Jan 30^th - 31^st  2024, Ifakara Health Institute's research scientists, Dr. Getrud Mollel and Prof. Maja Weisser, participated in the Severe Neonatal Infection Adaptive Platform Trials in Africa (SNIP-AFRICA)’s General Assembly in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

According to a press release from the Penta Foundation, “SNIP-AFRICA formally commenced its activities with an in-person meeting” during this gathering. 

Funded by the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP), SNIP-AFRICA is a major research partnership combating antimicrobial resistance in children, a major threat to public health, virtually soft-launched in July 2023.

Led by Penta - Child Health Research; a partnership between Europe and Africa it aims to conduct innovative research to address the urgent challenge of childhood infections, such as pneumonia and neonatal sepsis, affecting children in Africa.

Prof. Weisser, the project's Principal Investigator for the Ifakara’s Epidemiology work package says, “Neonatal sepsis is a major killer in young lives and antimicrobial resistance adds to this. The SNIP AFRICA is a large consortium of researchers from Africa and around the globe. It will use newest trial designs to increase knowledge on the complex questions around best management in these children - and with this, work towards reduced neonatal mortality.” 

Expressing enthusiasm about being part of this international consortium, Prof. Weisser anticipates contributing significantly from the Ifakara site, in collaboration with St. Francis Referral Hospital, to the success of the various work packages.

About SNIP-AFRICA

Ten project partners from European and African countries – including the Ifakara Health Institute, will implement the project through a consortium comprising institutions with extensive experience in neonatology and in designing and conducting randomized controlled trials in Africa, including adaptive trials.

Ifakara has partnered for several work packages aiming at the improvement of diagnosis and management of sepsis in neonates in collaboration with the St. Francis Referral Hospital in Ifakara led by Ifakara research scientists Dr. Honorati Masanja, Dr. Getrud Mollel and Prof. Weisser. 

As part of the project, the trial plans to enroll 1,200 neonates in six neonatal intensive care units in Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Tanzania. The first patients are expected to be enrolled in June 2025.