Supplement for Laos Infectious Disease Building. (360G-Wellcome-077166_Z_05_D)

The research conducted by the Thailand-based clinical research programme has changed the treatment of both severe and uncomplicated malaria, and melioidosis. The central aim of this proposal is to develop and evaluate effective and practical means of diagnosing, treating, and, if possible, preventing the main tropical diseases responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in rural areas of Southern and Eastern Asia. These are malaria (P. falciparum, P. vivax, and severe infections), melioidosis, leptospirosis, cryptococcal meningitis, pneumococcal disease in infancy, enteric fever, rickettsial diseases, infantile beriberi, and the burgeoning problem of counterfeit anti-infective drugs. Integrated epidemiology, field based studies of pathophysiology and pharmacology, diagnostics, clinical trials, laboratory research, and innovative approaches to analysis will be combined. This will also provide a platform for regional capacity building and training. We are confident we can achieve our main objective of providing achievable and measurable methods of improving the health outcomes of these major diseases within the five year programme.