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Mental health disorders affect nearly one billion people worldwide and are a leading cause of suicide. A study by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) has now found that the risk to commit suicide increases for people exposed to high levels of transportation noise. The results were published today in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

A study by Swiss TPH and partners found that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in mental health concerns among mothers in Zambia. The study highlights the need for public health interventions for vulnerable groups in low-resource settings. The findings were recently published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One.

A large-scale study by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) and partners has found that rectal artesunate (RAS) has no beneficial effect on the survival of young children with severe malaria when used as an emergency treatment in resource-constrained settings. The study, which took place under real-world conditions in three African countries, concludes that the use of RAS is unlikely to reduce malaria deaths unless underlying health system weaknesses are addressed.

According to a large-scale analysis of more than 32 million cardiovascular deaths over four decades, more deaths occur on very hot and very cold days. Swiss TPH contributed to this multinational study, which was published today in the journal Circulation of the American Heart Association.

According to a large-scale analysis of more than 32 million cardiovascular deaths over four decades, more deaths occur on very hot and very cold days. Swiss TPH contributed to this multinational study, which was published today in the journal Circulation of the American Heart Association.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the world's biggest infectious disease killers. It is a complicated disease to diagnose and treat, even more so when it affects organs outside of the lung. A clinical trial in Tanzania tested a diagnostic algorithm including point-of-care ultrasound to increase the proportion of correctly managed patients.

Swiss TPH researchers tested two different drug combinations against the parasitic worm Trichuris trichiura on Pemba Island, Tanzania. Findings show that a new treatment combination (moxidectin and albendazole) is inferior compared to the current recommended treatment combination (ivermectin and albendazole).

A new study in Science shows how the rapid expansion of genomic surveillance in Africa allowed the continent to describe the introduction and spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants in African countries. Swiss TPH contributed to these efforts as part of the SARS-CoV-2 surveillance programme in Equatorial Guinea.

Researchers from ETH Zurich and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) have created a risk map showing which regions in Africa may see a faster spread of infectious diseases due to lacking infrastructure. The coronavirus pandemic has made people around the globe realise how important individual behaviour is for mitigating the spread of diseases.

Researchers from ETH Zurich and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) have created a risk map showing which regions in Africa may see a faster spread of infectious diseases due to lacking infrastructure. The coronavirus pandemic has made people around the globe realise how important individual behaviour is for mitigating the spread of diseases.

The number of legionellosis cases in Switzerland has increased five-fold over the past 20 years. A study by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) published today in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health analysed case numbers from 2000 to 2020 and determined the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on reporting.

Almost a quarter of the world's population is at risk of helminth infections and available treatment options are limited. Therefore, a better understanding of why anti-parasitic drugs fail in certain cases is crucial. A new study by Swiss TPH sheds light on how gut bacteria affect treatment outcomes against parasitic worms.

Insecticide resistant mosquitoes are a growing concern in malaria control. A study conducted by Swiss TPH and partners raises hope that multi-resistant malaria vectors remain largely susceptible to the insecticide malathion. By studying field mosquito populations in Côte d'Ivoire, the authors found that genes which cause resistance to the widely used pyrethroid insecticides likely increase susceptibility to malathion.

People living in high altitudes are less likely to develop metabolic syndrome, a key indicator of cardiovascular health. A study published today in PLOS One investigated the association between the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and the use of improved cook stoves in the rural Andes in Peru. While the use of these stoves was not found to be related to better metabolic health, body mass index (BMI) and altitude appear to be strong determinants of metabolic syndrome.

Tanzanian study of 6,700 children over two decades highlights new insights into the long-term health benefits of bed nets. Bed nets save lives in the long run, according to a 22-year study in Tanzania, which for the first time, indicates that children who sleep under them at an early age are more likely to survive into adulthood.

Cases of SARS-CoV-2 variant Omicron are surging in numerous settings, with early evidence suggesting Omicron is more infectious than the Delta variant. It is not yet known, however, if Omicron has higher severity or if vaccines are less effective. New research from Swiss TPH now provides guidance to decision-makers on Omicron's potential public health impact for a range of different scenarios.

Cases of SARS-CoV-2 variant Omicron are surging in numerous settings, with early evidence suggesting Omicron is more infectious than the Delta variant. It is not yet known, however, if Omicron has higher severity or if vaccines are less effective. New research from Swiss TPH now provides guidance to decision-makers on Omicron's potential public health impact for a range of different scenarios.

In a Phase III clinical trial, researchers at Swiss TPH have successfully gathered encouraging data to demonstrate higher efficacy of co-administration of ivermectin-albendazole in combating soil-transmitted helminthiasis. The findings were published yesterday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases Journal.

The COVCO-Basel study by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) has been investigating the health-related and societal effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for over a year. New results from the study have shown that people coming from low-income households are more severely affected by the pandemic, and that rates of depression among this population group have risen.

For the first time, a new study by Swiss TPH used robust spatio-temporal methodology to show the reduction in air pollution across Europe from 2006-2019 and found that while exposure rates have significantly declined across Europe the past 14 years, there are large parts of the continent where the WHO guidelines on air pollution are still not met.