The construction of the new Swiss TPH headquarters "Belo Horizonte" in Allschwil is underway and progressing according to plan. As of mid-May 2020, the roof of the building was finished with concrete. The traditional topping out ceremony for the construction workers took place on Friday, 19 June 2020, in compliance with COVID-19 protection measures. The move of Swiss TPH to Allschwil is planned for the end of 2021.

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is supporting the re-allocation of funds within existing projects that are implemented by Swiss TPH in Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Europe to assist in the public health response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Swiss TPH has been awarded 3 out of 11 new research grants from the Fast Track Call for Acute Global Health Challenges put forward by the Botnar Research Centre for Child Health (BRCCH). The research projects will help mitigate COVID-19-related medical and public health challenges.

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).

This year's World Malaria Day is marked by major advances in the fight against malaria, with more than 7 million lives saved and over 1 billion cases prevented in the last two decades. At the same time, COVID-19 threatens this progress and immediate action is required to save lives. According to a model calculation, an increase of 105,000 malaria deaths, mainly children, is predicted due to COVID-19.

With the easing of measures, there is a pressing need for tools and approaches to contain potential new COVID-19 outbreaks. Academic partners in Geneva and Basel joined forces to launch a clinical trial to test two drugs for the prophylactic treatment of people who were in contact with newly confirmed COVID-19 patients.

It is with indescribable sadness that we learned about the passing of Flora Kessy, Executive Director of the Tanzanian Training Centre for International Health (TTCIH). We have lost a smart, farsighted, witty and engaged colleague, friend and long-standing partner of Swiss TPH. Our deepest condolences go to Flora's family, friends and colleagues at TTCIH.

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).

COVID-19 poses major challenges for resource-limited countries, also when it comes to diagnostics. Swiss TPH is supporting Equatorial Guinea in establishing one of the few diagnostic laboratories for Sars-CoV-2 in the region. Claudia Daubenberger, Head of the Clinical Immunology unit at Swiss TPH, speaks in an interview about the arduous past few weeks and the challenges associated with Sars-CoV-2 diagnostics in sub-Saharan Africa.

Marcel Tanner is one of the most distinguished health experts in Switzerland. His contributions in the fields of global health, infection biology and malaria research and the strengthening of health systems, especially in Africa and Asia, have made him known also internationally. At the Dies academicus on 25 April 2020, the University of Zurich will award him with an honorary doctorate.

Human African trypanosomiasis, also known as HAT or sleeping sickness, is a vector-borne parasitic disease.