Study examines the real-life long-term impact of routine introduction of vaccine. Introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) to childhood routine vaccination in The Gambia reduced severe infections associated with pneumococcal disease, according to new research published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The Pneumococcal Surveillance Project (PSP) showed that, among children aged 2-59 months, the use […]

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific community hypothesised that SARS-CoV-2 transmission would eventually be hindered by herd immunity, conferred by natural infection, vaccination, or both. However, it remains unclear whether initial infection with SARS-CoV-2 confers protection against reinfection and how long this protection would last. A study on SARS-CoV-2 led by the […]

The Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, in collaboration with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, held a 2 -day a Climate Change Solutions Festival from the 26th -27th May 2021, at the Unit’s grounds in Fajara. The festival focused on climate change solutions and […]

There is growing evidence that house design can decrease the force of malaria infection. In a new publication in the Journal of The Royal Society Interface, researchers from the United Kingdom, Denmark and The Gambia reveal that raised buildings may help to reduce malaria transmission in Africa. Despite being preventable, malaria remains an important public […]

New research published in the BMC Malaria Journal has shown that nuanced social dynamics greatly influence the decision-making process for participants in the MASSIV trial, a Mass Drug Administration (MDA) using ivermectin for malaria in the Upper River Region of The Gambia. Mass Drug Administration (MDA) is an intervention used for the control and elimination […]

Beate is one of 50 new Fellows who have been selected for this prestigious Fellowship. Awarded annually, they recognise exceptional contributions to the advancement of medical science through innovative research discoveries, and translating scientific developments into benefits for patients and the wider society. Trained as a clinician-scientist in paediatric infectious diseases, Professor Kampmann was appointed […]

Dr Abdoulie Bojang, Senior Scientific Officer at the Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, has been awarded an African Postdoctoral Training Initiative (APTI) Fellowship, hosted at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The post-doctoral training fellowship program, launched in 2019, is supported through a partnership of […]

In 1978 I went to work in The Gambia as a junior doctor at the Medical Research Council (MRC) research unit hospital. With a population of less than one million at the time there was only one government ophthalmologist, Dr Shiona Sowa. I got to know Dr. Sowa well and heard about the work which […]

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 […]