As part of the Atoifi Health Research Group activities, Atoifi Adventist Hospital recently signed a new collaboration agreement with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom (LSHTM).

The collaboration started following the successful visit of the Atoifi Health Research Group to the Solomon Islands National Health Research Symposium in 2015. The team met Dr Michael Marks an infectious diseases doctor and research from LSHTM at the meeting and agreed that there were great opportunities in working together!

Dr Marks has been working in the Solomon Islands since 2013 and has run research studies with the Ministry of Health in Choiseul, Honiara, Malaita and Western Province.

The new collaboration will be initially work on two main projects. The first project will look at a new test which can be used to diagnose both yaws and syphilis – you can read more about the project here:
http://www.atoifiresearch.org.sb/node/129

The second project will look at the benefits of treating whole communities for two common skin conditions – yaws and scabies – and whether treatment is better given at the same time or separately.

The projects will help provide Atoifi Adventist Hospital with important information about skin diseases in East Malaita and provide an opportunity for further research capacity strengthening at the Atoifi Health Research Group.

For more information, please email: Mrs Rowena Asugeni rowena.asugni@gmail.com or Dr Michael Marks at michael.marks@lshtm.ac.uk

Photos (L-R): Atoifi Health Research team at 2015 National Health Symposium; Michael Marks and community leader in Western Province.