The picture shows several men helping a colleague dress in a personal protective equipment (PPE).

©Swiss TPH | Joachim Pelikan

Publication

Success Story GIBACHT

The GIBACHT training program is successfully training health specialists in pandemic prevention and response in Africa, the Middle East, South and Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. Based on the principle of training of trainers and using flexible learning approaches, the training is designed to be sustainable.

Sechs Fluoreszenzbilder zeigen Zellen, deren Zellkerne blau angefärbt sind, und die mit dem Erreger Trypoanosoma cruzi, rot angefärbt, infiziert sind.

©Kroh et al. 2024

Publication

From a cell culture model to a skin organ model

BNITM researchers publish important preliminary work for the immunocompetent skin organ model project in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. They provide an interesting insight into how skin cells infected with the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (the causative agent of Chagas disease) interact with natural killer cells.

The photo shows the hands of an EAC Lab Expert handling test kits. A colleague wearing a face mask can be seen in the background.

©Taiplus | Gwamaka Mwabuka

Mpox-Epidemic

BNITM supports EAC Mobile Labs in East Africa

The East African Community (EAC) has activated its mobile laboratories. They travel to the Mpox outbreak areas to take samples directly on site and analyse them diagnostically. The EAC has established the network of mobile labs since 2017 with significant support from the BNITM and funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW).

Learn more

Das Foto zeigt ein offenbar gesundes Amselmännchen auf einer Wiese.

©NABU | Frank Derer

Pressemitteilung

Weltmoskitotag | Amselsterben | Usutu-Virus

Ein neues Amselsterben zeichnet sich ab: Derzeit erreichen das BNITM täglich Dutzende Einsendungen verendeter Vögel, vor allem Amseln. Auch dem NABU werden deutlich mehr verendete oder kranke Vögel gemeldet als sonst. Das passt zur Jahreszeit: Von Mai bis September haben Stechmücken Saison. Sie können das Usutu-Virus auf Vögel, aber auch auf Säugetiere wie den Menschen übertragen. Dieses Jahr scheint die Virus-Aktivität besonders hoch.

Photo of the staff of BNITM in the institute's garden

©BNITM | Dino Schachten

Press release

Successful evaluation

"Excellent", "outstanding", "very good": the Senate of the Leibniz Association has recommended that the federal and state governments continue to fund the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) for a further seven years. According to the evaluation commission, the institute is extremely successful in research, care and teaching in the field of infectious diseases and tropical medicine with a focus on Africa.

Learn more

©VdF

Honouring

Doctoral prizes awarded

Structural biologist Dr Kristina Meier and physician Dr Michaela Raacke have submitted outstanding dissertations at the BNITM. The Association of Friends of the Tropical Institute (VdF) has honoured them with this year's doctoral prizes. They are endowed with 2,500 euros.

Learn more