Every year, the World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is marked on March 24, to commemorate the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch announced his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis – the organism that causes TB disease, and to raise awareness of the public about TB. Tuberculosis is still the leading cause of death from a single […]

On 20th March 2021, close to 200 frontline health workers at the Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at LSHTM received the first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccination exercise is part of the national rollout of vaccines in The Gambia, led by the Ministry of Health, and supported by various national and […]

The Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (MRCG at LSHTM) wishes to inform the general public that we do not offer COVID-19 testing for travellers, free or paid. The only exceptions for this service are for our staff and already designated partners. Members of the general […]

Researchers at the Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at LSHTM have published the first data on Molecular Epidemiology of Group A Streptococcus Infections in The Gambia. The MDPI Journal publication highlights the need for robust regional and country-level data to inform future vaccine design. Group A Streptococcus (GAS) causes a significant morbidity and mortality burden globally, due to […]

Each year, millions of babies are born without life (stillbirth) and millions more die between the first day of birth and the 28th day (neonatal death), globally. These deaths and other poor outcomes of pregnancy, although mostly preventable, are still unacceptably high in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia where over 80% of all such […]

The Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at LSHTM MASSIV study team, on Thursday 25th February 2020, organised an acknowledgement and result dissemination event at the Regional Health Directorate in Basse, Upper River Region. The MASSIV trial aimed at establishing whether Mass Drug Administration with Ivermectin and dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine can reduce or interrupt malaria transmission in […]

Twelve out of the 15 West African countries (80%) that constitute the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are off-track to achieving measles elimination, according to new research published this week in The Lancet Global Health. This is due to an inability in reaching key measles control and elimination milestones which were set by […]

The Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, on 3rd February 2021, launched the ETVAX clinical trial in Farafenni, North Bank Region. The trial aims to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of the ETVAX vaccine in children aged between 6 and 18 months. The widespread use […]

Researchers at the Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine have determined the immunogenicity and safety of a novel ten-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Pneumosil™) through a phase 3, randomised, double-blind, non-inferiority trial.  The vaccine is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd. The results of […]

Different combinations of human and snake activity, including species and farming practice differences, are likely to generate differences in snakebite patterns across locations. This is revealed in new research published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, showing results from a simulation model for predicting snakebite. The model includes data for agricultural activity across the days and […]

Is it time to shift to a model of ‘inclusion unless otherwise justified’ in trials of vaccines for pandemics? The COVID-19 pandemic has turned many things on its head, including routine approaches to the development of vaccines. The urgency of the pandemic has meant that the lengthy timelines of clinical trials, stepwise adaptations and eventual […]

The Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine held its annual Director’s Awards on 16th December 2020. The event is organised every year to recognise the exceptional contributions of staff at the Unit. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Unit staged a virtual award ceremony on Zoom […]