservoir sampling.
Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

Challenges in interpreting SARS-CoV-2 serological results in African countries
Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

Evaluating SARS-CoV-2 spike and nucleocapsid proteins as targets for antibody detection in severe and mild COVID-19 cases using a Luminex bead-based assay.
Read the full article
Read the full article
40 years HIV research at ITM
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

40 years HIV research at ITM - from the AIDS epidemic to sustainable HIV infection care and research innovation

The importance of ITM in HIV and AIDS research cannot be overestimated. It is thanks to ITM that this disease was recognised as an African heterosexual disease which affects poor people. ITM has also been a medical services provider and a taboo-breaking champion of HIV-infected people in Belgium for decades. The institute has a strong commitment to HIV/AIDS research in the areas of virology, epidemiology, prevention, education, diagnosis, therapy and social issues.

Read the full article
Read the full article
A promising new tool for tuberculosis testing
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

A promising new tool for tuberculosis testing

The Lung Flute®, a flute-shaped hand-held device that helps reduce thin mucus, is a promising tool to increase the volume and quality of tuberculosis testing. ITM researchers are testing a simple and inexpensive paper version of the Lung Flute®, the Lung Flute ECO®, to enable sputum sample collection for tuberculosis testing. Initial testing showed similar performance of the Lung Flute ECO® at lower cost and reduced environmental impact. Researchers will evaluate its performance in target groups in Cameroon to determine its potential contribution to the volume of molecular testing, diagnostic yield, as well as safety, acceptability, and cost-effectiveness. If viable, the Lung Flute ECO® will be an affordable and eco-friendly tool for the early detection of tuberculosis.

The study is funded by the Global Health Innovation Technology Fund. The partners for the study are the Research Institute of Tuberculosis (Japan), the Center for Health Promotion and Research (Cameroon), and Acoustic Innovations (US).

Read the full article
Read the full article
Ensuring the continuity of care for women and newborns during disruptive events
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Ensuring the continuity of care for women and newborns during disruptive unforeseen events

The COVID-19 pandemic shook health systems worldwide, including the care for pregnant women and newborns. To understand the impact of the pandemic on the provision of essential maternal and newborn care globally, ITM launched a global study - a collaboration of two European and seven African institutions. One of the sub-studies was carried out in 2020-2021, and it prospectively assessed how maternal healthcare was provided in six referral hospitals in Guinea, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. These hospitals are located in crowded urban areas, which were often epicentres of the pandemic. This study also serves as a platform for the exchange of information and experiences across the contexts studied. Furthermore, this research contributes to more people-centred, integrated, accountable, equitable and resilient health systems that lead to responsive and high-quality care for all mothers and newborns. This study was made possible by ITM’s COVID-19 Pump Priming Fund supported by EWI and by the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Belgium.

Read the full article
Read the full article
Preventing type 2 diabetes among women in DRC
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Preventing type 2 diabetes among women in the DRC

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancer and others kill 41 million people annually, and 77% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. In a new project called Kis-Santé, ITM researchers aim to develop and implement a programme for the prevention of type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes among women in Kisantu, DRC, through the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and the maintenance of a healthy weight. The programme will also be evaluated through a cluster-randomised clinical trial in six primary healthcare facilities in Kisantu, where 300 participants will be recruited. Researchers are partnering with Memisa-DRC for the operational activities, the local health systems, and the DRC’s Ministry of Health for outreach and potential scaling up. The project is sponsored by the City of Antwerp.

Read the full article
Read the full article
Towards a new state-of-the-art, versatile and safe blood self-sampling device
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Towards a new state-of-the-art, versatile and safe blood self-sampling device

Home-based self-tests for infectious diseases are on the rise. Currently, even WHO recommends integrating self-tests and home-based self-sampling into health care for the control of HIV and STIs (sexually transmitted infections). Nowadays, a microcontainer and the free-fall method are still used to collect whole blood at home for the detection of HIV and syphilis. This is very unhygienic, uncomfortable and often collects an insufficient amount of blood to carry out all the necessary tests. ITM researchers are developing a new device that circumvents these shortcomings. The new device would still use the finger stick method but will integrate it with a collection tube, sparing patients from having to put the blood into the tube themselves. This method would be more hygienic and could double the amount of blood collected. Researchers aim to facilitate the diagnostic process and to make the device available in lower-resource settings as a cheaper diagnostic alternative. For its development, ITM is collaborating with Voxdale. Financial support comes from the Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO).

Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

The Burden of Malnutrition and Fatal COVID-19: A Global Burden of Disease Analysis

Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

A double-edged sword-telemedicine for maternal care during COVID-19: findings from a global mixed-methods study of healthcare providers

Read the full article
Read the full article
40 years HIV research at ITM
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

40 years HIV research at ITM

The importance of ITM in HIV and AIDS research cannot be overestimated. It is thanks to ITM that this disease was recognised as an African heterosexual disease which affects poor people. ITM has also been a medical services provider and a taboo-breaking champion of HIV-infected people in Belgium for decades. The institute has a strong commitment to HIV/AIDS research in the areas of virology, epidemiology, prevention, education, diagnosis, therapy and social issues.
Read the full article
Read the full article
Preventing type 2 diabetes among women in DRC
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Preventing type 2 diabetes among women in DRC

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancer and others kill 41 million people annually, 77% of which occur in low-and middle-income countries. In a new project called Kis-Santé, ITM researchers aim to develop and implement a programme for the prevention of type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes among women in Kisantu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), through the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and maintenance of healthy weight. The programme will be also evaluated through a cluster-randomized clinical trial in six primary healthcare facilities in Kisantu from where 300 participants will be recruited. Researchers are partnering with Memisa-DRC for the operational activities, the local health systems, and the DRC’s Ministry of Health for outreach and potential scaling up. The project is sponsored by the City of Antwerp.
Read the full article
Read the full article
A promising new tool for tuberculosis testing
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

A promising new tool for tuberculosis testing

The Lunge Flute®, a flute-shaped hand-held device that helps reduce thin mucus, is a promising tool to increase the volume and quality of tuberculosis testing. ITM researchers are testing a simple and inexpensive paper version of the Lung Flute, the Lung Flute ECO, to enable sputum sample collection for tuberculosis testing. Initial testing showed similar performance with lower cost and environmental impact. Researchers will evaluate the Lung Flute ECO performance in target groups in Cameroon to determine its potential contribution to the volume of molecular testing, diagnostic yield, as well as safety, acceptability, and cost effectiveness. If viable, the Lung Flute ECO will be an affordable and eco-friendly asset for the early detection of tuberculosis. The study is funded by the Global Health Innovation Technology Fund. The partners for the study are Research Institute of Tuberculosis (Japan), Center for Health Promotion and Research (Cameroon), and Acoustic Innovations (US).
Read the full article
Read the full article
Towards a new state-of-the-art, versatile and safe blood self-sampling device
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Towards a new state-of-the-art, versatile and safe blood self-sampling device

Home-based self-tests for infectious diseases is on the rise. Currently, even WHO recommends integrating self-tests and home-based self sampling into health care for the control of HIV and STIs (sexually transmitted infections). Nowadays, a microcontainer and the free-fall method are still used to collect whole blood at home for the detection of HIV and syphilis. This is very unhygienic, uncomfortable and usually not enough blood is collected to carry out all the necessary tests. ITM researchers are developing a new device that circumvents these shortcomings. The new device would still use the finger stick method but will integrate it with the collection tube, sparing patients from getting the blood into the tube themselves. This method would be more hygienic and could increase the amount of blood collected from 500µl to 1mL. Researchers aim to facilitate the diagnostic process and to make the device available in lower resource settings as a cheaper alternative for diagnosis. For the development, ITM is collaborating with Voxdale. Financial support comes from the Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO).
Read the full article
Read the full article
Ensuring the continuity of care for women and newborns during disruptive events
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Ensuring the continuity of care for women and newborns during disruptive events

The COVID-19 pandemic shook health systems worldwide, including care for pregnant women and newborns. To understand the impact of the pandemic on the provision of essential maternal and newborn care globally, ITM launched a global study. One of the sub-studies of the MATCO project, carried out in 2020-2021, prospectively assessed how maternal healthcare was provided in six referral hospitals in Guinea, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. These hospitals are located in crowded urban areas, which were often epicentres of the pandemic. This study also serves as a platform for exchange of information and experiences across the contexts studied. Furthermore, this research contributes to more people-centred, integrated, accountable, equitable and resilient health systems that lead to responsive and high-quality care for all mothers and newborns. This study was made possible by ITM’s COVID-19 Pump Priming fund supported by EWI and by the Embassy of the UK in Belgium, and it was a collaboration of two European and seven African institutions.
Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

The Burden of Malnutrition and Fatal COVID-19: A Global Burden of Disease Analysis
Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

A double-edged sword-telemedicine for maternal care during COVID-19: findings from a global mixed-methods study of healthcare providers
Read the full article
Read the full article
ITM prepares for final phase in fight against sleeping sickness
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

ITM prepares for final phase in fight against sleeping sickness

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) or sleeping sickness is a disease caused by the Trypanosoma parasite, which is transmittable by the tsetse fly. The disease is fatal when left untreated. ITM has taken a major role in the fight against sleeping sickness for decades and has a long tradition in developing and manufacturing diagnostic tests, which are now used in all HAT control programs. 

Read the full article
Read the full article
New basic research projects to underpin new innovations for Leishmania elimination
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

New basic research projects to underpin new innovations for Leishmania elimination

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease, spread by sandfly bites. Its most common form in people is cutaneous leishmaniasis, which causes painful skin sores, and visceral leishmaniasis, which affects internal organs and is lethal if left untreated. Visceral leishmaniasis is the second-largest parasitic killer in the world after malaria, responsible for 30,000 deaths each year.

Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

High throughput single-cell genome sequencing gives insights into the generation and evolution of mosaic aneuploidy in Leishmania donovani

Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense-iELISA: A Promising New Test for the Post-Elimination Monitoring of Human African Trypanosomiasis

Read the full article
Read the full article
An interdisciplinary take on malaria
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

An interdisciplinary take on malaria

Malaria is a tropical disease spread by mosquitoes (as vectors) that still kills more than half a million people every year. 

ITM is part of the interdisciplinary CEASE project, led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), which aspires to map the spread of the malaria mosquito vector Anopheles stephensi in Ethiopia and Sudan. The social science work package, led by ITM researchers, aims to understand how social and ecological factors affect the spread of the mosquito in this region. They will also model the public health impact and the cost-effectiveness of different emerging vector control strategies. Besides LSTM and ITM, the collaboration brings together experts from the Jimma University and Armauer Hansen Research Institute (Ethiopia), the University of Khartoum (Sudan),  Imperial College London and Lancaster University (UK). The project is funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Read the full article
Read the full article
Improving leprosy prevention strategies in the Comoros
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Improving leprosy prevention strategies in the Comoros

Since 2018, ITM researchers have been conducting research into leprosy, an ancient infectious disease transmitted by Mycobacterium leprae. Although it is assumed that humans transmit the disease to other humans, it is still poorly understood exactly how this happens.

ITM is currently involved in an ongoing cluster randomised trial in the Comoros (PEOPLE study). Here the study team is producing spatial-epidemiology data and phylogenetic trees - diagrams representing evolutionary relationships between organisms. The institute has now also started a follow-up study called SNA Leprosy, financed by EWI. This is to compliment the data emerging from the PEOPLE study with the analysis of social networks. Here, they will study entire villages combining qualitative and quantitative research methods. By understanding how transmission occurs, researchers will know who benefits most from leprosy screening within the patient's social network - beyond those living nearest. They will be able to formulate concrete recommendations to improve leprosy prevention and control efforts in the Comoros, and more generalisable recommendations that could benefit leprosy interventions globally. For this study ITM is teaming up with the Damien Foundation.

Read the full article
Read the full article
ITM prepares for final phase in fight against sleeping sickness
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

ITM prepares for final phase in fight against sleeping sickness

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) or sleeping sickness is a disease caused by the Trypanosoma parasite, which can be transmitted onto humans by the tsetse fly. The disease can be fatal when left untreated. ITM has played a leading role in the fight against HAT for decades. Thanks to the joint efforts of ITM and its partners, sleeping sickness is finally under control as a public health problem. Now it is time for the final phase in the fight against HAT, to eliminate the disease by interrupting the transmission of the parasite from tsetse flies to humans.
Read the full article
Read the full article
An interdisciplinary take on malaria
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

An interdisciplinary take on malaria

Malaria is a tropical disease that still kills more than half a million people every year. By acting on the biological, human and social chains, ITM contributes to the control of this disease.
Read the full article
Read the full article
New basic research projects to underpin new innovations for Leishmania elimination
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

New basic research projects to underpin new innovations for Leishmania elimination

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease, spread by sandfly bites. Its most common form in people are cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), which causes painful skin sores, and visceral leishmaniasis (VL), which affects internal organs and is lethal if left untreated. VL is the second-largest parasitic killer in the world after malaria, responsible for 30,000 deaths each year.
Read the full article
Read the full article
Improving leprosy prevention strategies in the Comoros
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Improving leprosy prevention strategies in the Comoros

Since 2018, ITM researchers have been conducting research into leprosy, an ancient infectious disease transmitted by Mycobacterium leprae. Although it is assumed that humans transmit the disease to others humans, it is still poorly understood how this happens exactly. In a follow-up study called SNA Leprosy, financed by the Flemish Government’s Department of Economy, Science & Innovation (EWI), ITM researches aim to complement spatial-epidemiology data and phylogenetic trees emerging from the on-going cluster randomized trial in the Comoros (PEOPLE study) with the analysis of social networks. They will study the social networks of entire villages combining qualitative and quantitative research methods. By understanding how transmission works, researchers will know who benefits most from leprosy screening within the patient's social network - beyond those living nearest. They will be able to formulate concrete recommendations to improve leprosy prevention and control efforts in the Comoros, as well as more generalisable recommendations that could benefit leprosy interventions globally. For this study ITM is teaming up with the Damien Foundation.
Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

High throughput single-cell genome sequencing gives insights into the generation and evolution of mosaic aneuploidy in Leishmania donovani
Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense-iELISA: A Promising New Test for the Post-Elimination Monitoring of Human African Trypanosomiasis
Read the full article
Read the full article
Research inspiring solutions in the fight against antimicrobial resistance
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Research inspiring solutions in the fight against antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an urgent global health threat that develops when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to treatment. Globalisation, migration and (medical) tourism will inevitably lead to the world-wide spread of new (multi-)resistant mutant pathogens. 

Read the full article
Read the full article
Innovate to reduce rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in Rwanda and beyond (InnoR3TB)
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Innovate and evaluate to detect antimicrobial resistance in tuberculosis

Accurate and timely detection of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is key to patient management. Rifampicin is one of the key anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs, but current routine diagnostics fail to detect a small percentage of rifampicin-resistant TB strains. Consequently, patients are not adequately treated, have low chances of being cured and are likely to continue transmitting the disease. In a collaborative study, ITM researchers applied a non-commercial method, Thin Layer Agar (TLA), to detected rifampicin-resistant strains. TLA, which was previously extensively evaluated at ITM, is an affordable method that provides accurate test results, detecting also resistant strains missed by the other methods. Importantly, clinical samples require very limited manipulation, eliminating the need for high-level biohazard containment. The TLA method is now under evaluation for its performance on the detection of bedaquiline resistance. Bedaquiline is a novel antibiotic, used in the treatment of multidrug-resistant TB, that significantly shortens the treatment duration. 

Ardizzoni et al. 2021 Antimicrobe Agents Chemother

Read the full article
Read the full article
Using cutting edge gene sequencing technologies in the fight against drug-resistant malaria
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Using cutting edge gene sequencing technologies in the fight against drug-resistant malaria

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by single-celled microorganisms of the Plasmodium group. Of the five species infecting humans, P. vivax is the predominant species outside of Africa, causing millions of cases. A major challenge to achieve malaria elimination by 2030 is the parasite’s resistance against chloroquine. While the first cases of P. vivax chloroquine resistance (PvCQR) were reported in 1989, the markers and mechanism of chloroquine resistance (CQR) remain unknown, hampering molecular surveillance and accurate diagnosis.   

In order to address PvCQR, ITM researchers will capitalise on a large collection of existing P. vivax clinical samples to pioneer in the application of cutting-edge RNA sequencing technologies. They will unravel the network of genes underlying PvCQR, and the impact of parasite stage and infection complexity in treatment outcome. The results of the study will directly benefit P. vivax patients and drug resistance surveillance, while advancing research with new protocols, tools, datasets and transgenic lines to investigate P. vivax biology.

Partner institutions for the study include the Royal Veterinary College (UK), the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology (Vietnam), the Institute of Medical Research (Papua New Guinea) and the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru).

Read the full article
Read the full article
Community pharmacies can play a big role in combatting AMR
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Community pharmacies can play a large role in combatting AMR

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to public health worldwide. Particularly in low-income countries that have high rates of infectious diseases and where people often receive antibiotics without prescription from local pharmacies. The CABU-EICO project, coordinated by ITM, aims to improve antibiotic use and hygiene practices, to ultimately reduce antimicrobial resistance. Starting from 2022, the research team will develop and evaluate a one-year behavioural intervention for communities and community pharmacy staff in Burkina Faso and the DRC. The project, one of the new JPIAMR 13th transnational call projects, receives financial support from FWO, the Medical Research Council in the UK, ANRS | Emerging Infectious Diseases in France and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The consortium includes Institut de Recherche en Science de la Santé (Burkina Faso), Institut Médical Evangélique de Kimpese (DRC), University of Antwerp (Belgium), Institut Pasteur (France), University of Cambridge (UK) and University of Oxford (UK).

Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

An alarming high prevalence of resistance-associated mutations to macrolides and fluoroquinolones in Mycoplasma genitalium in Belgium: results from samples collected between 2015 and 2018

Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

Deep amplicon sequencing for culture-free prediction of susceptibility or resistance to 13 anti-tuberculous drugs

Read the full article
Read the full article
Research inspiring solutions in the fight against antimicrobial resistance
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Research inspiring solutions in the fight against antimicrobial resistance

Read the full article
Read the full article
Innovate to reduce rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in Rwanda and beyond (InnoR3TB)
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Innovate to reduce rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in Rwanda and beyond (InnoR3TB)

Innovate and evaluate to detect antimicrobial resistance in tuberculosis . Accurate and timely detection of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is key to patient management. Regarding the detection of Rifampicin resistance, one of the key anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs, current routine diagnostics fail to detect a small percentage of drug resistant strains. Consequently, patients are not adequately treated, with low chances to cure and likely continue transmitting the disease. In a collaborative study, ITM researchers applied a non-commercial method, Thin Layer Agar (TLA), to detected Rifampicin-resistant strains. TLA, which was previously extensively evaluated at ITM, is an affordable method that provides accurate test results, detecting also resistant strains missed by the other methods. Importantly, clinical samples require very limited manipulation, eliminating the need for high-level biohazard containment. The TLA method is now under evaluation for its performance on the detection of Bedaquiline resistance. Bedaquiline is a novel antibiotic used in the treatment of multidrug-resistant TB significantly shorting the treatment duration. Ardizzoni et al. 2021 Antimicrob Agents Chemother
Read the full article
Read the full article
Community pharmacies can play a big role in combatting AMR
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Community pharmacies can play a big role in combatting AMR

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which causes the failure of successful treatment, is a major threat to public health worldwide. Particularly in low-income countries that have high rates of infectious diseases and where people often receive antibiotics without prescription from local pharmacy shops. The CABU-EICO project, coordinated by ITM, aims to improve antibiotic use and hygiene practices, to ultimately reduce antimicrobial resistance. Starting from 2022, the research team will develop and evaluate a one-year behavioural intervention for communities and community pharmacy staff in Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The project, one of the new JPIAMR 13th transnational call projects, receives financial support from FWO, the Medical Research Council in the UK, ANRS | Emerging Infectious Diseases in France and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The consortium includes Institut de Recherche en Science de la Santé (Burkina Faso), Institut Médical Evangélique de Kimpese (DRC), University of Antwerp (Belgium), Institut Pasteur (France), University of Cambridge (UK) and University of Oxford (UK).
Read the full article
Read the full article
Using cutting edge gene sequencing technologies in the fight against drug-resistant malaria
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Using cutting edge gene sequencing technologies in the fight against drug-resistant malaria

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by single-celled microorganisms of the Plasmodium group. Of the five species infecting humans, P. vivax is the predominant species outside of Africa, causing millions of cases. A major challenge to achieve malaria elimination by 2030 is the parasite’s resistance against chloroquine. While the first cases of P. vivax chloroquine resistance (PvCQR) were reported in 1989, the markers and mechanism of chloroquine resistance (CQR) remain unknown; hampering molecular surveillance and accurate diagnosis. In order to address PvCQR, ITM researchers will capitalise on a large collection of existing P. vivax clinical samples to pioneer in the application of cutting-edge RNA sequencing technologies. They will unravel the network of genes underlying PvCQR, and the impact of parasite stage and infection complexity in treatment outcome. The results of the study will directly benefit P. vivax patients and drug resistance surveillance, while advancing research with new protocols, tools, datasets and transgenic lines to investigate P. vivax biology. Partner institutions for the study include the Royal Veterinary College (UK), National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology (Vietnam), the Institute of Medical Research (Papua New Guinea) and the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru).
Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

An alarming high prevalence of resistance-associated mutations to macrolides and fluoroquinolones in Mycoplasma genitalium in Belgium: results from samples collected between 2015 and 2018
Read the full article
Read the full article
Journal highlight
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Journal highlight

Deep amplicon sequencing for culture-free prediction of susceptibility or resistance to 13 anti-tuberculous drugs
Read the full article
Read the full article
FWO awards funding for ITM’s collaborative research
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

FWO awards funding for ITM’s collaborative research

The Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO) has awarded five PhD projects, five collaborative research projects and one scientific network to ITM in 2021. The research topics, aligning with ITM’s research priorities, include modelling of pathogen spread and field research on pathogen spill-over to human populations; antimicrobial resistance in tuberculosis (TB) and malaria; and new strategies to accelerate elimination of leishmaniasis and onchocerciasis.

Read the full article
Read the full article
Seed funding inspires three new cross-organisational research projects
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Seed funding inspires three new cross-organisational research projects

In the framework of the second edition of the Joint Pump Priming Programme (JPPP), ITM researchers submitted joint applications with outside researchers who are willing to co-invest in the development of a new research idea. Three joint projects were awarded in 2021 and include two collaborations with the University of Antwerp, one on health governance in challenging urban environments and one on Leishmania parasites. For the third project, ITM is teaming up with the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology at the Universidade Federal de São Paulo to study epigenetic regulation of P. knowlesi (malaria-causing parasite) phenotypes.

Read the full article
Read the full article
FWO awards funding for ITM’s collaborative research
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

FWO awards funding for ITM’s collaborative research

The Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO) has awarded five PhD projects, five collaborative research projects and one Scientific Network to ITM in 2021. The research topics, aligning with ITM’s research priorities include modeling of pathogen spread and field research on pathogen spill-over to human populations; antimicrobial resistance in tuberculosis (TB) and malaria; and new strategies to accelerate elimination of leishmaniasis and onchocerciasis.
Read the full article
Read the full article
Seed funding inspires three new cross-organisational research projects
Researching (Re-)Emerging Infections and Outbreaks
Sustainable health systems and strategies
Antimicrobial resistance
Disease elimination
Partnerships

Seed funding inspires three new cross-organisational research projects

In the framework of the second edition of the Joint Pump Priming Programme (JPPP) ITM researchers submitted joint applications with outside researchers who are willing to co-invest in the development of a new research idea. Three joint projects were awarded in 2021 and include two collaborations with the University of Antwerp, one on health governance in challenging urban environments and one on Leishmania parasites. For the third project ITM teams up with the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology at the Universidade Federal de São Paulo to study epigenetic regulation of P. knowlesi (malaria-causing parasite) phenotypes.
Read the full article
Read the full article

Research & innovation
in numbers

422
articles in top scientific journals
41
new international projects
29
clinical trials coordinated by ITM

Education

Education

Every year more than 500 students and PhD researchers further their education at ITM, in expert short and postgraduate certificate courses, advanced master’s courses and doctoral programmes. ITM thrives in being a vibrant, global open campus that offers science-driven and societally relevant postgraduate training, in the field of tropical medicine, international public health and tropical animal health. Flexible and blended learning, international mobility and tailored student support are at the heart of ITM’s educational vision.
1.
2.
4.

1. MSc in Tropical Medicine

With reference to our master’s programmes, the first cohort of the new MSc in Tropical Medicine (MTM) has graduated in August 2021, with 17 students. This new course responds to the students’ requests for more specialisation in the biomedical and clinical sciences research fields.

2. MSc in Public Health

The flexible, modular structure of the MSc in Public Health programme now offers 15 elective courses, all open to non-degree students. In 2021, “Data for Action in Disease Control” and “Achieving Universal Health Coverage by 2030: The Health Financing and Social Protection Challenges” were developed to cover rising demand. You can read more about our third master’s, the MSc in Global One Health in this section.

3. Mid-term evaluation

In 2021, a mid-term evaluation was conducted in the context of our 4th Framework Programme with the DGD. The report gave valuable insights into the impact of ITM’s education activities and scholarship programmes. Based on the findings, recommendations have been formulated for further action, among others to ensure the continuation of the scholarship programme as a way to enhance diversity in the student population, a crucial factor in facilitating capacity development.

4. New representative to ITM’s General Council

Another highlight of last year was having our alumni elect their new representative to ITM’s General Council for the 2022-2026 term. MTM-alumna Elizabeth Tabitha Abbew from Ghana was the chosen candidate, and she started her mandate on 1 January 2022.
/ 4

The Master of Science in Global One Health is born

In 2021 the Flemish Government approved the title change of the Master of Science in Tropical Animal Health (MScTAH) to “Master of Science in Global One Health: Diseases at the Human-Animal Interface” (MScGOH). This new name better fits the curriculum and the scope of this 60 ECTS programme. While the term “Global One Health” is used internationally by other higher education institutes, it is unique in Flanders. Following an integrated One Health approach, the programme focuses on diseases and zoonoses that have a global impact and emphasises the socio-economic and health impacts of interactions between humans and animals.

Herewith the programme explicitly targets a more diverse student population, as the participation of a wider multidisciplinary audience promotes transdisciplinary collaboration and communication. The MScGOH of ITM is also evolving from a collaborative to a full joint degree with the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

Brand new short course on pharmaceutical policies

Coherent and integrated pharmaceutical systems are essential to provide equitable, affordable access to essential medical products. A few years ago, our partners at the University of Western Cape  started a one-week course on pharmaceutical policies. Building on that collaboration in 2021, ITM launched a three-week short course on “Pharmaceutical Policies in Health Systems”. It attracted eighteen participants from four continents, with a variety of backgrounds (academia, regulation, pharmacovigilance, supply, health insurance, international NGOs and development cooperation) that allowed for rich mutual learning.

Thanks to our broad pharmaceutical network, the expertise of ITM staff was complemented by a group of amazing external lecturers, including well-known ‘access’ veterans, the lead author of the Lancet Commission Report on Essential Medicines, the former head of the Sudan Regulatory Authority, the WHO Medicines and Health Products Pricing and Affordability Team, and representatives of the Infectious Diseases Data Observatory and Sciensano.

Continuous professional development for Belgian healthcare workers

In the context of providing continuing professional education for a local audience, ITM has further fine-tuned and delivered three Dutch-speaking courses in 2021.  

The travel medicine course “Reisgeneeskundebijscholing voor huisartsen” targets general practitioners (GPs) and aims to familiarise them with the most important aspects of counselling for travellers. Through the series of seminars, GPs get acquainted with the major health risks to be expected in tropical regions and will be able to recommend the most needed preventive measures before travel. During the training entitled “HIV: care and prevention, a multidisciplinary approach” (Hiv: zorg en preventie) Belgian frontline doctors, nurses, midwives and medical students of HIV treatment and prevention are updated on the most recent state-of-the-art aspects of the Belgian guidelines. The course known as ‘Soa-kwartet’, on sexually transmitted infections, provides an update on the new specific guidelines of the Belgian Healthcare Knowledge Centre (KCE) to GPs with a practical case-discussion approach on these diseases.

ITM alumni win prize for global research of the province of Antwerp

Four former ITM master’s students, graduates of our MSc in Public Health, MSc in Tropical Medicine and MSc in Tropical Animal Health (2020-2021), have been awarded the 2021 Prize for Global Research of the Province of Antwerp. Through this award, established in 1996, the Province of Antwerp looks to stimulate research relating to low- and middle-income countries.

The prize is awarded yearly to ‘master-after-master’- students of ITM and the Institute of Development Policy (IOB) - University of Antwerp, whose master’s theses focus on topics such as economy, politics, society, culture, environment, (public) health or medicine (human and animal). Development relevance, quality and originality of the master’s theses and graduation projects are central in the selection criteria. The four ITM winners were John De Maesschalck (Belgium, pictured), Tatiana Prudence Nti Mvilongo (Cameroon), Jahan Mallick (Germany) and Hendrik Swanepoel (South Africa).
group picture of the ITM alumni who win a prize for Global research
Ⓒ Photo by Thomas Geuens, Province of Antwerp

EDUbox Pandemics: global citizenship education for secondary school students

In collaboration with the Flemish broadcaster VRT NWS, imec, VIB (the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology), Health House and Brightlab, ITM launched the EDUbox ‘Pandemics’ in May 2021, the first educational package on global health for secondary school pupils.

COVID-19 demonstrated that a pandemic is a complex problem that requires a multidisciplinary approach at the intersection of science, technology, human behaviour and good communication.
The Flemish research centres have been fighting the pandemic with innovative research to enable the development of new medicines, vaccines or rapid tests, and by making their knowledge available to increase the scientific literacy of young people.

By means of educational packages that can be used by secondary school teachers, ITM is increasing youth awareness of the health and research topics the institute and its partners conduct, encouraging them to think critically about the interconnections between global and local challenges.

Student body

101
PhDs
67
master's
217
short courses
108
postgraduates
50
interns
180
Belgian students
75
EU students
288
non-EU students

International
cooperation

International
cooperation

2021 was the final year of ITM’s 2017-2021 multi-year grant from the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD). Together with partners from 10 countries we worked on capacity strengthening initiatives in research and education. ITM partners range from universities and public health institutes to hospitals and disease control programmes. In addition, students from over 30 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) participated in education at ITM through DGD scholarships.

2021 was also a year to catch up after the pandemic slowed down activities in 2020. Projects advanced and the majority of the intended programmes were finished. In particular ITM and partners did a fantastic job in delivering on the CREDO programme in the DRC, where an additional four million euro of DGD funds were spent to reinforce response to emerging and re-emerging diseases. ITM’s policy support was called upon frequently by the Belgian government during the pandemic. Our scientists and policy advisors contributed their expertise on malaria, access to quality medicines and most of all on questions concerning COVID-19 and vaccines.

Since the 2017-2021 multi-year grant was ending, a lot of time was invested in drafting a new five-year programme for support from the Belgian government. This programme was submitted at the end of 2021 and approved by the Minister of Development Cooperation in early 2022. For 2022-2026, a new grant of 70 million euro was awarded, in which two new countries will join as partners: Nepal and Rwanda. New mechanisms were also created to allow for co-creation on research and capacity, leveraging funds and networking.

ITM continues its technical support to the Instituto Nacional de Saude in Mozambique with the support of the Flemish government. The focus remains on antimicrobial resistance and capacity strengthening on both research and overall institutional management.

Worldwide impact

First edition of AIM course organised in Peru
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a rising public health threat worldwide. Countries must ensure development of robust national action plans to tackle AMR, improving surveillance and control and strengthening AMR programmes. The course “Containment of antimicrobial resistance and infection control”, the Peruvian version of ITM's AIM course (“Hospital-based interventions to contain antibiotic resistance in low-resource settings”), was organised from 10-26 August for the first time by ITM’s long-time partner, the Instituto de Medicine Tropical Alexander von Humboldt (IMTAvH) in Peru, in close collaboration with ITM.

Sixty-one participants completed the course; they represented healthcare professionals from 38 different hospitals of 15 Peruvian regions. The distance learning course focused on three key areas: antimicrobial stewardship, microbiology surveillance, and infection prevention and control. Lectures were facilitated by Peruvian teaching staff from IMTAvH, colleagues from other Latin American countries and ITM experts. The course was supported by the Alliance for Education in Tropical Medicine and International Public Health.

IMTAvH is an exemplary institution in the field of AMR and microbiological surveillance. Their researchers are leading experts involved in the human AMR component of the National AMR Action Plan of Peru.
Journalist-in-Residence Programme celebrates its 8th edition
Since 2014, ITM has welcomed journalists from Africa, Asia and Latin America to immerse themselves in tropical medicine and public health. In 2021, due to the COVID-19 crisis, the residency ran online. The four talented journalists were Chibuike Alagboso from Nigeria, Beth Karuana Mwai from Kenya, Samik Kharel from Nepal and Lungelo Ndhlovu from Zimbabwe.

Karuana Mwai focused on COVID-19 disruptions on the burden of malaria, especially in maternal and child health. Samik wrote about vaccine access for marginalised communities and the 62nd ITM Colloquium. Lungelo delved into how the COVID-19 pandemic threatened the fight against tuberculosis in Africa, and Chibuike put three of our female scientists in the spotlight.

Since its launch, 17 journalists participated in this DGD-funded programme; welcoming ten women and seven men; with ten having been African, six Asian and one Latin American. 
A decade of Emerging Voices  
Through an innovative, catalysing blended training programme, the Emerging Voices for Global Health (EV4GH) initiative gives a voice to young researchers and activists from the low- and middle-income countries. EV4GH celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2020 and has trained close to 300 participants from 66 countries. It is linked to the Health Systems Global (HSG) biennial health systems research symposium (HSRS), where participants immediately apply their new presentation and networking skills. 

2021 began with an externally commissioned evaluation reflecting on the past ten years, which produced a number of recommendations, aimed at continuing to leap forward while also making the programme financially sustainable. In late 2021, the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government in Dubai was a very generous host of the delayed face-to-face venture for the EV 2020 cohort. In 2021, EV4GH also renewed its Thematic Working Group status within HSG for the coming five years allowing it to maintain its position and for emerging voices to continue to be heard at this renowned conference. 

Besides DGD, various partner institutes and donors have supported EV4GH throughout the years. These include: HSG, WHO’s Alliance for HPSR, USAID’s HRH2030, IPH Bangalore, Peking University, University of Western Cape, University of Cape Town, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, and most recently the new EV4GH secretariat, the African Population and Health Research Center. 
Partner institute in Burkina Faso at the forefront of research into a new malaria vaccine
Malaria parasites undergo several stages in their complex lifecycle. To achieve reductions in both the individual disease burden and malaria transmission within communities, a malaria vaccine with high efficacy is needed. The Institute of Research in Health Sciences (IRSS) - Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (CRUN) in Burkina Faso, has been an ITM partner for over a decade. For a few years they have been working on a phase II/b trial of a new malaria vaccine candidate called “R21/Matrix-M”, within a Multistage Malaria Vaccine Consortium (MMVC). 

The results of a phase II trial reported in 2021, showed a vaccine efficacy of 77% over a one year follow up in children aged 5-17 months: considerably higher than the recently approved RTS,S vaccine with an efficacy in a phase III trial of 56%. The phase III trial of R21/Matrix-M with 4800 participants in four endemic countries is currently ongoing, and it is coordinated by CRUN researchers in Nanoro. By testing in four different countries, they want to assess vaccine efficacy in different epidemiological profiles. The research project of the R21 vaccine is supported by over a dozen partners worldwide and is coordinated by the University of Oxford.

CRUN began its research activities in 2008 with ten staff members. They now have over 300. ITM has supported CRUN through its DGD capacity building programme and believes CRUN’s best practices are having, and can have, a lot of impact on other health clinics in its region.
First foreign branch of ITM to be opened in DRC
Read all about in in the higlight below.
Alliance for Education in International Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Institutional capacity building supported by Belgian Development Cooperation
Institutional capacity building supported by Flanders
Journalist-in-Residence Programme celebrates its 8th edition
Since 2014, ITM has welcomed journalists from Africa, Asia and Latin America to immerse themselves in tropical medicine and public health. In 2021, due to the COVID-19 crisis, the residency had to be organised online. The four talented journalists were Chibuike Alagboso from Nigeria, Beth Karuana Mwai from Kenya, Samik Kharel from Nepal and Lungelo Ndhlovu from Zimbabwe.

Karuana Mwai focused on COVID-19 disruptions on the burden of malaria, especially in maternal and child health. Samik wrote about vaccine access for marginalised communities and the 62nd ITM Colloquium. Lungelo delved into how the COVID-19 pandemic threatened the fight against tuberculosis in Africa, and Chibuike put three of our female scientists in the spotlight.

Since its launch,  17 journalists participated in this DGD-funded programme; ten were female and seven male; ten were African, six Asian and one Latin American.
First edition of AIM course organised in Peru
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a rising public health threat worldwide. Countries must ensure robust national action plans to tackle AMR, improving surveillance and control, strengthening AMR programmes. The course “Containment of antimicrobial resistance and infection control”, the Peruvian version of ITM's AIM course (Hospital-based interventions to contain antibiotic resistance in low-resource settings), was organised for the first time by ITM’s long-time partner, the Instituto de Medicine Tropical Alexander von Humboldt (IMTAvH) in Peru, in close collaboration with ITM, during 10-26 August.

Sixty-one participants completed the course; they represented healthcare professionals from 38 different hospitals of 15 regions of Peru. This distance learning course focused on three key areas: antimicrobial stewardship, microbiology surveillance, and infection prevention and control.  Lectures have been facilitated by Peruvian teaching staff from IMTAvH, colleagues from other Latin American countries and ITM experts. The course was supported by the Alliance for Education in Tropical Medicine and International Public Health.

IMTAvH is an exemplary institution in the field of AMR and microbiological surveillance. Their researchers are leading experts involved in the human AMR component of the National AMR Action Plan of Peru.
A decade of Emerging Voices
Through an innovative, catalysing blended training programme, the Emerging Voices for Global Health (EV4GH) initiative gives a voice to young researchers and activists from the low- and middle-income countries. EV4GH celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2020 and has trained close to 300 participants from 66 countries. It is linked to the Health Systems Global (HSG) biennial health systems research symposium (HSRS), where participants immediately apply their new presentation and networking skills. 

2021 began with an externally commissioned evaluation reflecting on the past ten years, which produced a number of recommendations, aimed at continuing to leap forward while also making the programme financially sustainable. In late 2021, the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government in Dubai was a very generous host of the delayed face-to-face venture for the EV 2020 cohort. In 2021, EV4GH also renewed its Thematic Working Group status within HSG for the coming five years allowing it to maintain its position and for emerging voices to continue to be heard at this renowned conference. 

Besides DGD, various partner institutes and donors have supported EV4GH throughout the years. These include: HSG, WHO’s Alliance for HPSR, USAID’s HRH2030, IPH Bangalore, Peking University, University of Western Cape, University of Cape Town, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, and most recently the new EV4GH secretariat, the African Population and Health Research Center. 
Partner institute in Burkina Faso at the forefront of research into a new malaria vaccine
Malaria parasites undergo several stages in their complex lifecycle. To achieve reductions in both the individual disease burden and malaria transmission within communities, a malaria vaccine with high efficacy is needed. The Institute of Research in Health Sciences (IRSS) - Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (CRUN) in Burkina Faso has been an ITM partner for over a decade. For a few years they have been working on a phase II/b trial of a new malaria vaccine candidate called “R21/Matrix-M”, within a Multi Stage Malaria Vaccine Consortium (MMVC).

The results of a phase II trial reported in 2021 showed a vaccine efficacy of 77% over one year follow up in children aged 5-17 months; considerably higher than the recently approved RTS,S vaccine with an efficacy in a phase III trial of 56%.

The phase III trial of R21/Matrix-M with 4800 participants in four endemic countries is currently ongoing, and it is coordinated in Nanoro by CRUN researchers.   By testing in four different countries they want to assess vaccine efficacy in different epidemiological profiles. The research team of the R21 vaccine can count on support from over a dozen partners worldwide and is coordinated by the University of Oxford.   CRUN began its research activities in 2008 with ten staff, they now have over 300. ITM has supported CRUN through its capacity building programme with DGD and believes that CRUN with its best practices can have a lot of impact on other health clinics in its region.
Havana, Cuba
Instituto Nacional de Higiene, Epidemiologia y Microbiologia (INHEM)

Instituto Pedro Kourí (IPK)
Quito, Ecuador
Institute of Public Health, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE)
Lima, Peru
Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt” (IMTAvH), Universidad Cayetano Herredia
Cochabamba, Bolivia
Post-Graduate Medical School, Universidad Mayor de San Simon (UMSS)
Rabat, Morocco
École Nationale de Santé Publique (ENSP)
Dakar, Senegal
Laboratoires de Virologie, Bactériologie et Parasitologie, Université de Dakar
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (CRUN), including Centre Muraz
Guinea
Centre National de Formation et Recherche de Maferinyah
Abidjan, Ivory Coast
École Nationale Supérieure de Statistique et de Economie Appliquée (ENSEA)
Cotonou, Benin
Laboratoire de Référence des Mycobactéries (LRM)
Gondar, Ethiopia
College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar
Kampala, Uganda
School of Public Health (SPH - MUCHS), Makerere University College of Health Sciences
Kinshasa, DRC
Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), Ministère de la Santé Publique

Programme National de Lutte contre la Trypanosomiase Humaine (PNLTHA)
Kimpese, DRC
Centre de Recherche Sanitaire de Kimpese (CRSK)
Lubumbashi, DRC
École de Santé Publique (ESP), Université de Lubumbashi
Pretoria, South Africa
Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases (DVRD), University of Pretoria (DVTD)
Maputo, Mozambique
Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS)
Cape Town, South Africa
School of Public Health, University of Western Cape (UWC)
Bangalore, India
Institute of Public Health (IPH)
Dharan, Nepal
B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS)
Hanoi, Vietnam
National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology (NIMPE)
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Sihanouk Hospital Center of HOPE (SHCH)

National Centre for HIV/Aids, Dermatology and STD’s (NCHADS)

National Centre for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control (NMC)

National Institute of Public Health (NIPH)
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Center for Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Gadjah Mada University
Insitutional partners in Latin America
Cochabamba, Bolivia - Post-Graduate Medical School, Universidad Mayor de San Simon (UMSS)
Havana, Cuba - Instituto Nacional de Higiene, Epidemiologia y Microbiologia (INHEM)
Havana, Cuba - Instituto Pedro Kourí (IPK)
Quinto, Ecuador - Institute of Public Health, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE)
Lima, Peru - Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt” (IMTAvH), Universidad Cayetano Herredia
Insitutional partners in Africa
Cotonou, Benin - Laboratoire de Référence des Mycobactéries (LRM)
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso - Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (CRUN), including Centre Muraz
Kinshana, DRC - Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), Ministère de la Santé Publique
Kinshana, DRC - Programme National de Lutte contre la Trypanosomiase Humaine (PNLTHA)
Lubumbashi, DRC - École de Santé Publique (ESP), Université de Lubumbashi
Kimpese, DRC - Centre de Recherche Sanitaire de Kimpese (CRSK)
Gondar, Ethiopia - College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar
Guinea - Centre National de Formation et Recherche de Maferinyah
Rabat, Morocco - École Nationale de Santé Publique (ENSP)
Maputo, Mozambique - Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS)
Dakar, Senegal - Laboratoires de Virologie, Bactériologie et Parasitologie, Université de Dakar
Cape Town, South Africa - School of Public Health, University of Western Cape (UWC)
Pretoria, South Africa - Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases (DVRD), University of Pretoria (DVTD)
Kampala, Uganda - School of Public Health (SPH - MUCHS), Makerere University College of Health Sciences
Insitutional partners in Asia
Phnom penh, Cambodia - Sihanouk Hospital Center of HOPE (SHCH)
Phnom penh, Cambodia - National Centre for HIV/Aids, Dermatology and STD’s (NCHADS)
Phnom penh, Cambodia - National Centre for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control (NMC)
Phnom penh, Cambodia - National Institute of Public Health (NIPH)
Bangalore, India - Institute of Public Health (IPH)
Yogyakarta , Indonesia - Center for Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Gadjah Mada University
Dharan, Nepal - B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS)
Hanoi, Vietnam - National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology (NIMPE)

Foreign office of ITM opens in the DRC

For over 50 years, ITM has been working closely with many Congolese partners to build capacity in education, scientific research and disease control in the DRC, contributing to fighting Ebola, sleeping sickness and other emerging and neglected diseases. 

To further strengthen these and other productive collaborations, the Congolese Deputy Prime Minister Christophe Lutundula, and the Chair of ITM’s Board of Governors, Cathy Berx signed a seat agreement in the fall of 2021. The agreement is an official sign of recognition by the Congolese government of ITM’s achievements in their country. It confirms the benefits of ITM’s activities for the Congolese population and gives ITM the permission to continue its work. 

Thanks to the seat agreement ITM is officially allowed to open a foreign office in the DRC, in Kinshasa. The agreement also provides a framework to address administrative, logistical and financial challenges in the DRC more efficiently and to promote the local cooperation. Establishing a physical office in the DRC is another step to improve cooperation and to reduce the impact of emerging diseases on the Congolese population and prevent global infections.  

The DGD-funded CREDO project formed a major boost in the process to get to the official recognition of a local office in the DRC. The project aims to improve the health of the Congolese population by building capacity for research in emerging and re-emerging diseases and by investing in local researchers and institutes.
11
partner countries
19
insitutional partners

Events

Events

24 February

Minister of Development Cooperation and Major Cities Policy, Meryame Kitir, paid a visit to ITM to get acquainted with the institute. She was provided with an overview of the research and development cooperation activities carried out by ITM, with an emphasis on innovative research with a broader social impact including sleeping sickness.

12 September

ITM welcomed 1400 visitors for Heritage Day Flanders (Open Monumentendag). The theme of the 2021 edition was 'diversity and inclusion', which provided the ideal moment for reflection about the colonial past. Based on testimonies of employees, (former) students and outsiders, visitors were given an idea of the activities of ITM and how our colonial heritage is approached today. The exhibition was designed with the help of ITM’s Commission on Decolonisation.

22 October

During the 'Night of Happiness' (De Nacht van het Geluk), ITM director Marc-Alain Widdowson proudly accepted an award on behalf of ITM, conferred by the National Lottery for exceptional contributions and work in the previous year. ITM received this award for its contribution in the fight against COVID-19.

2-3 December

ITM and its partner institution, the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, organised the 62nd ITM Virtual Colloquium. The Colloquium covered emerging and re-emerging epidemics, with a special focus on neglected tropical and zoonotic diseases. The event brought together more than 500 experts from 60 countries.

A new webinar series

ITM’s EcoHealth webinar series covers EcoHealth concepts and whole systems approaches to global health challenges. They focus on the dynamic interactions between human, social, biological, ecological and political systems and how these affect the health of people. In 2021 the topics ranged from the state of child health to approaches to reduce malnutrition in Bangladesh and research trends and challenges. 

Staff
community

Staff
community

Arrivals and departures

2021 marked the appointments of several new professors.
We wish them the greatest of success moving forward:
Patrick Soentjens became Head of the Unit of Travel Medicine. Patrick has been the head physician of ITM for many years and he has also been leading the ITM Travel Clinic.
Katharina Kreppel is the new Head of Unit of Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Department of Public Health. She is looking forward to working with her team on arboviruses and rodent-borne diseases using a One Health approach.
Karina Kielmann has become Professor and Head of the Unit of Equity & Health, taking over from Prof Em Bart Criel. Her team will work closely with the Unit of Complexity and Health and the Unit of Health Policy to promote stronger cohesion and synergies across the field of health policy and systems research.
Wim Adriaensen became Head of the new Clinical Immunology Unit. Wim and his team, now of six, will work together with Experimental Immunology, they will share and collaborate in the Immunology Laboratory now under renovation.
We also send a warm appreciation to retiring professors. Having all started in the late 80s early 90s, they have collectively spent 92 years at the institute. ITM extends its gratitude for all that they have accomplished over these years. Happily, they will continue contributing their expertise to ITM teams and to teaching:
Portrait picture of Pierre Dorny
Pierre Dorny retired from his professorship in Veterinary Helminthology. He now volunteers for the same department working in research projects, reference activities, PhD and MSc student supervision.
Portrait picture of Bart Criel
Bart Criel retired from being Professor and Head of the Unit of Equity and Health. He remains actively involved in many ITM initiatives including conferences, coaching PhD students and working on development cooperation in Africa.
Portrait picture of Philippe Büscher
Philippe Büscher  was heading the Unit of Diagnostic Parasitology. After his retirement he was offered a contract by the Unit of Mycobacterial Diseases and NTDs.

Four distinguished academics granted honorary titles

ITM works with scientists and academics from institutes all around the world, people who demonstrate clear, substantive and ongoing commitments to our institute’s mission and vision. In addition to our institutional collaborations, we also wish to recognise individual academics and scientists, thus increasing the visibility of valued collaborations and further supporting current and future ones. In order to endorse partnerships that include external (inter)national scientists or academics, our institute awards honorary appointments. The honorary titles are granted for a period of three years, with a possibility for one extension. This recognition of excellence also contributes to ITM’s ambition to be a vibrant open global campus. In 2021, we were pleased to grant the following titles:
avatar illustration of Halidou Tinto
Honorary Professor

Halidou Tinto

Institute of Research in Health Sciences, IRSS (Burkina Faso)
avatar illustration of Larissa Otero
Honorary Fellow

Larissa Otero

Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru)
avatar illustration of Por Ir
Honorary Fellow

Por Ir

National Institute of Public Health (Cambodia)
avatar illustration of Erika Vlieghe
Honorary Fellow

Erika Vlieghe

Antwerp University Hospital (Belgium)

Heads of Department say goodbye

The heads of the Biomedical and Clinical Sciences Departments, respectively Jean-Claude Dujardin and Lut Lynen, finished their tenures in 2021, following mandates of 10 years each. ITM would like to thank them for their marked contributions to the institute during their tenures and wishes them best of luck in their further ITM careers!

Lut Lynen:

“I remember with pride a few key events that were very rewarding as they showed the strengths of the Department of Clinical Sciences and of ITM. In 2015 we committed many talented people across several units of the department towards a clinical trial in West Africa on the use of convalescent plasma in Ebola patients. This was a strategically important study for ITM.

In 2020 I was very happy that we received accreditation for the Master’s in Tropical Medicine, which offers an opportunity for scientists at ITM and elsewhere to work together with students on exciting research projects. In the same year, with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were ready to not only conduct research but also to provide emergency medical assistance to the Antwerp University Hospital.

From 2011 to 2020, the number of academic units and research lines increased from four to ten in our department. Not an easy feat, but it was made possible with the support of many members of the department, a fantastic departmental manager, and continuous finetuning of our policy plans.

At the end of 2020, I felt the need to seek a new challenge and field experience. ITM’s DRC Office was looking for a senior scientist, and I found a very good new head of department, who was willing to take over the leadership. Thanks go to Johan van Griensven and our departmental manager Filip De Keulenaer. And of course, to the rest of the department.”
Portret image of Lut Lynen

Jean-Claude Dujardin:

“During my tenure, I tried to put science, excellence and relevance in the centre of our ‘business’ of the Department of Biomedical Sciences. I am proud of the research achievements of all units, with a personal crush on (post-)genomic investigation that has flourished during my mandate, particularly the idea of going from gene to ecosystem – combining molecular biology with clinical and ecological insight. This is also the approach that comes through in our new Master’s in Tropical Medicine - an excellent example of our inter-departmental collaboration that was cause for celebration towards the end of my tenure.

In order to achieve these feats, participative management was important for me, paying particular attention to the wellbeing of my colleagues, as well as taking tough decisions alone on some occasions. I really valued my excellent collaboration with the department manager, Nadine Van Peer. We formed a true ‘binome’. Secondly, I treasured the complicity and friendship of Lut and the late Marleen Boelaert.

Last but not least, I would like to thank the members of my research unit, Molecular Parasitology. My colleagues supported me in my departmental endeavor and kept the unit moving and growing in my absence. Now, the show must go on and I am happy to pass on the flame of department head: may the force be with you, Kevin.” 
Portrait picture of Jean-Claude Dujardin

We welcome our new leaders:

Portrait picture of Johan van Griensven
Johan van Griensven
stepped in as interim head of department in 2021, and in 2022 his 5-year mandate begins as Head of Department of Clinical Sciences.
“ITM has a strong triad: public health, biomedical and clinical sciences. Together with the other department heads, we will continue to strengthen each other and work towards realising the institute’s ambitions.”
Portrait picture of Kevin Ariën
Kevin Ariën
will lead the Department of Biomedical Sciences from 2022.
“Innovation is the key to remain relevant. We are working on state-of-the-art biosafety labs level 3, but I’m already dreaming of level 4.”

Staff community
in numbers

54% 46%
executive academic, scientific & medical staff
36% 64%
academic, scientific & medical staff
29% 71%
administrative & technical staff

Medical
services

Medical
services

The polyclinic, the side of ITM the Belgian public knows best, is part of our Department of Clinical Sciences. It is ITM’s ambition to provide world class medical care and laboratory services in the domain of tropical infectious diseases. By conducting clinical and laboratory research, the medical services are nationally and internationally recognised for their expertise and are uniquely placed to advise national and international health authorities and organisations.

Guaranteeing high quality analyses in our 13 reference laboratories

ITM laboratories are highly regarded as scientific centres of reference on tropical diseases both nationally and internationally. They also work to improve services for patient care locally. In our high-security biosafety level 3+ (BSL3+) labs we have the infrastructure to safely research dangerous pathogens such as tuberculosis and the Ebola virus.

Several of our research and diagnostic laboratories are recognised as reference laboratories by the national governments and various international organisations such as the World Health Organization. As such, ITM’s laboratories are of the highest quality standards and our scientists are often called upon as expert advisors locally and worldwide.

In 2021, ITM successfully applied for extra funding through the ambitious ‘Vlaamse Veerkracht’ investment call of the Flemish Government and received 1 million euro. ITM will use the grant to renovate our immunology labs.
Discover all reference labs
459,612
patient sample analyses
33,029
consultations in our travel and HIV/ STI clinics
17,098
administered vaccinations

Facts &
figures

Facts &
figures