Tampere University is coordinating a large-scale trial in Mali, West Africa, to determine whether the mass administration of azithromycin antibiotic to asymptomatic children can reduce the high mortality rate of 1-11-month-old babies.
Background
Azithromycin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic often used to treat children and adults who suffer from different infections. In countries where the eye disease trachoma occurs, azithromycin has been administered in mass campaigns to the entire population in order to reduce the disease burden.
In such campaigns, it was shown that infant mortality decreased in areas where azithromycin mass administration was used. LAKANA wants to clarify this connection and another point of interest is the possible antimicrobial resistance, which may result from mass administration of antibiotics.
The coordinating institute is Tampere University. The collaborators in the research project are University College London in the UK, Center for Vaccine Development Mali and a UK-based global health consulting company Tro Da.
Coordinating organisation
Global health group, Tampere University
Contact persons
Per Ashorn
Group Leader, Professor of Paediatrics
per.ashorn [at] tuni.fi (per[dot]ashorn[at]tuni[dot]fi)
+358 40 7280 354