Improving control
How can control measures be applied most effectively?
Bridging the gap between innovation and impact
Vaccines, therapeutics or other interventions already exist for many tropical infectious diseases, but far too often, they don’t reach the people who need them most. Collaborative research of multiple disciplines showing how scientific evidence can be put into practice is often neglected but urgently needed. We share the WHO’s view that implementation research is crucial for ensuring that medical breakthroughs lead to enduring change.
At BNITM, we focus on controlling and eliminating poverty-related and neglected diseases in resource-limited settings by fostering inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration across medicine, biology, economics, anthropology, psychology, and computational science. We examine the social, economic and environmental factors affecting health outcomes - tracking mobility and behavior, testing interventions, and leveraging computational modelling. We are a WHO Collaborating Centre for Behavioral Research in Global Health, positioning us at the forefront of this critical work.
We know that for control measures to succeed, they need to build on the trust of the communities they are meant to protect. Hence, we work hand-in-hand with local partners and communities to explore how solutions are culturally grounded, context-specific, and integrated into local health systems. In our research, communities participate at the earliest possible stage of implementation: from co-developing guidelines for treatment and diagnosis to co-designing innovative surveillance tools and early warning systems with the aim of empowering communities to act quickly and effectively.
To make real progress, we are strengthening our long-term, sustainable partnerships in the Global South - built on mutual trust, knowledge sharing, and joint innovation. We value cultural and societal contexts and traditional knowledge. That’s why we’re expanding our network of interdisciplinary and international collaborations, deepening ties with organizations like the WHO.
Contact
- Dr Anneke Novak-Funk
- Head of Science Management
- phone: +49 40 285380-266
- email: novak-funk@bnitm.de
Downloads
- Scientific report 2023-2024 ( PDF 9 MB )
- BNITM Flyer ( PDF 5 MB )
- Organization Chart BNITM ( PDF 2 MB )
- BNITM Strategy 2025 ( PDF 22 MB )
