EU backs life-saving research: Tackling child diarrhea in low-income countries

Diarrhea is particularly deadly for children under five, with the intestinal parasite Cryptosporidium being the third most important cause.

“The parasite not only causes immediate illness but is also linked to long-term consequences like stunted growth and increased mortality after two months”, says Kurt Hanevik, coordinator of the CryptoT&T project and professor at the Department of Clinical Science, UiB.

The project will determine the cost-effectiveness of diagnosing and treating Cryptosporidium, in Mozambique and Ethiopia.

“Currently, clinics often rely on syndromic treatment, which is based on observed symptoms rather than specific diagnoses”, Hanevik explains.

Syndromic treatment vs targeted diagnosis

Syndromic treatment involves looking for specific signs, such as blood in the stool or fever to decide whether antibiotics are needed or not. However, this can lead to incorrect treatment and contribute to antibiotic resistance.

There is already a relatively simple way to detect Cryptosporidium: A stool sample can be stained and examined, a process that takes about an hour. If the parasite is detected, it can be treated with a drug called nitazoxanide.

“We know from previous studies that this treatment works in immunocompetent children”, says Hanevik.

Aiming to reduce the long-term consequences of the disease

The project will involve health stations and hospitals in two African countries; Ethiopia and Mozambique.

Initially, stool samples from enrolled children will be collected without testing or treating with the drug. Then, over sixteen months the new “test and treat” routine will be gradually introduced in eight clinics in each country.

“We aim to show that this "test and treat" strategy reduces the diarrhea duration and long-term consequences of the disease”, says Hanevik.

Capacity-building project

Most of the training, research activities and analyses will take place in the partner countries:

“The project involves researchers and PhD students from Ethiopia and Mozambique, providing them with valuable experience and training to become better researchers. An important goal is to build the capacity to conduct such studies in participating countries”, the professor explains.

The consortium has been awarded €4.7 million over four years from the EU's EDCTP3 program. Hanevik says that the support from the EU was crucial to start this project:

“Funding is crucial for such ambitious projects. We couldn’t have included 3 000 children without this support”, the researcher emphasizes.