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Between 1991 and 2018, more than a third of all deaths in which heat played a role were attributable to human-induced global warming, according to a new study in the Nature Climate Change journal. The study, the largest of its kind, was led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the University of Bern with partners including Swiss TPH.

Strongyloidiasis, a parasitic worm infection caused by soil-transmitted helminths, remains a neglected public health problem with limited treatment options. Swiss TPH researchers conducted the first dose-finding study with moxidectin against strongyloidiasis. The drug could become a treatment alternative to the only treatment available so far and help fill the empty anthelminthic drug pipeline.

Swiss TPH is launching a new project on the development of an integrated infectious disease diagnosis and surveillance system (NIIDS) to improve migrant and refugee health. NIIDS will assess healthcare needs of migrants and refugees, as well as set up a platform to support the diagnosis and management of clinically relevant infectious diseases in these vulnerable populations.

Testing for COVID-19 has rapidly scaled up in the past months, thanks to better availability of testing material and the introduction of new testing strategies. The Swiss TPH Travel Clinic and Diagnostic Centre offer SARS-CoV-2 PCR and antibody tests in Basel, Switzerland. Did you ever wonder what laboratory work is actually involved, when you take a Corona test? The following steps demonstrate how a SARS-CoV-2 PCR test is carried out with all the labour-intensive steps in the laboratory that it entails.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a sharp decline in living standards and rising food insecurity in lowand middle-income countries across the globe, according to a new study by an international team of economists including from Swiss TPH. The study, published today Advances, provides novel insights into the collateral damage of the pandemic, and urges the international community to take action to mitigate the impact on hunger and poverty.

A health impact study has for the first time estimated the mortality burden attributable to air pollution in more than 1,000 European cities. The study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, includes a ranking of the European cities with the highest rates of mortality attributable to each of the two air pollutants studied: fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

Iron-deficiency anaemia is a major concern in low-income settings, especially for women. In a new study by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) and partners published yesterday in The Lancet Global Health, researchers found that iron infusion was feasible, safe and in contrast to the standard iron-deficiency anaemia treatment of oral iron tablets, highly effective in Tanzania.

TIGER is an project between France, Germany and Switzerland to support the cross-border monitoring and control of the Asian tiger mosquito in the Upper Rhine region. On 13 November, Swiss TPH hosted a one-day virtual symposium, where the project team, consisting of Swiss TPH and partners, presented on the current situation of the spread of the tiger mosquito in the region, as well as the project results from the past three years.

The COVCO-Basel study is assessing the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the population of the cantons Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft. A bus now brings the study team closer to the participants and allows antibody testing on site in their villages. The Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) is in the lead of the COVCO-Basel study that is part of the Swiss research programme Corona Immunitas.

Children living in agricultural areas are likely to be exposed to a variety of pesticides during their daily lives, which may impair their neurodevelopment. The most vulnerable populations are families and farmworkers in lowand middle-income countries. In a study published in Environment International by Swiss TPH and partners at the University of Cape Town, researchers found that children in South Africa who engage in pesticide-related farm activities often have more headaches and possibly lower cognitive performance.

HIV continues to be a major global health issue, with 1.7 million new infections in 2019 alone. In Africa, a part of the world that shoulders most of the HIV burden, home-based HIV testing is a promising solution to address the HIV epidemic. In two recent studies published in The Lancet HIV and the Journal of International AIDS Society, Swiss TPH and partners found that HIV self-tests during home-based testing campaigns significantly increased people's awareness of their HIV status, particularly in the most remote regions.

Despite lots of progress made in the past decade, more than 270,000 children die from Malaria each year. Most of these deaths could be avoided through timely diagnosis and treatment. Despite better availability of tests and medication, a new study shows that large gaps remain in the quality of malaria care for children.

A new study reveals that it is possible to identify those individuals that will be protected by the malaria vaccine before its administration. The researchers also found that boosting the immune system before vaccination could potentially improve vaccine efficacy. The study was published yesterday in Science Translational Medicine by ISGlobal in partnership with the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and other partners.

Ten years ago, the former Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM) within the University of Basel's Faculty of Medicine was integrated into the Swiss Tropical Institute (STI). Since then, topics such as air pollution, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes have been high on the agenda at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), as it is called today.

Ten years ago, the former Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM) within the University of Basel's Faculty of Medicine was integrated into the Swiss Tropical Institute (STI). Since then, topics such as air pollution, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes have been high on the agenda at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), as it is called today.

Human African trypanosomiasis, also known as HAT or sleeping sickness, is a vector-borne parasitic disease. Since the number of new cases reported between 2000 and 2018 dropped by 95%, the World Health Organization (WHO) targeted its elimination as a public health problem by 2020 and interruption of transmission (zero cases) for 2030; but there is still much work to be done.

To date, air pollution represents the largest environmental risk to health. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is responsible for about one in every nine deaths annually. A new study by Swiss TPH used robust modelling methodology to estimate nitrogen dioxide levels in Europe through the combination of monitors, satellites and chemical transport models.

In lowand middle-income countries, children have the greatest need for protection afforded by vaccination due to a higher incidence of infectious diseases. However, the vaccines for these children often show a lower efficacy when compared to similar populations in high-income settings. A new study by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) and partners from the Babraham Institute, ISGlobal and others published yesterday in Science Translational Medicine reveals that the immune system of children varies according to age, location and anaemia status.

Tropical Medicine and International Health is the first peer-reviewed journal that fully integrates the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its publication process. In turn, this will enhance the visibility of the contributions of the scientific community to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Between 2007 and 2017, children in eight lowand middle-income countries received, on average, 25 antibiotic prescriptions from birth through age five - up to five times higher than the already high levels observed in high-income settings. Many of the prescriptions are unnecessary and might exacerbate resistance.