Press releases

What Makes Health Programmes Successful?

New Implementation Research Group at BNITM

Effective medicines, proven vaccines, and efficient therapies only save lives if they reach the people who need them. Often, health programs fail not because of a lack of resources but because interventions are insufficiently accepted, understood, or used. The new Implementation Research Group at the BNITM addresses this challenge, focusing on improving women’s and children’s health, vaccination programs, and combating schistosomiasis.

Schistosomiasis is transmitted by freshwater snails.
©BNITM

The BNITM’s newest section, “Implementation,” is now complete: the Implementation Research Group has officially started its work. The team studies the impact of health programs across various regions, combining epidemiological research on disease mechanisms, diagnostics, and therapies with pure implementation research methods to better evaluate interventions and their effectiveness. Close collaborations with local researchers and health institutions ensures the targeted application of findings and the optimisation of health programs.

“We aim to improve the health of the most vulnerable populations, particularly those with limited access to adequate healthcare,” says group leader Daniela Fusco, PhD. “That’s why we focus on women’s health, vaccination campaigns in resource-poor settings, and innovative management models for schistosomiasis.”

Daniela Fusco, Ph.D.: a researcher against a dark red brick background, wearing her blonde shoulder-length hair loose.
Daniela Fusco, Ph.D.   ©Pia Rausche

Health Programs That Reach People

Building on existing partnerships in Madagascar, the research group plans to expand collaborations to additional countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. Schistosomiasis, for example, illustrates how diseases traditionally associated with tropical regions are increasingly relevant in northern regions due to travel, conflicts, migration, and climate change.

Limited Knowledge About Chronic Schistosomiasis in Europe

However, awareness about this parasitic disease remains limited in Europe. Recently, the group surveyed 922 healthcare professionals across Europe on their knowledge of the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of female genital schistosomiasis, one of the chronic manifestations of the diseases. Their findings, published in Globalization and Health, revealed that only 32% of respondents were familiar with the disease.

Sitting woman after vaccination. She has pushed up her sleeve and is looking at the plaster.
Malagasy woman after vaccination   ©BNITM

Flexible Approaches to Boost Vaccination Rates

Another study, published in Implementation Science, focused on optimising vaccination coverage. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for more effective vaccination programs, particularly in resource-limited regions. The team implemented and evaluated a COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Madagascar’s Boeny region, guided by the Dynamic Sustainability Framework (DSF). This approach incorporated regular stakeholder feedback, interviews, problem-solving meetings, and weekly monitoring analyses to allow adjustments. While it did not eliminate fundamental vaccine hesitancy, it increased overall vaccination rates.

Beyond research, the group works to strengthen health and laboratory capacities in Madagascar. The high prevalence of infectious diseases, especially neglected tropical diseases, places a heavy burden on the population. Many of these diseases co-occur and often have chronic courses. A robust public health and laboratory system is therefore essential to reliably and rapidly address health emergencies and epidemics. However, Madagascar’s healthcare system remains highly centralised and suffers from a shortage of qualified personnel, resulting in disparities in access to care. Together with local and international partners, the group is tackling these structural challenges to improve infrastructure sustainably.

Additionally, the group is active in teaching and public outreach. Initiatives include the short course LAB-SPHERE, organised in collaboration with iACE, as well as events for World NTD Day and other awareness campaigns on neglected tropical diseases.

Here you can find further information on the working group.

Das Foto zeigt zwei junge malagasische Frauen, die Flyer zur weiblichen genitalen Schistosomiasis hochhalten.
Gebärmutterhals-Screening für die weibliche genitale Schistosomiasis im Rahmen des Projekts FIRM-UP in Marovoay/ Madagaskar   ©BNITM | Pia Rausche

Original publications

Pavoncello, V. et al: Optimizing vaccine uptake in sub-Saharan Africa: a collaborative COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Madagascar using an adaptive approach. Implementation Science vol. 20, 2 (2025). DOI: 10.1186/s13012-024-01412-5

Marchese, V. et al.: Awareness and knowledge regarding female genital schistosomiasis among European healthcare workers: a cross-sectional online survey. Globalization and Health vol. 21, 2 (2025). DOI: 10.1186/s12992-024-01095-z


About the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM)

The Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) is Germany's largest institution for research, care and teaching in the field of tropical diseases and emerging infectious diseases. Current thematic priorities are Lassa and other haemorrhagic fever viruses, malaria, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), immunology, epidemiology and the clinic for tropical diseases, as well as the mechanisms of virus transmission by mosquitoes. The institute has laboratories of the highest biosafety level (BSL4) and an insectary of biosafety level 3 (BSL3) for handling highly pathogenic viruses and infected insects. The BNITM supports the development of (mobile) laboratory capacities in numerous countries of the so-called Global South.

Contact person

PhD Daniela Fusco

Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Phone : +49 40 285380-504

Email : fusco@bnitm.de