Professor Charles Newton, Department of Psychiatry, and Professor Arjune Sen, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, together with colleagues at University College London and Newcastle University will work with colleagues in Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania, conducting a series of studies designed to help experts better understand the history of epilepsy, investigate why people with epilepsy are so disadvantaged, and then set out to improve the situation.
The project will include:
- Preventing epilepsy in southern Tanzania
- Developing an app to help healthcare workers to better diagnose epilepsy, especially non-convulsive epilepsy, allowing earlier treatment
- Determining if text messaging can increase the number of people who take their medication correctly
- Training primary health care staff in the care of people with epilepsy
- Developing students and other people to lead future projects in epilepsy.
This project could dramatically change the lives of people with epilepsy in sub-Saharan Africa. The results of our research will be shared with international organisations, such as, the International League Against Epilepsy and the World Health Organisation.
Professor Charles Newton, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford.
The NIHR has invested £34 million of funding into global health research projects to tackle epilepsy, infection-related cancers and severe stigmatising skin diseases in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). These three topic areas were selected because they are key areas of unmet need where a relatively small investment can result in a transformative impact.
The NIHR Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation (RIGHT) programme has awarded Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding to eight projects led by teams made up of researchers in the UK and those in LMICs.
NIHR invests £34million into global health research article.