Annual Report 2013

The 2013 Annual Report includes a review of the year, research highlights and activities across the School's three Faculties, and key facts and figures. The financial review provides an overview of the School's finances and activities during 2012-13

A Snap Shot of the Prevalence of Anopheles Merus and its Role in Malaria Transmission in Pemba

Malaria is a serious public health problem in Pemba. It is holoendemic and thus affects mostly children and pregnant women. Following intense vector control activities in recent years, there has been a notable decline in malaria cases, presumably due to reduced populations of An. gambiae s.s. However, it was noted by Wastling (2007) that some areas in Pemba were supporting large populations of An. merus, a vector which the ZMCP recorded as absent in 2005 (ZMCP, 2007). It is probable that changes to vector population previously observed following vector control activities of the 1960’s may be taking place. To ensure the continued effectiveness of the Pemban malaria vector control campaign, it is prudent to determine the relative proportion of An. merus (and other members of An. gambiae s.l.) in Pemba; to document where the larvae and adults are found and consider its potential impact in the transmission of Plasmodium and the implications for clinical malaria in the region. Larvae were sampled from a diverse range of water habitats (41 sites) and ecological features of each larval site were recorded in order to investigate their relationship to species distribution and relative abundance. CDC light traps were used to collect host seeking mosquitoes from households and a goat shed neighbouring suspected An. merus breeding sites. A PCR assay was used to identify the specimens collected. Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) analysis was performed on a total of 216 larvae from 19 populations. 120 larvae were positively assigned to 3 species: An. merus (50%), An. arabiensis (5%) and An. quadrannulatus (1%). Whilst 96 larvae (44%) remained unidentified. Of the 5 mosquitoes collected 2 were identified as An. merus and 3 were unidentified. An. merus dominated in brackish-waters, showing great plasticity in its choice of larval habitat. However its relative abundance decreased at high altitudes. The species composition of the An. gambiae complex appears to be undergoing the same changes as observed during the spraying campaigns of the 1950s and 60s. The occurrence of endophilic members of the An. gambiae complex have reduced significantly whilst the exophilic members; (mostly) An. merus, An. arabiensis and An. quadriannulatus thrive. However the role of this species in malaria transmission cannot be commented upon due to limited sampling results

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar in collaboration with the Department of Kowledge Management and Sharing, WHO, held in Geneva, 26 February 2010. Introduction by Professor Virginia Berridge, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. First published by Queen Mary, University of London, 2012. ©The Trustee of the Wellcome Trust, London, 2012. All volumes are freely available online at www.history.qmul.ac.uk/research/modbiomed/ wellcome_witnesses/Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar in collaboration with the Department of Kowledge Management and Sharing, WHO, held in Geneva, 26 February 2010. Introduction by Professor Virginia Berridge, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineAnnotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar in collaboration with the Department of Kowledge Management and Sharing, WHO, held in Geneva, 26 February 2010. Introduction by Professor Virginia Berridge, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineAnnotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar in collaboration with the Department of Kowledge Management and Sharing, WHO, held in Geneva, 26 February 2010. Introduction by Professor Virginia Berridge, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineAnnotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar in collaboration with the Department of Kowledge Management and Sharing, WHO, held in Geneva, 26 February 2010. Introduction by Professor Virginia Berridge, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineAnnotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar in collaboration with the Department of Kowledge Management and Sharing, WHO, held in Geneva, 26 February 2010. Introduction by Professor Virginia Berridge, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineAnnotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar in collaboration with the Department of Kowledge Management and Sharing, WHO, held in Geneva, 26 February 2010. Introduction by Professor Virginia Berridge, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineThe World Health Organization (WHO)’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is the first global convention on public health. Comprehensive tobacco control had been the subject of 20 resolutions – consensus statements of all the member states – passed by the World Health Assembly beginning in 1970. This was 20 years after Sir Richard Doll and Sir Austin Bradford Hill suggested a link between smoking and cancer. The idea of a legally binding international convention, proposed by the late Dr Ruth Roemer and supported by a report from Dr Judith Mackay, was given priority by the new WHO Director-General Dr Gro Brundtland in 1998 when she elevated tobacco control as one of WHO’s three flagship programmes and created the Tobacco Free Initiative. The idea took wing with the publication of a review of tobacco company strategies to undermine tobacco control activities at WHO, which drew on 13 million documents released by the US courts to the public in 1998. This Witness Seminar, held in Geneva on the fifth anniversary of the WHO FCTC in 2010, heard from key individuals actively involved with the treaty negotiations, held between 2000 and 2003, and which came into force on 27 February 2005.The History of Modern Biomedicine Research Group is funded by the Wellcome Trust, which is a registered charity, no. 210183

Public Health in the 1980s and 1990s: Decline and rise?

Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 12 October 2004. Introduction by Professor Virginia Berridge, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.First published by the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL, 2006.©The Trustee of the Wellcome Trust, London, 2006.All volumes are freely available online at: www.history.qmul.ac.uk/research/modbiomed/wellcome_witnesses/Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 12 October 2004. Introduction by Professor Virginia Berridge, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 12 October 2004. Introduction by Professor Virginia Berridge, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 12 October 2004. Introduction by Professor Virginia Berridge, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 12 October 2004. Introduction by Professor Virginia Berridge, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 12 October 2004. Introduction by Professor Virginia Berridge, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 12 October 2004. Introduction by Professor Virginia Berridge, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.The 1974 reorganization of the National Health Service was largely seen as a disaster for the public health profession. The post of Medical Officer of Health, with its links to local government, was replaced by the community physician, located within health services. The technician-manager rather than the activist role predominated: community medicine doctors carried little weight by comparison with their clinical colleagues. Chaired by Professor Virginia Berridge this Witness Seminar examined the decline and rise of 'public health' both nationally and internationally in the 1980s and 1990s: the impact of the 1988 Acheson Report on public health medicine on a demoralized profession; the role of new ideas about health promotion imported from the international scene; the rise of evidence-based medicine and health services research, and their impact on public health; and the movement for multidisciplinary public health (MDPH) as a new avenue for public health from the 1990s. Participants included Professor Sir Donald Acheson, Professor John Ashton, Professor Nick Black, Professor David Blane, Dr Tim Carter, Sir Iain Chalmers, Dr Aileen Clarke, Dr June Crown, Dr Jeff French, Professor Alan Glynn, Ms Shirley Goodwin, Professor Rod Griffiths, Professor Walter Holland, Professor Klim McPherson, Dr Ornella Moscucci, Dr Geoffrey Rivett, Professor Alwyn Smith and Professor Ann Taket. Berridge V, Christie D A, Tansey E M. (eds) (2006) Public health in the 1980s and 1990s: Decline and rise? Wellcome Witnesses to Twentieth Century Medicine, vol. 26. London: The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL.The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL is funded by the Wellcome Trust, which is a registered charity, no. 210183

The Recent History of Platelets in Thrombosis and Other Disorders

The transcript of a Witness Seminar held by the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL, London, on 25 November 2003. Introduction by Professor Tom Meade, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.First published by the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL, 2005. ©The Trustee of the Wellcome Trust, London, 2005. All volumes freely available following the links to publications and Wellcome Witnesses at www.ucl.ac.uk/histmed.Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 25 November 2003. Introduction by Professor Tom Meade, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 25 November 2003. Introduction by Professor Tom Meade, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 25 November 2003. Introduction by Professor Tom Meade, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 25 November 2003. Introduction by Professor Tom Meade, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 25 November 2003. Introduction by Professor Tom Meade, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 25 November 2003. Introduction by Professor Tom Meade, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.The recent history of research on platelets and its applications in medicine started with the introduction of ex vivo methods for studying platelet behaviour. The Witness Seminar held on 25 November 2003, chaired by Professor Tom Meade, considered the detailed study of platelets starting with the recognition of their role in haemostasis, both in thrombotic and bleeding disorders . Professor Gustav Born described his research and the invention and development of the optical aggregometer that bears his name. Other topics included the biochemistry and function of platelets ; the platelet release reaction and the effect of aspirin on it ; the Nobel Prize-winning discovery by Sir John Vane of how aspirin inhibits the natural production of prostaglandins; and results of randomized controlled trials of aspirin and other thrombolytic drugs for the prevention of thrombotic conditions. An appendix includes a discussion of the streptokinase trials, 1986-96, from the unpublished Witness Seminar meeting on Thrombolysis held on 28 January 2003, chaired by Professor Brian Pentecost. Participants : Dr Y S [Mick] Bakhle, Sir Christopher Booth, Professor Donald Chambers, Professor John Dickinson, Professor Peter Elwood, Professor Rod Flower, Professor Alison Goodall, Professor John Hampton, Professor Michael Harrison, Professor Stan Heptinstall, Dr Peter Hunter, Dr Peter MacCallum, Dr Marty Mahaut-Smith, Professor Salvador Moncada, Professor Michael Oliver, Professor Clive Page, Professor Sir Stanley Peart, Professor Colin Prentice, Professor Peter Richardson, Dr Stewart Sage, and Dr Duncan Thomas; and from Thrombolysis, Dr Hewan Dewar, the late Sir Richard Doll, Professor John Hampton, Dr Arthur Hollman, Professor Desmond Julian, Dr Robin Norris, Professor Tom Quinn, Dr Roger Smith, and Professor Andrew Stevens. Reynolds L A, Tansey E M. (eds) (2005) The Recent history of platelets in thrombosis and other disorders, Wellcome Witnesses to Twentieth Century Medicine, vol. 23. London: The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL.The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL is funded by the Wellcome Trust,which is a registered charity, no. 210183

External quality assurance for HIV point-of-care testing in Africa: A collaborative country-partner approach to strengthen diagnostic services

It is important to consider the role of diagnostics and the critical need for quality diagnostics services in resource-limited settings. Accurate diagnostic tests play a key role in patient management and the prevention and control of most infectious diseases. As countries plan for implementation of HIV early infant diagnosis and viral load point-of-care testing, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine has worked with countries and partners with an interest in external quality assurance to support quality point-of-care testing on the continent. Through a series of collaborative consultations and workshops, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine has gathered lessons learned, tools, and resources and developed quality assurance models that will support point-of-care testing. The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is committed to the continued advancement of laboratory diagnostics in Africa and quality laboratory services and point-of-care testing

LSHTM Data Compass Procedures

LSHTM Data Compass is a digital repository of research data and other digital objects produced by researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and its affiliates. These procedures outlines processes for the management of digital objects that the LSHTM Library & Archives has agreed to curate and preserve for the purpose of making available through LSHTM Data Compass

Evaluation of a service intervention to improve awareness and uptake of bowel cancer screening in ethnically-diverse areas

The Policy Research Unit in Cancer Awareness, Screening and Early Diagnosis receives funding for a research programme from the UK Department of Health Policy Research Programme (grant no. 106/0001). It is a collaboration between researchers from seven institutions (the Queen Mary University of London, the UCL, the King’s College London, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the Hull York Medical School, the Durham University and the Peninsula Medical School)