12 researchers in WHO European Region awarded grants for research on TB and COVID-19
WHO/Andrei DADU
12 research projects from the WHO European Region are being funded by the UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) following a call to identify and address barriers and bottlenecks to implementing tuberculosis-related services in the Region during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Small Grants Scheme is a joint initiative of TDR and WHO regional offices that aims to strengthen the capacity of individuals and institutions in low- and middle-income countries to conduct implementation research on infectious diseases associated with poverty. The goals of the current round of the Small Grants Scheme in the Region include generating new knowledge, solutions and implementation strategies that can ensure continuity of essential TB services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the establishment of the European TB Research Initiative (ERI-TB) in 2016, WHO/Europe continues to build the capacity of Member States to advance TB-related research in the Region while progressing the WHO Global Strategy for TB Research and Innovation and responding to new challenges, such as COVID-19.
TB services during and after the pandemic
12 research proposals from 13 of the 18 high-TB priority countries of the Region were prioritized for receipt of funding of up to US$ 15 000.
Selected research projects will focus on ensuring that prevention, detection, treatment and care services for TB patients are maintained during the COVID-19 pandemic. The short-term and long-term effects of the pandemic on TB services, as well as the response of health systems, are the focus of research proposals from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Some of the research projects evaluate innovative ways to improve care for patients with drug-resistant TB. These include a project proposal from Belarus and a joint proposal from Latvia and Lithuania. Projects from Romania, the Russian Federation and Ukraine look at ways to improve service delivery for communities that might experience limited access to TB services, such as rural populations, migrants and prisoners, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
TDR and WHO/Europe will work jointly to ensure that the selected operational research projects are implemented in adherence with the highest scientific and ethical standards and that their findings reach respective decision-makers.
The selected proposals are:
| Country | Principal investigator | Project title |
|---|---|---|
| Armenia | Naira Khachatryan | The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the provision of TB-related services by the national TB programme |
| Azerbaijan | Parvana Valiyeva | Identify and address the barriers to re-strengthen provision of essential TB services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Azerbaijan |
| Belarus | Natalia Yatskevich | Analysis of data from operational research on evaluation of effectiveness and safety of modified all-oral shorter treatment regimens for rifampicin-resistant TB in the Republic of Belarus |
| Georgia | Lela Sulaberidze | Adaptations made to the TB response during the COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia: health systems perspective on the implications for TB case detection and treatment provision |
| Kazakhstan | Elmira Berikova | Study of the main obstacles and delays in the provision of services for the detection, accurate diagnosis, treatment of TB and DR-TB during the COVID-19 pandemic in two regions of Kazakhstan |
| Kyrgyzstan | Muratbek Ahmatov | Study of risk factors affecting the increase in the level of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Kyrgyz Republic during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| Latvia | Liga Kuksa | Evaluating the effectiveness and safety of modified all-oral shorter rifampicin-resistant TB treatment regimens in Latvia and Lithuania |
| Romania | Fidelie Kalambayi | Understanding the uptake of TB screening services in Romanian rural communities: an ethnographic exploration of the implementation practice |
| Russian Federation | Irina Felker | Ensuring timely diagnosis of TB in migrants of the Novosibirsk region in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic |
| Tajikistan | Bobojon Pirmahmadzoda | Drug-resistant TB and COVID-19 in Dushanbe: gaining experience to overcome barriers |
| Ukraine | Alexandra Dmitrieva | Strengthening the interaction between penitentiary and civil sectors of medicine to improve prisoners' access to TB treatment in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic |
| Uzbekistan | Ruzilya Usmanova | TB and COVID-19 in Uzbekistan: new challenges |
