COVID-19: award for MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM
Lead Research Organisation:
London Sch of Hygiene & Tropic. Medicine
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Technical Summary
This award is being made in recognition that key Unit staff have been redeployed from their usual work, and Unit resources utilised, to contribute to the first phase of a rapid research response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among their studies they are conducting a surveillance programme to document the proportion of acute respiratory illness in adults and children caused by SARS-CoV-2, performing studies to assess the prevelance of COVID-19 among pregnant women and adverse foetal effects, and studies to define the clinical presentation and understanding transmission and antibody dynamics in COVID19 infected individuals.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Umberto D'Alessandro (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Abatan B
(2021)
Intense and Mild First Epidemic Wave of Coronavirus Disease, The Gambia.
in Emerging infectious diseases
Diallo BA
(2022)
Clinical research on COVID-19: perceptions and barriers to participation in The Gambia.
in BMJ global health
Heuschen AK
(2021)
Public health-relevant consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on malaria in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.
in Malaria journal
Kanteh A
(2021)
Origin of imported SARS-CoV-2 strains in The Gambia identified from whole genome sequences.
in PloS one
Onwuamah CK
(2021)
SARS-CoV-2 sequencing collaboration in west Africa shows best practices.
in The Lancet. Global health
Sanyang B
(2021)
COVID-19 reinfections in The Gambia by phylogenetically distinct SARS-CoV-2 variants-first two confirmed events in west Africa.
in The Lancet. Global health
| Description | Infection rates of COVID-19 were very high, with most population exposed to infection. However, no excess mortality (all causes) was observed in the areas under demographic surveillance. |
| Exploitation Route | Results show the impact of COVID-19 in The Gambia in terms of morbidity and mortality was much lower than observed in other countries outside Africa. |
| Sectors | Healthcare |
| Description | Incidence rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection was much higher than reported by official statistics. Nevertheless, we showed that in the areas where our health and demographic surveillance systems are implemented, there was no excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
| Sector | Healthcare |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | COVID-19 STRATEGIC COORDINATION MEETING |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
| Impact | Coordination of Covid-19 public health interventions. |
| Description | Collaboration with Ministry of Health Gambia |
| Organisation | Government of The Gambia |
| Department | Ministry of Health Gambia |
| Country | Gambia |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Provision of diagnostic facilities for SARS-CoV-2. Training staff at National Public Health Laboratories and set up of the diagnostic facilities. Participation into several committees for Covid-19 control in the Gambia. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management of the Coivid-19 pandemic. |
| Impact | Publications Policies documents for the control of Covid-19 pandemic in The Gambia |
| Start Year | 2020 |