Viral and Bacterial Infections Programme

Our programme conducts research on major infectious killers, including HIV, tuberculosis, viral hepatitis and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In addition to the highlighted work on estimating the real burden of tuberculosis in Mozambique (1), we have contributed to unveiling causes of death in HIV-infected individuals using the cutting-edge autopsy-based methodologies developed by our researchers. Our studies revealed that approximately 10% deaths in HIV patients in Mozambique were due to cryptococcal infections (2), supporting recommendations of cryptococcal antigen screening and pre-emptive therapy. We also developed a flow cytometry-based method for accelerating detection and quantification of bacteria in different biological fluids, a crucial step for targeted rapid antibiotic administration (3).

Our programme also made important contributions towards the elimination of viral hepatitis by identifying key interventions required to accelerate progress towards the 2030 hepatitis C elimination targets and defining a standardised approach to help monitor global progress toward these targets (4). Finally, we launched INTE-AFRICA, the largest study to date aimed at assessing the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating and decentralising HIV, diabetes and hypertension services in Tanzania and Uganda (5).