Wednesday 22 November

08:30

Tivoli Vredenburg Grote Zaal

Plenary

The new EU Global Health Strategy: implications for research

Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD); ISGlobal; European Global Health Research Institutes Network (EGHRIN)

Co-chairs: Dr Antoni Plasencia, ISGlobal, Spain, Chair Executive Committee EGHRIN; Professor Anna Vassall, AIGHD

Speakers: Dr Jan Paehler, EU Commission; Lisa Goerlitz, Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung (civil society) Germany; Dr Constance Assohou-Luty, World Health Organization, Switzerland; Professor Till Baernighausen, Heidelberg University, Germany

In early 2023 the European Commission launched its new Global Health Strategy, providing an important framework for European investment in global health research. 

This session will inform researchers from EU and non-EU countries about the opportunities for global health research in the context of the new Global Health Strategy, and discuss how the strategy can further translate into funding for global health research and which gaps remain that should be addressed.

10:30

Tivoli Vredenburg Grote Zaal

Track 5

When the climate impacts our sexual and reproductive health and rights: linking research, policy and practice

Academic Network for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Policy (ANSER); International Centre for Reproductive Health Belgium (ICRH), Ghent University, Belgium; KIT Royal Tropical Institute, the Netherlands

Chair: Emilie Peeters, ANSER and ICRH, Ghent University, Belgium

Speakers: Dr Malachi Ochieng Arunda, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden; Judith Brusselmans, Ghent University, Belgium; Dr Feziwe Mpondo, Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, South Africa; Dr Isabelle Lange, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK; Francesca Conway, World Health Organization, Switzerland; Ophelia Chatterjee and Tasneem Kakal, KIT Royal Tropical Institute, the Netherlands

The impact of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) on the population and the environment has been frequently discussed, however much less attention has been given to the reverse process: how does a changing climate affect SRHR?

The objective of this session is to explore this topic, build a broader understanding and strengthen collaboration between research, policy and practice to be better prepared and prevent possible negative impacts in the future.

ANSER is an international network of 42 universities and non-profit organizations supporting evidence-building for SRHR policies. KIT Royal Tropical Institute is an independent centre of expertise and education on sustainable development, working closely together with national and international partners to co-create and manage knowledge to improve policies, strategies and programmes on various thematic areas including gender equality, SRHR and social inclusion. 

10:30

Tivoli Vredenburg Hertz

Track 1 and Track 2

Advancing schistosomiasis control interventions towards the elimination goals 2030: innovative examples from eastern and central Africa using One Health and Citizen Science approaches

Swiss Society for Tropical Medicine and Parasitology

Co-chairs: Dr Helena Greter, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute,  Switzerland; Professor Salome Duerr, Veterinary Public Health Institute, University of Bern, Switzerland

Speakers: Dr Stefanie Knopp, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Switzerland; Dr Tine Huyse, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Belgium; Dr Richard Bongo Naré Ngandolo, Institut de Recherche en Elevage pour le Développement, N'djamena, Chad

To achieve the ambitious WHO target of eliminating schistosomiasis as a public health problem by 2030, new, innovative interventions are urgently needed. These will only succeed if the population concerned is engaging from the planning to the implementation. 

In this session, we will hear about examples from Chad, DRC, Tanzania and Uganda that are bringing One Health and Citizen Science approaches into action to achieve contextualised, acceptable and feasible schistosomiasis interventions.

10:30

Tivoli Vredenburg Pandora

Track 2

Community skin health events in Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Tanzania

NLR in collaboration with the PEP4LEP consortium, national leprosy programme Ghana and research group on skin diseases Côte d'Ivoire

Chair: Dr Liesbeth Mieras, NLR - until No Leprosy Remains

Speakers: Dr Anne Schoenmakers, NLR; Dr Benedict Quao, Ghana Health Service; Dr Rie Yotsu, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, USA; Aubin Yao, Hope Commission International, Côte d'Ivoir

In this session we will share lessons learned and (preliminary) results of community skin health events in five countries in Africa, with the aim to improve early diagnosis and management of skin diseases, including skin neglected tropical diseases, and preliminary results of combining community skin health events with the distribution of post-exposure chemoprophylaxis for leprosy.

10:30

Tivoli Vredenburg Cloud Nine

Track 5

Staying safe while working on sexual and reproductive health and rights in hostile environments

Justice for Prosperity Foundation, the Netherlands

Chair: Lou Errens LLM, Justice for Prosperity Foundation, the Netherlands

Speakers: Lou Errens LLM Chief, Justice for Prosperity, Amsterdam University Faculty of Law, the Netherlands; Jelle Postma, Justice for Prosperity, the Netherlands; Frances Singleton -Clift, Amsterdam Law Hub, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands

An increasing number of development non-governmental organisations (NGOs), human rights, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) professionals experience aggressive actions from opposing groups, individuals, or host governments. Legal restrictions, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPS), surveillance spyware, verbal attacks, hate speech, and physical threats against assets and personnel resulting in a shrinking civil space that requires an answer.

As an NGO investigating aggression against and providing support to SRHR-workers under siege, we propose to host a workshop on safety and security to learn about risk management, key types of aggressors and defences against their actions.

10:30 

Tivoli Vredenburg Club Nine

Track 2

Novel diagnostics for infectious disease in the tropics

Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Saarland University, Germany

Co-chairs: Professor Sören L. Becker, Saarland University, Germany; Professor Emmanuel Bottieau, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium

Speakers: Dr Sophie Schneitler, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Saarland University, Germany; Dr Sakib Burza, Health in Harmony, Portland, USA; Professor Aladje Baldé, National Institute of Public Health, Guinea-Bissau; Dr Elsa H. Murhandarwati, Center for Tropical Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia

Novel rapid diagnostics for common and neglected infectious diseases have the potential to considerably improve individual patient management and also prevalence estimates of previously underappreciated pathogens in the tropics. Additionally, rapid diagnostic tests can be applied in field settings where no well-equipped laboratory is established. However, these techniques also need to be broadly validated and require regular quality assurance assessments. 

In this session, we aim to present and discuss four case studies pertaining to diagnostics for tuberculosis, helminth infections and multi-resistant bacteria in diverse settings from tropical Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

10:30

Tivoli Vredenburg The Pit

Wild Card

Colonial Utrecht and beyond: acknowledging the past, shaping the future

UMC Utrecht, the Netherlands

A city tour and museum presentation by Frank Huisman, prof. in Medical History

In 2023, the Netherlands are commemorating the formal abolition of slavery in 1863. This fact has prompted a great deal of research into Dutch history, leading to apologies on behalf of the King, the Prime Minister, and a few big cities who were involved in the slave trade. There is a veritable wave of rethinking the Dutch past, both morally and politically. There is also a growing awareness that the apologies made should be the prelude to recognition, reconciliation, equality and cooperation (equitable partnerships) between the Global North and the Global South.

Recently, the Mayor of Utrecht apologized for the serious involvement of the city in the Dutch colonial past. Her apologies led Utrecht University to look at its own role as well. Several faculties – including the Medical Faculty - have how now started research into their role in shaping and sustaining the colonial system. Frank Huisman – who will be supervising two post-docs, doing research into the Dutch Caribbean and the Dutch East Indies - will give a short guided tour through ‘colonial Utrecht’.  He will then give a presentation on the research project in the University Museum of Utrecht, which owns objects and other silent witnesses of the ways in which the colonial system was upheld and legitimized. 

Tropical medicine (which was reframed later on as international health and global health) was an integrative part of this system. Acknowledging this past is the only way forward in shaping a future of equitable and sustainable planetary health.

10:30

Social Impact Factory Event Space

Track 1

Syndemic research: the road ahead viewed from the path travelled

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Chair: Frank van Leth, Vrije Universiteit, the Netherlands

Speakers: Dr Alexander C. Tsai. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Center for Global Health and Mongan Institute, USA; Dr Matty Crone, Leiden UMC, the Netherlands; Dr Ria Reiss, Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, the Netherlands, Niels Bal, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands

The aim of this session is to address the current state of syndemics research in light of historical developments. 

We will:

•  provide an overview of the development of the field of syndemic research and define current challenges
• provide case studies of syndemic research that highlight the breath of the research field
• discuss methodological and implementation challenges of syndemic research as a way to progress in the scientific field

10:30

Social Impact Factory Room 1 Sydney

Track 3

Cancer screening in the Caribbean: connecting across the Atlantic

Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu, the Netherlands; Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport. the Netherlands 

Co-chairs: Dr Peter Schielen RIVM/UMC Utrecht, the Netherlands; Dr Soraya Verstraeten, Fundashon Prevenshon, Curaçao

Speakers: Dr Tuma Davidson, Ministry of Health, Jamaica, and coordinator Cervical cancer screening programme; Professor Jacqueline Hugtenburg, Amsterdam UMC/University of Curaçao; Dr Vincent Lethongsavarn, Chargé de Mission Scientifique, Depistages de Cancers, Centre de coordination Guadeloupe/St Martin/ Saint-Barthélemy

The Netherlands have just started implementing cancer screening programmes on the Islands of Saba, St Eustatius and Bonaire. In this, we are trying to connect the European Dutch and Caribbean Dutch cancer screening organization, which is both an exciting and challenging endeavour. 

This workshop is meant to learn from similar transatlantic experiences, more specifically the British experience and the French experience.

Our speakers will share their experiences of the organization of cancer screening programmes on the Caribbean islands and establishing a connection with European partners. 

In the subsequent plenary discussion with audience and speakers, we look forward to exploring the following topics:

• How is the exchange of knowledge between the Caribbean and European providers, policy makers and authorities?
• How do you engage and interact with European partners or to other partners and international networks?
• Is the relation with your partner equitable? What are good practices in this, and what are challenges you have encountered?

10:30

Social Impact Factory Room 2 Singapore

Track 1

Sacred nature: indigenous and religious views on the health of planet Earth

Maastricht University, Institute for Animals Ethics

Chair: Professor Pim Martens, Maastricht University, Maastricht University, the Netherlands

Speakers: Professor Pim Martens, Maastricht University, Maastricht University, the Netherlands; Dr Marloes van de Goor, International Institute for Animals Ethics, the Netherlands; Professor Hans Alma, Vrije Universiteit, the Netherlands

Our dominant current socio-economic and political systems have become decoupled from the larger ecology of life. Our relationship with the natural environment and animals has changed dramatically over time. This session intends to discuss these past patterns and how it affects planetary health from an indigenous perspective.

Pim Martens will discuss past patterns and future pathways with representatives of various indigenous cultures and religious beliefs. Learning from them about our relationship with nature may be a way we can begin to address the planetary health challenges we see today.

Marloes van de Goor will touch on (Human) Animals in the Jungle. Apart from our profession, we are humans. But how are we doing being human? With our ever-demanding agendas, hectic work environment, and rapidly changing world? From mountain tops to the desert and from the jungle to the deep ocean: we've all been there, human and non-human animals alike. By looking at animal interactions across our planet, we boost our knowledge, happiness, and patient care.

Finally, Hans Alma will reflect on the silencing of the indigenous voice having ecological consequences as well.

10:30

Social Impact Factory Room 3 Seoul

Track 2

Oral Abstract Presentations: Covid-19 outbreaks

The effect of co-Infection with intestinal parasites on Covid-19 severity: a prospective observational cohort study (Teklay Gebrecherkos)

Experiences of persons in Covid-19 institutional quarantine in Uganda: a qualitative study (Ronald Tibiita et al.)

Influence of a chronic Schistosoma mansoni infection on the clinical manifestation, pathology and immunological response of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the hamster model (Melanie Rissmann et al.)

Severity factors for Covid-19 patients during the first wave in Madagascar (Nantenaina Pierre Michael Nomenjanahary et al.)

Evaluation of the long-term effects of Covid-19 on pulmonary functions in recovered patients (Naja K et al.)

Assessment of Covid-19 vaccine uptake and associated factors among health care providers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Adamu Addissie et al.)

10:30 

Social Impact Factory Room 4 Dublin

Tracks 1, 5 and 6

Oral Abstract Presentations: Nutrition

Physical accessibility to public healthcare facilities and undernutrition in children under five in Uganda (Rik Lubbers et al.)

Treatment of acute malnutrition with locally produced ready-to-Use therapeutic food in rural Tanzania – a study on its facilitators, barriers, acceptability, and long-term feasibility (Victoria von Salmuth et al.)

Health Needs Assessment for the double burden of malnutrition - a community-based study on nutrition facilitators and barriers in rural Tanzania  (Victoria von Salmuth et al.)

Magnitude, drivers and perceptions on ultra processed food consumption by adolescent: A mixed methods study in low-income urban setting, Kenya (Milkah Wanjohi et al.)

Re-imagining nutrition education for teenage pregnant women in the face of climate change: a Kenyan community approach (Fleur de Meijer et al.)

Operationalizing the capability approach for child growth: examples from a participatory approach in haor areas of Bangladesh (Barnali Chakraborty)

12:15

Tivoli Vredenburg Grote Zaal

WHO Health 4 All Film Festival

Efun by Anita Abada 

As part of tradition, to achieve womanhood, a young girl is forced to undergo Female Genital Mutilation - even though she believes she has a right to make decisions about her own body.

Pre-eclampsia: Predict Earlier, Prevent Earlier by Indonesian Prenatal Institute

This is the story of second pregnancy of Mrs Dian. In her first pregnancy, the baby died intrauterine at 28 weeks of gestation due to pre-eclampsia. During her second pregnancy, the doctor performed first trimester screening and prevention of pre-eclampsia. The pregnancy successfully ended with the birth of a healthy baby at term pregnancy. This is the sad and happy moments of their journey.

War and Grace by Sonia Lowman

Celebrating the courageous midwives fighting for mothers and infants in war-torn South Sudan, which has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world.

12:15 
Tivoli Vredenburg Club Nine            

Track 2 Partner 

Landcent Lunch abstract session

Landcent B.V.   

Chair: Mr Arun Prabhu Stanley, co-founder and CEO of Landcent B.V.        
 
Speakers: Mr. Arun Prabhu Stanley; Dr Yi-Ling Lai; Dr Biao Jiang; Dr Ping Xing; Dr Jian-Hua Yao     

Through unique Product Development Partnership, Landcent works extensively with external partners to bring innovative medical products to tackle the diseases of poverty, for example, the Traditional Chinese Medicine active ingredient discovery for biopesticides and disinfectants, research and development of a mosquito larvicide using a RNAi technology, as well as a novel malaria RDT and reproductive HCG diagnostics.        

12:15

Social Impact Factory Event Space

Track 1

ePlanet: a planetary health online game for medical students

UMC Utrecht, the Netherlands

Chair: Nikki Giron, UMC Utrecht

Speakers: Dr Peter Blankestijn, UMC Utrecht the Netherlands;  Philip Elders, UMC Utrecht, the Netherlands; Kevin Toet, Superbuff, Netherlands

Through providing educational resources, the Erasmus+ ePlanet project aims to assist institutions in addressing an unmet educational need and accelerate the implementation of climate change and health into health professions curricula, without adding significantly to the curricular load. In this session we will aim to:

• promote integration of planetary health in medical curricula
• disseminate project results so far, including: game design; micro-learnings; competency profile
• receive feedback on our game and perspectives on integration of planetary health in medical curricula

12:15

Social Impact Factory Room 1 Sydney

The Wemos Global Health Game: challenge your knowledge, perceptions and beliefs

Wemos

Chair: Corinne Hinlopen, Wemos

The Wemos Global Health Game is an entertaining, stimulating and challenging format to test your knowledge of all things Global Health, sharpen your thinking around global health dilemmas and practice your debating and persuasion skills. It is played in a maximum of 5 teams of up to seven people in each who play against each other. The interaction is created with the help of Global Health playing cards. A roll of the dice determines whether a card is drawn from the stack of questions, discussion statements or dilemmas.

The Global Health Game covers a wide variety of topics, so don’t team up with your friends, but try to form diverse teams with people possessing a wide variety of expertise and skills. Be prepared to defend your views ánd have your beliefs and perspectives challenged by the other participants. So polish up on your acronyms, read up on the latest in global health and planetary health, and get ready to challenge and be challenged. Participation is limited to 35 persons.

13:30

Tivoli Vredenburg Grote Zaal

Arts and Culture

Art to inspire equitable and sustainable transformations

Federation of European Societies for Tropical Medicine and International Health (FESTMIH), European Congress on Global Health (ECTMIH), Nederlandse Vereniging voor Tropische Geneeskunde en internationale Gezondheidszorg (NVTG)

Chair: Dr Niloufar Ashtiani, CoMaster, Radiqs, Hozan Sangana Studios, the Netherlands

Speakers: Chidiebere Ibe, Copperbelt University in Zambia, medical illustrator at the International Center for Genetic Disease at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA; Professor Tobias Rinke de Wit, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, PharmAccess Group and Joep Lange Institute, the Netherlands; Maria Koijck, spatial artist, the Netherlands; Dr Malone Mukwende, Founder, Black And Brown Skin and co-author of Mind the Gap: A clinical handbook of signs and symptoms in Black and Brown Skin

Art and culture are instrumental to realize the transformational changes we need for just and sustainable societies. Three inspirational examples will be discussed during this session. 

We will explore how illustrations such as the iconic ‘black fetus’ by medical student Chidiebere Ibe have accelerated the call for more representation in medical illustration and teaching. Tobias Rinke de Wit will reflect on his experiences integrating culture and music in the response to the’80 and ’90 HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, which still affects his approach to the integration of art and culture today. Maria Koijck will describe how her spatial design work visualizes the impact of our plastic waste, and has inspired healthcare workers across the world to reduce the waste clinical practice produces.

13:30

Tivoli Vredenburg Hertz

Track 1

Measuring global access to essential medicines

Utrecht WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Policy and Regulation, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Policy and Evidence Based Practice, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; Health Action International, the Netherlands

Chair: Professor Aukje Mantel-Teeuwisse, Utrecht WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Policy and Regulation, Utrecht University, the Netherlands

Speakers: Dr Rianne van den Ham, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; Professor Fatima Suleman, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; Gaby Ooms, Health Action International, the Netherlands; Dr Tim Reed, Health Action International, the Netherlands; Iris Joosse, Utrecht University, the Netherlands

Access to safe, effective, quality-assured and affordable medicines is critical for functional health systems and fundamental for obtaining universal health coverage. 

Currently around 30% of the world’s population does not have access to essential medicines which causes increased mortality and morbidity, decreased quality of life and economic hardship. Improving access to medicines globally has been outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets 3.8 and 3.b. To reach this goal it is important that countries’ current performance and their progress is assessed and monitored. 

The objective of this session is to discuss how access to medicines can be measured in terms of availability and affordability, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. The presentations will cover different methodologies for measuring access to medicines, such as the standardized WHO/HAI methodology and the UN SDG 3.b.3. indicator.

13:30 

Tivoli Vredenburg Pandora

Track 2

Digital optical devices – a new development in parasite diagnostics

Leiden UMC, the Netherlands; Enaiblers, Sweden; IDLab, University of Ghent, Belgium

Co-chairs: Dr Lisette van Lieshout, Leiden UMC, the Netherlands; Peter Ward, Enaiblers, Sweden, and IDLab, University of Ghent, Belgium;

Speakers: Professor Jake Baum, University of New South Wales, Australia, Elena Dacal Picazo, Spotlab, Spain; Peter Ward, Enaiblers, Sweden, University of Ghent - Imec, Belgium, Dr Temitope Agbana, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands

Current diagnostics of parasitic diseases relies on conventional microscopy, especially in low-income settings where access to cutting-edge technology is limited. The microscopic detection of parasites in clinical samples has limited sensitivity, particularly in the case of low-intensity infections. In addition, the procedure is observer-dependent, error-prone, time-consuming and not suitable for high-throughput analysis and it requires functional microscopes and properly trained technicians. 

To address these diagnostic challenges, innovative digital optical devices, some supported by artificial intelligence technology, are being developed by various international research groups. They range from stand-alone devices to components added to conventional microscopes, with or without the option of remote, offline data analysis. All aim to achieve (semi)automated detection and quantification of parasites in clinical samples. Co-creation, meaning elucidation of the needs of stakeholders and to translating them into inclusive product specifications, is an important aspect in order to achieve usability in the local context. 

This session aims to highlight research developments and to bring together a multidisciplinary audience composed of biomedical scientists, diagnostic product designers and public health specialists. The entire development chain, from research and development to implementation in a low-resource setting, will be discussed and future direction points will be formulated.

13:30 

Tivoli Vredenburg Cloud Nine

Track 2

Current and future landscapes on Buruli ulcer and leprosy treatment

University of Zaragoza, Spain; Foundation Raoul Follereau, France

Co-chairs: Dr Santiago Ramón García, University of Zaragoza, Spain; Dr Roch Christian Johnson, Foundation Raoul Follereau, Paris France

Speakers: Dr Santiago Ramón García, ARAID Foundation/University of Zaragoza, Spain; Professor Gerd Pluschke, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Switzerland; Dr Kodio Mamoudou, Hopital de Dermatologie de Bamako, Mali; Dr Roch Christian Johnson, Foundation Raoul Follereau, France

The purpose of this session is to provide a forum for the relevant stakeholders in skin Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD), especially those on Buruli ulcer (BU) and leprosy drug development. We will discuss the current and future landscape on these disease treatments, as well as main challenges in the clinical trials and experimental interventions. 

One of the goals of this workshop is thus to provide a forum for all relevant stakeholders in the BU drug development field to address the following specific objectives:

• Is it possible to integrate results from ongoing clinical trials?
• Given the current BU scenario, what are the future perspective of other drugs or combination regimens or novel interventions?
• What would be the way forward to improve and ensure access to treatment?

In the case of leprosy, this workshop will provide a platform for the various actors: 

• to discuss the current challenges in the treatment of leprosy. 
• to identify some future perspectives from the clinical trials currently in progress, including molecules such as bedaquiline used in the treatment of tuberculosis, and having demonstrated efficacy against Mycobacterium leprae in preclinical studies. 
• To analyse the challenges of integrating the fight against leprosy in NTDs with cutaneous manifestations, in particular the challenges concerning integrated care at the community level.

13:30

Tivoli Vredenburg Club Nine

Track 2

Elevating partnerships: a closer look at the role of Product Development Partnerships to enhance access and accelerate innovation of health products for poverty-related diseases

Landcent Europe B.V.

Chair: Dr Peter Atadja, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Landcent Europe B.V.

Speakers: Dr Govert van Dam, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands; Pierre Hugo, Market Dynamics and Global Access Partnerships MMV

Over the last two decades, Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) played a pivotal role in expediting the product development process for poverty-related diseases. Nevertheless, certain challenges persist, including issues related to financing and navigating intricate regulatory frameworks, among others. 

The forthcoming Landcent-led discussion seeks to explore innovative strategies and ideas concerning collaborations between diverse PDPs and product developers, with the goal of identifying and advancing the most promising projects.

13:30

Tivoli Vredenburg The Pit

Track 1

Movement-building for planetary health; the power of education and art

UMC Utrecht, Planetary Health Hub NL, University of Exeter GreenFutures

Co-chairs: Jopke Janmaat, UMC Utrecht, Planetary Health Hub NL, Arte Groenewegen,  Utrecht University, Planetary Health Hub NL, Cecilia Manosa, University of Exeter GreenFutures, UK

Speakers: Jopke Janmaat, UMC Utrecht, Planetary Health Hub NL, Arte Groenewegen,  Utrecht University, Planetary Health Hub NL, Cecilia Manosa, University of Exeter GreenFutures, UK

In this working session we aim to inspire, connect, and reflect, to ultimately give the participants practical tools to turn the resources they have into the power they need to make planetary health related changes within their working field. 

Given our efforts in educational institutions, a strong focus will be on movement building for planetary health education. We will present our story of planetary health integration in the Faculty of Medicine at UMC Utrecht and will link this to a practical framework for effective movement building. 

Furthermore, a specific interest is taken in the power of art and imagination, with a focus on storytelling. For this, we will apply the expertise of Exeter University GreenFutures. Stories can be a powerful vehicle for humanizing our climate and ecological crises and can act as a driver for positive change to forge a sustainable, healthier, and socially just world.

13:30

Social Impact Factory Event Space

Track 1

Improving practical training opportunities for students and young professionals

Working Group on Tropical Medicine Education and Training; Federation of European Societies for Tropical Medicine and International Health (FESTMIH); University Clinic of Saarland; Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Homburg/Saar, Germany

Chair: Dr Rosemary James, Working Group on Tropical Medicine Education and Training, Federation of European Societies for Tropical Medicine and International Health (FESTMIH), Scientific Collaborator, Centre of Humanitarian Studies, University of Geneva, Switzerland

Speakers: Dr Sophie Schneitler, University Clinic of Saarland, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Germany; Dr Francisca Bartilotti Matos, Serviço de Doenças Infecciosas, Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia / Espinho, Portugal; Dr Elsa H. Murhandarwati, Center for Tropical Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Dr Florian Obereisenbuchner, LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany

Clinical electives in tropical medicine are popular unique opportunities for many medical students, doctors and researchers in Europe, to expand their knowledge and get hands-on experience with research, diagnosis, management, and prevention of tropical diseases that are not commonly found in Europe. However, placements abroad can be dangerous, and if not organised well, can put stress on or even harm the local communities and health system that the trainee is placed in. 

Further, there are overwhelmingly more electives for Europeans to travel to low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) than there are for people in LMICs to visit European institutions, and few bilateral programmes exist. Subjective experience has shown that clinical electives abroad are often perceived as unsatisfactory and insufficient for both trainees and training institutions in LMICs. There are structural inequalities between high-income Countries and LMIC institutions, leading to an ethical dilemma that is often unavoidable. 

There not yet a global standard and guidance on how students, doctors or researchers should prepare for tropical medicine electives in LMICs or what competencies they should be able to demonstrate before going abroad. This session will therefore aim to provide good practice examples of tropical medicine electives, and outline perspectives from the Global South on how electives could be improved to be more equitable and less harmful. 

For this purpose, data from the FESTMIH Working Group on Tropical Medicine Education and Training "Partnership project" survey will be presented. Various electives will be presented and discussed with a panel consisting of colleagues representing institutions both in Europe and abroad as well as young professionals who have had recent elective experience. There will be plenty of time for audience interaction to ensure a constructive discussion surrounding this critical issue. A summary of the discussion will be submitted for publication to outline key areas for improving clinical electives in tropical medicine to promote equity, diversity and inclusion.

13:30 

Social Impact Factory Room 1 Sydney

Track 2 and Track 4

Impact and interventions for mental health and neglected tropical diseases

NLR International, the Netherlands, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, UK, CMB Global, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK, Lepra, UK

Co-chairs: Dr Wim van Brakel, NLR International, Netherlands; Dr Julian Eaton, CMB Global and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK

Speakers: Ms Robin van Wijk, NLR International, the Netherlands; Dr Pradeepta Nayak, NLR India; Dr Maya Semrau, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, UK; Milena Simic, Lepra Uk; Guillermo Robert de Arquer, Effect Hope, Canada

The aim of this session is to share evidence of the impact of neglected tropical diseases on mental wellbeing and social participation of persons affected. 

Preliminary results will be shared from intervention studies to improve mental wellbeing interventions designed for this group. The objective is to identify common lessons learned and a road ahead to improve the mental wellbeing of persons affected by these diseases.

13:30

Social Impact Factory Room 2 Singapore

Track 1

Oral Abstract Presentations: Climate-resilient health systems

Early lessons and experiences in building climate-resilient local health systems in coastal municipalities in the Philippines (Renzo Guinto et al.)

PERSIST - an Italian pilot project about tackling climate crisis through systems thinking for high school students (Chiara Cadeddu et al.)

Translating national climate policies to resilience actions at the subnational level in low resourced settings: lessons from Ghana's health systems (Rudolf Abugnaba-Abanga et al.)

Challenges, enablers, and opportunities in building climate-resilient local health systems: a thematic analysis of stakeholder interviews in two coastal municipalities in the Philippines (Renzo Guinto et al.)

Climate change and health litigation (Andre den Exter)

13:30

Social Impact Factory Room 3 Seoul

Track 2 and Track 6

Oral Abstract Presentations: Vaccination

The role of existing structures and past experience in a successful Covid-19 vaccination strategy: the experience of Rwanda (Hassan Sibomana et al.)

Mapping, prevalence, and risk factors of unvaccinated children for DTP1 vaccine (zero-dose children) in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2022 (Armand M. Mutwadi et al.)

Real-world effectiveness of the SOBERANA02 and SOBERANA-Plus vaccine combination in children 2 to 11 years of age during the SARS CoV-2 Omicron wave in Cuba: a regression discontinuity study (Maria Eugenia Toledo Romani et al.)

Hepatitis A vaccine immunogenicity in an immunocompromised population: a prospective cohort study (Jenny Schnyder et al.)

Influenza vaccine uptake in Mysore, India: a qualitative study (Jantine van Wijlick et al.)

Timeliness of routine childhood vaccination among 12-35 month-old children in The Gambia: analysis of national immunisation survey data, 2019-2020 (Oghenebrume Wariri)

13:30

Social Impact Factory Room 4 Dublin

Track 5

Oral Abstract Presentations: HIV in the context of Sexual and Reproductive Health

A Phase-IV non-interventional study to assess virological effectiveness, safety and tolerability of DTG-based antiretroviral therapy in HIV-1 infected Indian persons living with HIV (Sumit Arora et al.)

Barriers to care, mental health status and the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on adolescents and young adults living with HIV in Shinyanga Region, Tanzania (Constantine Alex Ntanguligwa et al.)

Colliding wars: a systematic review of HIV response in conflict-affected settings (Alhadi Khogali Osman et al.)

Effect of history of respiratory illness, smoking, and diabetes on respiratory health outcomes among people-living-with-HIV clients in a single-center HIV clinic in Metro Manila, Philippines (Emmanuel S. Baja et al.)

Predictors of ANC completion among HIV positive mothers accessing antenatal care in an urban setting Uganda (Dorine Nakalanda et al.)

15:30 

Tivoli Vredenburg Grote Zaal

Track 1

Racism, inequity, health and well-being: an urgent call for a European stance

Ghent University, Belgium; University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands; Belgian Lung and Tuberculosis Association, Belgium

Co-chairs: Dr Wouter Arrazola de Oñate,  Belgian Lung and Tuberculosis Association, Belgium; Dr Joyce Browne, UMC Utrecht, the Netherlands

Speakers: Professor Charles Agyemang, Amsterdam UMC, the Netherlands; Abigail Norville, Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport, the Netherlands; Dr Alana Helberg-Proctor, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Dr Ama Kissi, Ghent University, Belgium; Dr Niloufar Ashtiani, CoMaster, Radiqs, Hozan Sangana Studios, the Netherlands; Dr Bahar Goodarzi, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Michaela Moua, European Commission

Several major public health institutions declared racism and discrimination a major threat to public health, in response to the vast and growing body of evidence indicating the deleterious health consequences of racism. These institutions include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the American Public Health Association, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, and the London School of Hygiene &Tropical Medicine.

The Lancet Series ‘Racism, xenophobia, discrimination, and the determination of health’ was published in December 2022 and proposed an excellent conceptual framework of how racism affects health. The current O’Neill-Lancet Commission on Racism, Structural Discrimination and Global Health, will further accelerate our understanding through research and translation of these findings into practice and policy.

Remarkably, research (reviewed by the above) about the impact of racism on health has been primarily conducted in the US (+/-80%) - with a small portion from UK / Australia / Canada / New-Zealand (+/-10%) and the remaining +/-10% from the rest of the world, including Europe. 

This session aims to address the evidence gap on the physical and mental health consequences of racism within the European context. Contextualized evidence generation is important to inform national and European public health and clinical practice and policies. This panel discussion will build onto the work of the O’Neill-Lancet Commission and continue and expand this to focus on the European context. 

The session’s objectives are to:

• Introduce the O’Neill-Lancet Commission on Racism, Structural Discrimination, and Global Health
• Delineate the state of the art on research on racism and health within the European context
• Discuss how racial discrimination may negatively impact people’s health through both healthcare and wider societal context
• Provide insights into the importance of research on the mechanisms of racism and how this could translate into interventions aimed at eradicating racism within healthcare
• Share patients’ and healthcare providers’ (e.g., medical doctors and clinical psychologists) perspectives, expert opinions and lived experiences
• Discuss the complexities and unintended consequences of attending to concepts such as ‘race’ and ‘ethnicity’ in health research and healthcare. In doing so, we will focus on the conceptualization and application of ‘race’ and ‘ethnicity’ as social vs biological constructs, and how they should be applied in inclusive healthcare

This session will appeal to a broad, global audience of scientists, clinicians, and policy-makers, exemplifying the emerging notion that global health concerns health equity everywhere. 

It is our hope that insights deriving from our panel discussion may not only inspire, but also motivate these agents to put anti-racism high on their agenda and invest in diversity-sensitive care, research, and policy.

15:30

Tivoli Vredenburg Hertz

Track 5

Context matters: learnings from real-world implementation within maternal health in Malawi, Ethiopia, and Tanzania

The PartoMa research team (Copenhagen and Tanzania); the EthOSS research team (Ethiopia, Netherlands, and UK); Malawi and the Netherlands research team; Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation Tanzania Hospital, Tanzania

Chair: Dr Nanna Maaløe, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Speakers: Dr Abera Kenay, Haramaya University, Ethiopia; Dr Brenda Sequeira Dmello, CCBRT, Tanzania, University of Copenhagen and Aga Khan university medical college, Tanzania; Dr Monica Lauridsen Kujabi, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Dr Fleur Gooren, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Dr Wouter Bakker, Leiden UMC and Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Dr Sagni Girma, Haramaya University, Ethiopia and Leiden UMC, the Netherlands 

To end the crisis of preventable maternal deaths in low- and middle-income countries, evidence-informed and cost-efficient health care is urgently needed. However, fundamental gaps continue to be reported between (inter)national recommendations and realistic best practices in fragile healthcare systems challenged by contextual realities of shortages of skilled staff, inconsistent supplies, lack of equipment, weak leadership, and managerial accountability. 

Drawing on lived experiences from researchers in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Malawi, we would like to present the complexity of this major global health challenge. This will include sharing examples of experiences in localizing interventions for improving rights-based, safe reproductive health, and the strengths and challenges of working with end-users and health authorities to co-create impactful initiatives.

 Likewise, we set out to share examples of unplanned, and unexpectedly harmful local adaptations that may happen when poorly fitting health interventions are rolled out in resource-constrained healthcare systems, where sub-optimal audit and accountability allow the co-existence of ‘too little, too late’ and ‘too much, too soon’ care, of which ‘the cesarean section epidemic’ is an example.

Understanding the context, and designing implementation strategies that consider context, is paramount to reaching sustainable improvements in healthcare within and beyond maternal health. This is of relevance to other low- and middle-income countries, donors, researchers, funders, global health advocates, and collaborators in their pursuit of equitable high-quality healthcare for all.

15:30

Tivoli Vredenburg Pandora

Track 2

Advances of circulating anodic antigen detection for schistosomiasis diagnosis in non-endemic and endemic settings 

Statens Serum Institute (SSI), Denmark; Leiden UMC, the Netherlands

Co-chairs: Dr Anna Kildemoes, SSI, Denmark; Dr Pytsje Hoekstra, Leiden UMC, the Netherlands

Speakers: Dr Govert van Dam, Leiden UMC, the Netherlands; Dr Francesca Tamarozzi, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Italy; Dr Pytsje Hoekstra, Leiden UMC, the Netherlands; Dr Luc Coffeng, Erasmus MC, UMC Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Dr Jaap van Hellemond, Erasmus MC, UMC Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Sarah Nogaro, FIND, Switzerland

The WHO 2030 roadmap identifies diagnostic developments as a critical need for progress towards control and elimination of schistosomiasis. 

Circulating anodic antigen (CAA) has proved to be a highly specific and sensitive biomarker for detection of active infection with all (human) schistosome species. CAA is and extensively studied and well-characterised circulating parasite antigen, which is regurgitated by Schistosoma worms living in the blood vessels of infected hosts. CAA can be detected in urine and serum samples via the ultra-sensitive and highly specific up-converting reporter particle lateral flow (UCP-LF) test. The UCP-LF CAA assay is not limited to a single Schistosoma species, and its sensitivity even allows detection of a single adult worm pair as demonstrated in a primate model. CAA is rapidly cleared from the circulation of the host, allowing for an early assessment of treatment efficacy after interventions. Several formats of laboratory based UCP-LF CAA assays exist with applicability for various sample types including urine, serum, plasma, and dried blood spots. Tests have also been developed in dry format, which allow for storage and worldwide shipment of reagents without need for a cold chain. Overall, the UCP-LF CAA test has great potential for accurate detection presence and intensity of Schistosoma infections including monitoring praziquantel treatment efficacy.

This session will provide an overview of currently available CAA assay formats and discuss their strengths and limitations in non-endemic as well as endemic settings. Experiences from applying the UCP-LF CAA assay in Italy for non-endemic traveller and migrant routine diagnostics will demonstrate pre- and post-treatment data and capacity for detection of very low worm burdens. Randomised controlled RePST trial data from Côte d’Ivoire illustrates the use of multiple schistosomiasis diagnostic tools including CAA in an endemic setting. CAA results highlight the need for such a highly specific and ultra-sensitive tool if the aim is to reach control or even break transmission. Modelling approaches can be used to prioritise use of the still costly UCP-CAA test in combination with other measures in order to get maximum impact with limited resources. Finally, quality control importance and initiatives will be discussed to future-proof use and reliability of CAA tests.  

The session will start with a short overview of CAA detection for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis by Govert van Dam from the Department of Parasitology, Leiden UMC, the Netherlands, followed by five expert presentations, and a general discussion.

15:30

Tivoli Vredenburg Cloud Nine

Track 4

Perinatal depression research in Africa

African Population and Health Research Center, Kenya

Co-chairs: Dr Amisah Bakuri, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; Dr Fred Wekesah, African Population and Health Research Center, Kenya

Speakers: Dr Caroline Wainaina, UMC Utrecht, the Netherlands; Dr Emmy Kageha Igonya, African Population and Health Research Center, Kenya; Dr Anthony Ajahi, African Population and Health Research Center, Kenya; Professor Wendy Janssens, Amsterdam Institute of Global Health and Development and Vrije University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Dr Salim Wangabi, UMC Utrecht and clinical psychologist, Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Accra, Ghana

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines maternal mental health as “a state of well-being in which a mother realizes her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can contribute to her community” 

Worldwide approximately 10% of pregnant women and 15% of those who have just delivered experience a mental disorder, primarily depression. The number is higher in developing countries, with approximately 20% of mothers experiencing clinical depression after childbirth. Depression can range from mild to severe. Severe cases can lead to psychosis, increase the risk of suicide, and contribute to causes of maternal mortality. Untreated or undetected perinatal depression (the stage between pregnancy and up to 1 year after childbirth) can have adverse outcomes, including preterm birth or low birth weight, maternal morbidity, infanticide, poor infant feeding, and mother-child interaction. 

Despite the high burden, research on experiences of maternal mental health among peri and postnatal women is largely absent in low-middle-income countries (LMICs), including sub-Saharan Africa. Evidence suggests the high burden of perinatal depression remains undetected and untreated in many LMICs. The lack of up-to-date evidence on maternal depression is attributed to stigma, lack of awareness among health workers and communities, and inadequate investment in mental health infrastructure. 

Our panel will center on the experiences of perinatal women in low-income countries. We will bring together multidisciplinary researchers in public health, anthropologists, epidemiologists, and health economists working on maternal mental health in Africa. The panel will demonstrate the centrality of mental health in maternal healthcare. The panel presents ongoing research on perinatal depression and discusses the key issues arising in both primary healthcare and community settings. 

The panel will consider the following: 

• What is the burden of maternal mental health; 
• What are the triggers to mental health across different contextual settings? 
• What are the coping strategies women use to deal with mental health challenges?
• What support systems exist, what works and how?
• How can notions of integration of maternal mental health be configured into maternal healthcare?

15:30

Tivoli Vredenburg Club Nine

Track 3

Innovating cervical cancer screening in low- and middle-income countries and vulnerable groups in Europe

UMC Groningen, the Netherlands, Female Cancer Foundation, the Netherlands, Leiden UMC, the Netherlands, Trnava University, Slovakia, Uganda Cancer Institute, Uganda,  Uganda Rural Development and Training, Uganda, ICDDR, Bangladesh, Friendship NGO, Bangladesh

Chair: Professor Jelle Stekelenburg, UMC Groningen, the Netherlands

Speakers: Dr Janine de Zeeuw, UMC Groningen, the Netherlands; Dr Naheed Nazrul, Friendship NGO, Bangladesh; Dr Jaap Koot, UMC Groningen, the Netherlands; Prof Marek Majdan, Trnava University, Slovakia; Dr Jogchum Beltman, Leiden UMC, the Netherlands; Dr Carol Nakisige, Uganda Cancer Institute, Uganda; Prof Keerthana Prasad, MAHE; Dr Jurjen van der Schans, UMC Groningen, the Netherlands

The purpose of this session is to reflect on the feasibility of the WHO strategy towards elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem based on experiences in the PRESCRIP-TEC project

Our objectives are to discuss: 

• the knowledge, awareness and practices of women and household decision-makers concerning cervical cancer screening in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and vulnerable groups in Europe
• experiences with home-based hrHPV testing and follow-up examinations for cervical cancer in in LMICs and vulnerable groups in Europe
• the feasibility of the use of artificial intelligence in the Visual Inspection of the Cervix with Acetic acid
• the cost-effectiveness of the hrHPV screening, followed by VIA or Pap-smear

In cervical cancer screening much progress is made with introduction of hrHPV testing as primary screening, followed by Pap smear of VIA. However, the introduction of this new approach is not easy in LMICs. There are many issues to be solved to enhance participation in screening, to guarantee quality of lab tests and follow-up examinations. Even if technical issues are resolved, health services may face major problems with the investments needed, both financially as juman resources. PRESCRIP-TEC is working in four countries and has already gained wide experience in the screening process. Through surveys detailed information concerning the facilitators and barriers has been collected. This will be shared during the session. 

15:30

Tivoli Vredenburg The Pit

Track 2

Oral Abstract Presentations: Skin infections

Quality assessment of WHO's SkinNTDs app as a training and decision support tool for frontline health workers in Ghana and Kenya: findings from a cross-sectional study (Mireia Cano et al.)

Living with leprosy (Hansen's Disease) in Malaysia: a transdisciplinary research approach (Norana Abdul Rahman et al.)

Outputs, outcomes, and realized benefits of the completed research projects funded by the Leprosy Research Initiative (Margot Spelde et al.)

Community skin health events in Côte d'Ivoire with use of digital health tool (Koffi Aubin Yao et al.)

Definition of ‘close contacts’ in leprosy studies: a scoping review (Maya Ronse et al.)

15:30 

Social Impact Factory Event Space

Track 6

Why planetary health risk analysis is necessary for environment and child health

Global Health Norway; Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Co-chairs: Professor Jon Øyvind Odland,  The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway; Professor Thorkild Tylleskaer, University of Bergen, Norway

Speakers: Associate Prof Solrunn Hansen, The Arctic University of Norway; Dr Muhammad Asaduzzaman, University of Oslo, Norway; Dr Mphatso Mwapasa, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Malawi, and Norwegian University of Science and Technology; Professor Jon Øyvind Odland, The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway

In this organized session, we aim to present ongoing and recently implemented studies of the impact of various environmental toxins on the pregnancy outcome and child health in different parts of the world. All studies (ranging from case studies to policy briefs) depict ecotoxicological exposure as a major global child health stressor with compatible and comparable results. 

15:30

Social Impact Factory Room 1 Sydney

Track 2

Involving patients at different stages of product development and implementation for infectious diseases

Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), Switzerland; Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Tunisia;  Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento de Investigaciones Médicas (CIDEIM), Colombia; Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia; University of Oxford, UK

Co-chairs: Professor Piero Olliaro, Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK; Dr Maria del Mar Castro, CIDEIM, Colombia

Speakers: Dr Astrid Erber, Medical University of Vienna, Austria, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford; Philip Horgan, Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford; Evidence & Impact, University of Oxford, UK; Dr Ashleigh Cheyne, Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford, UK; Dr Byron Arana, Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, Switzerland; Aicha Boukthir, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunisia, Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Enseignement Supérieur (LIRES), Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

In this session we present approaches of how patients, as end-users, can be actively involved in the different stages of the development of therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases. 

Presentations will cover different of stages of the product life cycle, from target product profiles often constructed before the start of first-in-human trials, to the clinical trial programme, and the post-approval phase, where products are implemented. They will focus on four diseases (cutaneous leishmaniasis, lassa fever, mpox and influenza), and consulted patients come from Brazil, Colombia, Peru, three West African countries, Tunisia, Austria and the UK. Studies used both qualitative and quantitative methods that can be transferrable to other diseases, giving patients a voice in the development of interventions.

15:30

Social Impact Factory Room 2 Singapore

Track 1

Healthy people on a healthy planet; connection between climate, biodiversity, food systems, and health

Wageningen University and Research, the Netherlands

Chair: Martine van der Mast, Wageningen University and Research, Eindhoven, Wageningen, Utrecht University and UMC Utrecht Alliance (EWUU), the Netherlands

Speakers: Professor Wim van der Poel , Wageningen University and Research, the Netherlands; Dr Jeanne Nell, Wageningen University and Research, the Netherlands

The vision of health goes beyond the physical and human health. It is closely connected to functioning in the living environment and for overall well-being in harmony with a healthy planet. To address health issues amidst the necessary and interacting transitions and within the planetary boundaries, a joint ambition, systems approach and action is essential. Thereby taking a variety of aspects and connectedness into account. 

This session highlights the Wageningen University and Research (WUR) approach and ongoing research from its unique planetary health perspective. It emphasizes upstream prevention and inclusivity. By transitioning from interdisciplinary to transdisciplinary research, WUR strives to maximize impact to deal with global challenges.

15:30

Social Impact Factory Room 3 Seoul

Track 2

Oral Abstract Presentations: Parasitic infections

Efficacy and safety of moxidectin compared to ivermectin against Strongyloides stercoralis infection in Laotian and Cambodian adults: a randomised, double-blind, non-inferiority, phase 2/3 trial (Viviane Sprecher et al.)

The hidden burden of strongyloidiasis – insights from Ethiopian sentinel schools (Sara Roose et al.)

Isolation and antibiotic resistance pattern of microbes from the street foods in selected towns of Ethiopia (Mathewos Weldekirkos et al.)

Development and evaluation of a protocol for Taenia saginata and Ascaris suum egg recovery from the house fly’s exoskeleton and gastrointestinal tract (Sophie De Bock et al.)

Giardiasis imported to the Czech Republic: response to the treatment (Frantisek Stejskal et al.)

The 1st National Prevalence Survey of soil-transmitted helminths in Pakistan (Waleed Rabbani)

15:30

Social Impact Factory Room 4 Dublin

Track 5

Oral Abstract Presentations: Maternal and reproductive health (1)

Assessment of the knowledge, attitudes and practices of communities regarding maternal, neonatal, sexual and reproductive health in seven districts in Rwanda (Véronique Zinnen et al.)

Abortion services as a contraception option in sub-Saharan Africa: barriers to access and their consequences (Marine Caillaud)

Inequalities in accessing safe childbirth services is an obstacle to achieving universal health coverage in scarce-resource settings: an evidence from Tanzania (Deogratius Bintabara)

Measuring socioeconomic disparities in quality of care within and between villages: an application to antenatal care in India (Igna Bonfrer et al.)

Adolescent pregnancy and social exclusion of girls in Korogocho, Nairobi, Kenya (Beryl Machoka)

Long-term maternal outcomes after caesarean sections in Sierra Leone: a prospective cohort study (Richard Torp et al.)

17:15 

Tivoli Vredenburg Grote Zaal

Track 2

Research and development on novel drugs for nematode infections; insight from academia and product development partnerships working together in the EU-funded Helminth Elimination Platform (HELP) project

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute

Co-chairs: Dr Jennifer Keiser, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Switzerland; Dr Sabine Specht, Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, Switzerland

Speakers: Dr Jennifer Keiser, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Switzerland; Dr Sabine Specht, Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, Switzerland; Dr Marc Hübner, University Hospital Bonn, Germany; Dr Said Jongo, Ifakara Health Institute, Tanzania;

More effective, safe, and affordable treatments are needed for helminth diseases, to reach the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals on health. 

HELP is an EU-funded project run by a consortium of universities, not-for-profit organizations, and pharmaceutical companies to develop new drugs for soil-transmitted helminthiases and onchocerciasis. The consortium is establishing a much-needed drug R&D pipeline, progressing drug discovery up to clinical trials. In this symposium we will update the audience on the recent progress in research and development for soil-transmitted helminthiases and onchocerciasis.

17:15

Tivoli Vredenburg Hertz

Track 2

Oral Abstract Presentations: Malaria (3)

Community-based biolarviciding for malaria control in Tanga region, Tanzania (Denis Richard Kailembo et al.)

Comparative analysis of peripheral whole blood transcriptome from asymptomatic carriers reveals upregulation of subsets of surface proteins implicated in P. falciparum phenotypic plasticity (Joseph Amwoma et al.)

Malaria parasite prevalence among migrants: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Ana Requena-Méndez et al.)

Efficacy of Praziquantel for treatment of Plasmodium falciparum infection in asymptomatic Gabonese adults (Johannes Mischlinger et al.)

Malaria asymptomatic carriage in the Sahelian region: the challenge associated to young adults (Eva Legendre et al.

17:15 

Tivoli Vredenburg Pandora

Track 1

Intersectoral working among education and health: from words into actions

UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education;  Maastricht UMC, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC, the Netherlands; JOGG; Eurohealthnet

Chair: Professor Stef Kremers, Maastricht UMC, the Netherlands

Speakers: Dr Bonnie van Dongen, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Dr Carry Render, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Dr Kathelijne Bessems, Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, Maastricht University, the Netherlands; Patty Scholten, Healthy Communities, JOGG; Ingrid Stegeman, EuroHealthNet; Goof Buijs, UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education

The Covid pandemic has highlighted the importance of intersectoral working between health and education sectors - yet they still have their own objectives and speak their own language. 

During this session we will look at the importance of intersectoral working between health and education and especially how this can be put into practice. We will share good examples of intersectoral working in school and community settings and on implementation in a co-creative way contributing to social change. Participants are invited to share their experiences. By the end of this session participants will have practical ideas to improve intersectoral collaboration in their own work.

The UNESCO Chair on Global Health & Education brings together people and organisations from different backgrounds with a common interest in health and education. The focus is on intersectoral working  that aims to orient and support social change in order to improve the health for all, reduce inequalities and preserve our planet. The Chair community consists of researchers, professionals working in the health, education and social sectors, activists, communities, networks and institutions. 

17:15 

Tivoli Vredenburg Cloud Nine

Track 1

Health systems strengthening and innovation: what can high income countries learn from low- and middle-income countries?

GEO, Working Group on Health and Development of the Netherlands Society for Tropical Medicine and International Health

Chair: Dr Gilles de Wildt , University of Birmingham, UK and GEO , Working Group on Health in Developing Countries of the Netherlands Society for Tropical Medicine and International Health

Speakers: Dr Matthew Harris, Imperial College and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK; Prof Quazi Monirul Islam, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand; Dr Fleur de Meijer, Aga Khan University, Kenya

Health system strengthening is often viewed through the prism of high income countries (HICs), as an approach that is mainly applicable to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Achievements and innovations in LMICs that could be suitable in other health care systems are often overlooked. 

In this session, keynote speakers will highlight examples, including: 

• What can health systems globally learn from the Brazilian nationwide Community Health Agents' Programme to strengthen and improve access to services at the community level – and to respond to and facilitate community involvement? 
• Lives and livelihoods: Lessons from the worldwide responses to the Covid pandemic and how communities can contribute to, or lead innovations in health service delivery with examples from LMICs; 
• What is the global significance of training and education in LMICs?

This will be followed by themed small group discussions, with keynote speakers as resource persons, exploring suitability in HICs. Small groups will be asked to articulate relevant recommendations for strengthening policies in HICs. Recommendations will be discussed and prioritised in a concluding short plenary meeting for use by professional, educational governmental and non-governmental organisations.

Cross-cutting themes will include WHO's policy recommendations on building resilient health systems based on primary health care; Investing in whole-society engagement, in all-hazards domestic and global emergency responses as well as pandemic preparedness on the back of the Covid control experiences.

17:15

Tivoli Vredenburg Club Nine

Track 2

The burden of disease caused by onchocerciasis

Global Health Institute, University of Antwerp, Belgium

Co-chairs: Professor Robert Colebunders Global Health Institute, University of Antwerp, Belgium; Dr Joseph Siewe Fodjo Global Health Institute, University of Antwerp, Belgium

Speakers: Dr Stephen R Jada, Amref Health Africa, South Sudan; Dr Joseph Siewe Fodjo, Global Health Institute, University of Antwerp, Belgium; Amber Hadermann, Global Health Institute, University of Antwerp, Belgium; Luis-Jorge Amaral, Global Health Institute, University of Antwerp, Belgium

During the session an update will be given concerning the latest research findings about the association between onchocerciasis and epilepsy. The burden of disease caused by onchocerciasis will be illustrated by findings from onchocerciasis endemic regions in South Sudan. Results will be presented that show that onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy (OAE) including nodding syndrome is preventable by strengthening onchocerciasis elimination programmes. New insights in the pathogenesis of OAE will be discussed. 

The ultimate aim of the session is to identify ways to reduce the onchocerciasis disease burden.

17:15

Tivoli Vredenburg The Pit

Track 2

Oral Abstract Presentations: Infectious disease

Pilot survey of cystic echinococcosis in Masaai livestock-keeping communities of Northern Tanzania (Francesca Tamarozzi et al.)

Is water from ‘improved sources’ safe? Evidence in rural Mozambique (Hirotsugu Aiga et al.)

Genetic phylogeny of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli isolated in children below five years living in close contact with food animals, Kisumu County, Kenya (Redemptah Yeda et al.)

Co-infection of Schistosoma mansoni, Hepatitis B, C viruses and HIV among the adult population of fishing villages in north-western Tanzania: a wake-up call to address multiple concurrent diseases (Andreas Mueller et al.)

Addressing men’s participation in mass drug administration: evidence from a cluster-randomised trial in Malawi (Stefan Witek-McManus et al.)

Anti-circulating anodic antigen antibodies as primary schistosome infection marker: applicability in travel medicine and for surveillance in near- and post-elimination settings (Anna Kildemoes et al.)

17:15

Social Impact Factory Event Space

Track 2 and Track 3

Oral Abstract Presentations: Non-communicable diseases

Developing and externally validating a machine learning risk prediction model for 30-day mortality after stroke using national stroke registers in the UK and Sweden (Wenjuan Wang et al.)

Job stress a source of hypertension in Sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review (Rodrigue Khonde Kumbu et al.)

Sleep quality and quality of life in adults with Type 2 diabetes in Bangladesh (Farzana Zaman et al.)

Hospital costs attributable to obesity, diabetes and hypertension in Covid-19 patients in South Africa (Loes Kreeftenberg et al.)

VAC4EU study to identify risk factors for the development of myocarditis and pericarditis after mRNA-1273 vaccination in four European countries: methodological considerations (Laura Zwiers et al.)

17:15

Social Impact Factory Room 1 Sydney

Track 1

Sustainable value chains: the path to greener global health systems

IDA Foundation; Solvoz Foundation

Chair: Claudia Martinez, Access to Medicines Foundation

Speakers: Claire Barnhoorn, Solvoz; Harm Veerkamp, IDA Foundation; Harwin de Vries, RSM Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands

For a conference with a theme of shaping the future of equitable and sustainable planetary health, we believe it is instrumental to look at procurement, which on average makes up 65% of the cost component of humanitarian response*. We are at a moment in time that we have to move beyond guidelines, and take lessons learned into standard procurement practices – be it for humanitarian response, or national/local health procurement in low- and middle-income countries. 
        
Through discussion, we aim to touch upon the different aspects affecting planetary health in global health operations, and where there are opportunities for alternatives or improvement, including:

• pollution from manufacturing of goods
• waste generated in health facilities (WHO states about 75%–90% of the wastes generated from different healthcare facilities can be considered as non-hazardous, whereas 10%–25% are hazardous wastes)
• procurement practices of health organisations (how can criteria for sustainable practices be mainstreamed when it is often cost-driven?) 

Covering these issues, this session aims to share best practices, challenges and insights on environmental factors in health / humanitarian procurement between different actors in the global health supply chain to highlight current challenges, priorities, developments, knowledge gaps and opportunities.

* https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925527320303662

17:15

Social Impact Factory Room 2 Singapore

Track 5

Gynaecological oncology with a focus on breast and gynaecological cancer

UMC Utrecht, the Netherlands; Dutch Cancer Institute, the Netherlands; working group International Safe Motherhood & Reproductive health; Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi, Erasmus Medical Centre, the Netherlands; Leiden UMC, the Netherlands; Female Cancer Foundation; Breast Care International; Amsterdam UMC, the Netherlands

Chair: Dr Marcus Rijken, UMC Utrecht, Dutch Cancer Institute, Working group International Safe Motherhood & Reproductive Health, the Netherlands

Speakers: Dr Marcus Rijken, UMC Utrecht, the Netherlands; Dr George Chilinda, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Malawi; Dr Heleen van Beekhuizen, Erasmus MC, the Netherlands; Dr Jogchum Beltman, Leiden University Medical Centre, the Netherlands; Dr Marlieke de Fouw, Leiden University Medical Centre, the Netherlands; Dr Lawrencia Dsane Bawuah, Erasmus MC, the Netherlands; Dr Luc van Lonkhuijzen, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, the Netherlands

Worldwide approximately 5% of all cancers are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Cervical cancer is the most common HPV-related cancer with around 470.000 new cases yearly, mostly in LIMC, also in Malawi, where Médecins Sans Frontières has a programme for cervical cancer treatment. 

In this session we will also focus on primary prevention of HPV related cancer worldwide and the progress of the WHO initiative on elimination of cervical cancer. Is a single dose of HPV vaccine the solution? Is vaccination of both boys and girls a good option? Screening is a very effective method to reduce the global burden of cervical cancer. But how do we make screening a success and reach all women in different parts of the world? 

We discuss our experiences with HPV self testing, visual inspection with acetic acid, direct treatment, and artificial intelligence in resource constrained settings in Uganda and in the riverine islands of Bangladesh. Finally we will be updated about the Breast Care International Ghana walk to fight breast cancer.

17:15

Social Impact Factory Room 3 Seoul

Track 1

Subnational burden estimation: methods and applications for locally tailored public health programme planning

KIT Royal Tropical Institute, the Netherlands

Chair: Ente Rood, KIT Royal Tropical Institute, the Netherlands

Speakers: Abdullah Latif, BMGF Grant Manager, Mercy Corps Pakistan; Christina Mergenthaler, KIT Royal Tropical Institute, the Netherlands; Jake Mathewson, KIT Royal Tropical Institute, the Netherlands; Muhammed Semakula, Rwanda Ministry of Health/ KIT Royal Tropical Institute, the Netherlands; Nathaniel Henry, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Washington, USA

A key requirement for public health preparedness and planning is the availability of reliable estimates of health needs. 

Globally, emerging public health threats (i.e. Covid-19, influenza, disaster relief) rely on subnational estimates of disease burden to optimally allocate limited health resources and to monitor the effectiveness of interventions. 

In this session, infectious disease experts and disease modellers will present novel methods and approaches to monitor and estimate disease burden at subnational level and will demonstrate how these estimates are used to inform public health decisions.

17:15

Social Impact Factory Room 4 Dublin

Track 1 and Track 3

Oral Abstract Presentations: Pandemic mitigation and responses (2)

Illegal deforestation rates were lower during the Covid-19 pandemic in rural Bornean communities with health and livelihood support (Skylar Hopkins et al.)

Measuring preparedness to infectious diseases among 2124 households exposed to climate disasters in Mozambique: a cross-sectional study (Francesco Vladimiro Segala et al.)

Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy and associated factors in the Boeny region of Madagascar (Irina Kislaya et al.)

Covid-19 vaccine safety monitoring studies in low- and middle-income countries: a methodological review (Malede Sisay et al.)

Challenges in access to care among diabetes patients during the Covid-19 pandemic: a hospital based mixed method study (Namuna Shrestha et al.)