Research
Research is essential in tropical medicine. In virtually all settings, many questions need to be answered to improve knowledge on epidemiology of all locally relevant conditions, including non-communicable diseases, diagnosis and treatment.
Interdisciplinary collaboration is needed, not only among classical tropical diseases, but in the whole field of internal medicine and paediatrics. An example of a novel approach is the concept of precision medicine and precision public health. This includes tailoring medical treatment to the individual patient using genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors.
The Center focuses on research on urgent and neglected needs in resource limited settings; the portfolio is strictly established by questions that come from collaborators in the field and not by an institutional demand to acquire funds; nor is it donor-driven.
The Center concentrates on
- Complex (neglected) Tropical Diseases and Syndromes
- Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL, a complication of visceral leishmaniasis [kala-azar]); while visceral leishmaniasis is recognized as a neglected disease, PKDL is increasingly seen as a neglected entity nested within VL.
- Mycetoma. Mycetoma was not on any list for neglected diseases until 2016 when it was formally added to the WHO list of NTDs; it causes huge suffering and disability and leads to unnecessary amputation of limbs. It can be medically treated but drugs used are either not adequate and not available or affordable.
- Ectopic schistosomiasis – paraplegia, female genital schistosmiasis-new treatment for schistosomiasis in Mass Drug Administration and individual patients.
- Teaching and learning – needs for doctors who want to work in the tropics
- Wound care and burns – focus on care in the tropics; reverse technology
- Intoxications, poisoning and environmental exposure
The RoCTM will endeavour to promote advocacy, access to better treatment and research. We provide easy access to most of our publications.
In addition, old publications still provide a wealth of information and are often forgotten or not appreciated; in the future we will establish a database with scans of older publications on leishmaniasis and other conditions that are not easily retrievable otherwise.
Recent publications
Blog
Ethnicity and Health in Suriname
Ethnicity and health in Suriname
Abstract
Suriname is a New World country that became independent of the Netherlands in 1975. It has a diverse population of around 600,0