A group of collaborators led by the University have been awarded a British Council Newton Fund Institutional Links Grant to support ground-breaking research towards reducing the burden of infectious disease in Malaysia.
The award of over £120,000 will help the researchers to examine more closely the role of weather and industrial pollution in the prevalence of disease-causing bacteria with a view to the introduction of appropriate vaccines and better antibiotic prescribing whilst building local capacity in public health.
Through the Newton Fund, part of the UK’s official development assistance programme, Britain is using its strength in research and innovation to promote economic development and social welfare of partner countries.
The Southampton team comprises investigators from the Faculty of Medicine (Academic Unit of Clinical and Experimental Sciences and Academic Unit of Primary Care and Population Sciences).
Dr Stuart Clarke, Associate Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the University and the project’s Chief Investigator and Co-ordinator says:
“We’re pleased to receive this grant from the British Council which we hope will help us make a positive impact on the lives of the Malaysian population. Further impact will take place as we broaden our partnerships through the Malaysia Campus.
Direct population health benefit will arise through the introduction of vaccines to the NIP [National Immunisation Programme] and to improvements in laboratory capacity, disease diagnosis, and disease surveillance in the country.”