EU backs life-saving research: Tackling child diarrhea in low-income countries
Diarrhea is the second leading cause of child mortality in low-income countries, following pneumonia. To tackle this issue, a consortium coordinated by UiB-professor Kurt Hanevik has secured EU funding to improve diagnosis and treatment of diarrheal diseases.
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Diarrhea is particularly deadly for children under five, with the intestinal parasite Cryptosporidium being the third most important cause.
鈥淭he parasite not only causes immediate illness but is also linked to long-term consequences like stunted growth and increased mortality after two months鈥�, says K, coordinator of the CryptoT&T project and professor at the Department of Clinical Science, UiB.
The project will determine the cost-effectiveness of diagnosing and treating Cryptosporidium, in Mozambique and Ethiopia.
鈥淐urrently, clinics often rely on syndromic treatment, which is based on observed symptoms rather than specific diagnoses鈥�, Hanevik explains.
Syndromic treatment vs targeted diagnosis
Syndromic treatment involves looking for specific signs, such as blood in the stool or fever to decide whether antibiotics are needed or not. However, this can lead to incorrect treatment and contribute to antibiotic resistance.
There is already a relatively simple way to detect Cryptosporidium: A stool sample can be stained and examined, a process that takes about an hour. If the parasite is detected, it can be treated with a drug called nitazoxanide.
鈥淲e know from previous studies that this treatment works in immunocompetent children鈥�, says Hanevik.
Aiming to reduce the long-term consequences of the disease
The project will involve health stations and hospitals in two African countries; Ethiopia and Mozambique.
Initially, stool samples from enrolled children will be collected without testing or treating with the drug. Then, over sixteen months the new 鈥渢est and treat鈥� routine will be gradually introduced in eight clinics in each country.
鈥淲e aim to show that this "test and treat" strategy reduces the diarrhea duration and long-term consequences of the disease鈥�, says Hanevik.
Capacity-building project
Most of the training, research activities and analyses will take place in the partner countries:
鈥淭he project involves researchers and PhD students from Ethiopia and Mozambique, providing them with valuable experience and training to become better researchers. An important goal is to build the capacity to conduct such studies in participating countries鈥�, the professor explains.
The consortium has been awarded 鈧�4.7 million over four years from the EU's program. Hanevik says that the support from the EU was crucial to start this project:
鈥淔unding is crucial for such ambitious projects. We couldn鈥檛 have included 3 000 children without this support鈥�, the researcher emphasizes.
