The „African-German Scientific Exchange in the Field of Public Health”(interner Link) included research questions concerning digital technologies; infectiology; non-communicable diseases and public health; and One Health. 

22 teams with researchers from 17 African countries and Germany received funding. 

Baseline investigations on the ecology and epidemiology of arboviruses in Zambia

Applicant: Eric Agboli Ph.D., Dr. Hanna Jöst (Bernhard-Nocht-Institut für Tropenmedizin (BNITM))

Cooperation partner: Dr. Caroline Cleopatra Chisenga (Centre for Infectious Disease Research Zambia (CIDRZ))

Country: Zambia

Summary: This is a project to initiate an international collaboration between the Centre for Infectious Disease Research (CIDRZ) in Zambia and the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) in Germany. The title of the topic to be explored within the international collaboration is ‘Baseline investigations on the ecology and epidemiology of arboviruses in Zambia’. The recent decades' emergence and re-emergence of arboviruses constitute a public health threat to global and regional health security. Zambia, a southern African country, has not reported any arboviral epidemics; however, there is evidence of widespread arboviral vectors and breeding sites for mosquitoes that transmit malaria and mosquito-borne infections. There is a need to conduct robust entomological surveillance in the country for an improved understanding of the epidemiology and ecology of these viruses, also the identification of hotspot areas will ultimately provide guidance for policy on where to channel prevention and/or control measures. The main goal of this collaboration is to establish a research network in the area of arboviruses between these two research institutes (CIDRZ and BNITM). The network will be achieved through workshops and training to build capacity.

Partnership to improve food safety in Nigeria: Mitigation of AMR and zoonotic pathogens along the food value chain – FLINIGERIA-FOOD

Applicant: Dr. Valerie Allendorf, Dr. Klaas Dietze, Dr. Sylvia Dreyer, Dr. Anja Globig (Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI))

Cooperation partner: Prof. Obadina Adewale Olusegun (Federal University of Agriculture), David Ehizibolo Ph.D., Prof. Clement Meseko (National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI))

Country: Nigeria

Summary: Zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are of increasing concern to public health by significantly affecting the health and livelihoods of people, with direct consequences for national economic development particularly in developing countries. Due to the species-crossing ability of zoonotic pathogens (including resistant ones), an effective control of these threats can only be successful when applying a One Health approach. Although the awareness and readiness to work interdisciplinary and intersectoral to manage such problems is increasing, the implementation is frequently hindered due to lack of resources to better integrate ideas and actions, especially in African countries like Nigeria. A joint systematic approach to collect data using standardized protocols, which could support the establishment of a One Health surveillance system is currently lacking. The food value chain connects all relevant sectors such as animal health, human health and environmental health but is currently often neglected as entry point for system level interventions. Therefore, we propose a proper intersectoral investigation along the whole food value chain as true One Health challenge and aim to provide valid data for effective management measures for curbing AMR as well as controlling zoonotic pathogens.

The proposed collaborative project ‘Partnership to improve food safety in Nigeria: mitigation of AMR and zoonotic pathogens along the food value chain –FLINIGERIA-FOOD’, intends to harness the expertise and infrastructure available at the collaborating institutes in Germany and Nigeria under the One Health umbrella. In a first step, the consortium aims to conduct a survey to identify the current status on One Health implementation with focus on the food chain level. Secondly, the consortium will identify and design project-based approaches along the selected food value chains in Nigeria to address identified gaps. This step will be achieved through methodological training sessions at German institutes and the organisation of value chain stakeholder workshops in Nigeria.

Within the 12 months duration, this initiation project aims to establish a network of all sectors and stakeholders involved, and to jointly develop a toolbox of methods and protocols of potential use for pathogen surveillance along the food chain in the long term.

Responsibility and Impact of Multinational Food Corporations on Public Health Nutrition in Ghana

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Tina Bartelmeß (Universität Bayreuth)

Cooperation partner: Eric Nyarko Ph.D. (University of Ghana), Faith Onyangore Ph.D. (University of Kabianga)

Country: Ghana, Kenya

Summary: The project aims to create a first systematic overview of possible impact areas of multinational food corporations on Public Health Nutrition in Ghana by analysing public documents on corporate social responsibility of different corporations (producing and processing corporations, food retailers/supermarkets and fast food restaurant chains) and, if necessary, by conducting qualitative interviews with corporate representatives and public health actors in Ghana. In a joint exploratory workshop with other researchers, possibilities for impact assessment and evaluation will be discussed and a research design for a follow-up proposal will be developed.

Busitema University – University of Bonn Collaboration Research on Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, Clinical Spectrum and Outcomes of COVID-19 and HIV Co-Infections Across Continents (BU-UB REACH)

Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Christoph Boesecke, Dr. Kathrin van Bremen, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Rockstroh (Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn), Dr. Stefan Schlabe (Universitätsklinikum Bonn)

Cooperation partner: Privatdozent Denis Bwayo Ph.D., Jacob Stanley Iramiot Ph.D, Prof. Peter Olupot-Olupot, Prof. Maxwell Otim Onapa (Busitema University)

Country: Uganda

Summary: The Collaboration project shall initiate a bilateral collaboration between Busitema University and University of Bonn to perform prospective research on epidemiology, clinical characteristics and course and outcome von COVID19 in people living with HIV (PLWH). PLWH bear a higher risk of of severe course of COVID19. A low CD4 cell count was identified as risk factor, but beyond that several risk factors were identified which are the same in HIV-negative patients (age, obesity, hypertonia, diabetes, chronic illnesses).

We have the hypothesis that clinical course and outcome vary across different geographical and socioeconomic settings. In this project demographic, clinical and laboratory data shall be collected to eluciate factors leading to differing clinical course. In this project 500 patients (Busitema, Uganda) and 150-200 patients (Bonn, Germany), respectively, shall be included and followed-up for 36 months. This study shall be performed in a definite DFG project, which shall be prepared during the second phase of the DFG call (duration 12 months). The collaboration partners schedule two exploratory bilateral workshops and regular virtual meetings. The funding shall enable these exploratory workshops. In the further perspective, this collaboration project will include capacity building in both settings and enable a network for epidemiological and immunological research at two setting. This will contribute to pandemic preparedness and research.

Arbo-Detect - Integration of comprehensive Arbovirus surveillance into the infection disease surveillance system in Zambia

Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Peter Dambach (Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Dr. Claudia Denkinger (Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg), Prof. Dr. Michael Knop (Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg), Dr. Caroline Cleopatra Chisenga (Centre for Infectious Disease Research Zambia (CIDRZ)), Christopher Simoonga Ph.D.

Country: Zambia

Summary: The initiation project aims to establish a collaboration between Heidelberg University (Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Center for Molecular Biology, Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine), the Center for Infectious Disease Research Zambia, CHRESO Ministries in Zambia, the Centre for Molecular Biology Heidelberg, and the Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine of Heidelberg University Hospital, in order to develop a joint research project for the integration of arbovirus surveillance in the existing infectious disease surveillance system in Zambia. The research project itself aims to i) map the spread of arboviruses and the related burden of disease within Zambia and ii) to provide respective diagnostic tools to extend the existing infectious disease surveillance. 

We therefore will work on the establishment/modification/development of a rapid diagnostic test (point of care testing) for primary care settings, particularly in endemic and rural areas. The envisaged rapid diagnostic test will be used to screen symptomatic people and help to distinguish from Malaria infections and, if possible, also between arboviral diseases. As a confirmation test for those tested positive, we plan to develop a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)-based diagnostic tool (mobile LAMP station available in Zambia). It is further planned to develop and utilise an application on cell phones for symptom screening. Reporting and data structures will also be implemented. Additionally, we plan to map the disease burden (extended serological studies), mosquito coverage and their viral load.

CO-VEC - Implementation Research for Community-based Vector Control for Priority Infectious Diseases

Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Peter Dambach (Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg)

Cooperation partner: Dr. Francis Ateba Ndongo (University of Garoua), Dr. Chinwe Catherine Eze (Federal University of Technology Owerri), Adama Gansane Ph.D. (Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme (CNRFP)), Luna Kamau Ph.D. (Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)), Eric Nyarko Ph.D. (University of Ghana)

Country: Cameroon, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Ghana

Summary: The main aim of this exploratory workshop is to come up with an intervention research study design that focuses on community engagement for control of several vector borne diseases. The workshop will bring together experts from five different countries in Cameroon to plan and come up with a research study design. This workshop creates a consortium of partners with interdisciplinary expertise to create a research framework for implementation science projects targeting community-based vector-borne disease management. In future, this consortium can also provide cross-cutting opportunities for training and professional development between participating institutions, including South-South exchanges between African consortium partners. 

The four-day workshop is divided into two parts, two days will be focusing on planning and developing a research study design and two days will be for visiting the communities, observing the existing malaria control project site and talking to the community representatives to get their opinions on opportunities, challenges and barriers for sustainable implementation of community-based vector control interventions. Dialogue with the community members and leaders will allow us to look at opportunities for innovative ways to engage community in vector control that can be financially viable and long – lasting. The location that we have chosen for the workshop is Guider district in North Cameroon. We have set this location since there are already commitments from future project partners in Cameroon, such as the University of Garoua, the Ministry of Public Health, traditional community leaders and the nationwide operating Chantal Biya Foundation.

AMR One Health Kenya supported by Germany: AMROH-KG

Applicant: Dr. Sylvia Dreyer, Dr. Timo Homeier-Bachmann, Prof. Sascha Knauf Ph.D. (Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI))

Cooperation partner: Prof. Philip Bejon Ph.D., Ednah Ooko Ph.D. (KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme), Dr. Dishon Muloi (International Livestock Research Institute)

Country: Kenya

Summary: Rising levels of bacterial infections resistant to last-resort antimicrobial agents represents a growing threat to global health. Resistance complicates the treatment of infections and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Since many bacterial species readily cross species barriers and can easily exchange genetic material, the effective control of those pathogens needs an approach which joins forces from human, animal and environmental sector (One Health). The antibiotic resistance landscape in Kenya, for both healthcare and livestock production, is shaped by levels of drug use and misuse. The need for evidence-based policy and implementation of One Health-related approaches to fight antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in East-Africa is great. Several studies highlight the levels of resistance against critically important antibiotics both, in humans and animals in Kenya. In general, national and regular surveillance is a core activity of health systems to inform on the distribution of a certain pathogen or disease within the respective country. Yet, there are a number of challenges to antibacterial resistance surveillance across low and middle-income countries. While there is a national surveillance system in Kenya, it is neither integrated nor do systematic studies take place which limits the availability of AMR data. The lack of systematic surveillance allows the clandestine spread of AMR to continue which has now reached the political arena and is to be stopped by the implementation of the NATIONAL ACTION PLAN ON PREVENTION AND CONTAINMENT OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE, where intersectoral surveillance and capacity building of health professionals and laboratories are key components acutely needed to provide more understanding of the broader epidemiology of AMR to underpin its control.

To strengthen the link between Germany and Kenya, the proposed collaborative project ‘AMR One Health Kenya supported by Germany: AMROH-KG’, intends to harness the expertise and infrastructure available at the collaborating institutes in Germany and Kenya under the One Health umbrella to fight AMR. In a first step, the consortium aims to conduct a survey to identify the current status on One Health implementation in AMR. Secondly, the consortium will identify and design project-based approaches in Kenya to address identified knowledge/ capacity. This step will be achieved through methodological training sessions and the organization of value stakeholder workshops in both countries. Within the 12 months duration, this initiation project aims to establish a strong network of all sectors and stakeholders involved to jointly develop project ideas on One Health AMR research in the long term.

Low-cost image-based screening tool for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Egger (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tinashe Mutsvangwa Ph.D. (University of Cape Town)

Country: South Africa

Summary: Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a preventable condition caused by maternal intake of alcohol during pregnancy. South Africa is suspected to have the highest prevalence, globally, of the disorder. However, efforts to ascertain this have been stymied by the lack of trained professionals required for large scale screening and diagnosis of the condition. The FAS facial phenotype is an important discriminating component for diagnosis along with the presence of central nervous system impairments and evidence of growth abnormalities. The current state of the art in analyzing the facial phenotype relies on three-dimensional (3D) facial image data of subjects obtained from surface scanning devices. However, acquiring such data is prohibitively expensive in resource-limited settings given the expensive cost of 3D imaging tools. Furthermore, such devices require trained personnel in order to operate them. Typically, they too are in short supply in the same settings. Two-dimensional (2D) images of the face, on the other hand, are easy to acquire and the combination of increased use of mobile devices in Africa, and lack of access to healthcare on the continent, provides an opportunity for the implementation of smartphone based mobile health tools for aiding the diagnosis or early detection of FAS. However, 2D face analysis is unreliable and as previously mentioned robust methods for facial shape analysis, including those applicable to FAS, depend on accurate 3D measurements of the facial features. The gap between 2D imaging, which is accessible to all, and the sophisticated 3D image data required for accurate automated diagnosis of FAS, needs to be bridged.

The field of 3D reconstruction of faces from 2D images has grown over the past decades and now the accuracy of reconstructions enables downstream applications. A recent benchmark, the NoW challenge, enables evaluation of 3D reconstruction methods. The state of the art methods are now able to attain a reconstruction accuracy of close to 1 mm even in the presence of pose variation and occlusions. The key technology involved is 3D statistical modeling, namely 3D Morphable Models for faces that are based on prior knowledge of face shape and appearance. Reconstruction techniques based on these models promise to enable 3D analysis based on 2D images without the need for specialized imaging equipment.

To this end, our collaboration will focus on leveraging our extensive competences in state-of-the-art computer vision and machine learning to

- reconstruct 3D face scans of subjects from 2D smartphone images of their face
- quantitatively analyze the facial features with respect to the constellation of FAS facial features
- leverage state-of-the art machine learning algorithms to automatically diagnose FAS

Global Brain Health: Develop and adapt digital technologies to reduce neurological disease burden in resource-restricted settings

Applicant: Dr. Julius Emmrich, Dr. Samuel Knauss (Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin)

Cooperation partner: Privatdozent Dr.-Ing. Jibril Ibrahim Moussa Handuleh (University Amoud), Prof. Dr. Alain D. Tehindrazanarivelo (Université d'Antananarivo)

Country: Somalia, Madagascar

Summary: Digital technologies can help resource-poor communities prevent, detect, and manage neurological diseases including stroke. Stroke is the leading cause of permanent disability and accounts for 6 million deaths annually; ~70% of these occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The clinical and economic benefits of community stroke prevention, stroke units, and post-stroke rehabilitation are overwhelming. But there are only very few such interventions in LMICs, which raises the question whether such care is relevant and applicable to low-resource settings. Within less than a generation, digital technologies have become omnipresent in LMICs and are increasingly used to support health systems to become more equitable, efficient, transparent, and accountable. However, the feasibility, acceptability, perception, and perceived usefulness of digital tools to improve prevention, care, and rehabilitation of neurological diseases including stroke in a resource-restricted context has not been assessed.

In this international collaboration we will investigate the feasibility, acceptability, perception, and utility of digital interventions to improve prevention, care, and rehabilitation of neurological diseases, particularly stroke, in Somalia and Madagascar. In the initial phase we will foster trans- and interdisciplinary collaborations in global brain health and global digital health among partners in Germany, Madagascar and Somaliland building new and strengthening existing north-south, south-south and south-north collaboration.

Scientific Aims:

• Aim 1: “Learn”: Determine population and health provider knowledge, attitude, and practices around digital technologies, stroke prevention, care, and rehabilitation as well as collect data on epidemiology, management, and care of stroke risk factors in Somaliland and Madagascar using case studies.
• Aim 2: “Catalyze”: Synthesize evidence on existing digital technologies for stroke in a joint learning process focusing on barriers and facilitators for their effective and sustainable implementation in low-resource contexts.
• Aim 3: “Design”: Ideate, co-create, and prototype digital interventions that can support community stroke prevention (e.g., through social media), stroke care (e.g., through telemedicine, health worker empowerment, clinical decision support), or post-stroke rehabilitation (e.g., through wearables, digital therapeutics).
• Aim 4: “Communicate”: Develop and implement a knowledge exchange toolkit including concepts for effective knowledge sharing, concrete use case scenarios, and a checklist to identify knowledge exchange opportunities.

Expected results:
We expect our results to guide future digital health interventions and policies related to neurological care in Somaliland, Madagascar, and similar low-resource contexts. The proposed project will contribute to reaching Sustainable Development Goals 1 (no poverty) and 3 (good health and well-being) through research.

Detection of tick-borne bacterial and viral pathogens in ticks, livestock and wildlife in Benin: a chance to establish One Health concepts in veterinary and human medicine.

Applicant: Dr. Kerstin Fischer, Dr. Katja Mertens-Scholz (Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI))

Cooperation partner: Prof. Roland Eric Yessinou Ph.D. (University of Abomey-Calavi)

Country: Benin

Summary: Tick-borne diseases (TBD) significantly affect livestock production as well as human health, especially in the tropics and sub-tropics. Ticks are major vectors of pathogenic viruses, bacteria and parasites. Global warming and ongoing globalization are contributing to an increasing spread of ticks and the diseases transmitted by these vectors. A better understanding of potential reservoirs and transmission cycles is essential to develop countermeasures.

Arthropod-borne viruses such as orthonairoviruses, of which the best known is Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, can cause a wide range of diseases from subclinical infections to severe manifestations. Some orthonairoviruses are known to involve livestock species for virus maintenance in nature and/or are considered zoonotic and pathogenic for humans partially leading to severe courses of disease. However, the occurrence and distribution of these viruses, which depend heavily on vector presence, are often unknown or only poorly studied. Bacterial tick-borne pathogens such as Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia sp. and Anaplasma sp. were detected and reported in ticks collected from wild and domestic animals but very little information exists on these pathogens in Africa. Tick-transmitted rickettsial pathogens can infect animals, producing clinical abnormalities. C. burnetii is a zoonotic pathogen important for human and veterinary public health.

TBD are often unknown to public health workers in African countries, causing erroneous diagnoses and wrong treatments. In Benin, TBD are underestimated, due to the lack of epidemiological information. Assessment of the presence of TBD in association with wildlife and livestock will provide information on possible reservoirs and transmission cycles. This project supports the scientific exchange between African and German researchers to develop countermeasures (vector control, vaccination programmes) and strategies (education, awareness) within the framework of "One Health".

NCD policy transfer and implementation in South Africa (NCD-PTISA)

Applicant: Connie Hoe Ph.D., Shannon McMahon Ph.D. (Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Till Bärnighausen Ph.D. (Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg), Prof. Uta Lehmann, Bey-Marrie Schmidt Ph.D. (School of Public Health and Family Medicine)

Country: South Africa

Summary: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) constitute a main health and development challenge of the 21st century, resulting in over 70% of global deaths each year and threatening progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While cost-effective, evidence-based interventions have been developed and recommendations for best practices are included in the World Health Organization Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs, many of these interventions have not been fully adopted and/or implemented, including in South Africa; although NCDs are responsible for 51% of all deaths in the country. What explains this trajectory?

Unfortunately, few studies have explored the factors that influence the process from policy transfer to national-level implementation in its entirety. To our knowledge, no such studies have been undertaken in the area of NCDs in South Africa. This is of critical importance because the public health benefits of these cost-effective, evidence-based interventions cannot be realized without policy adoption and effective implementation. Further, this is aligned with the South African National Strategic Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases 2020-2025. In light of existing gaps, Drs. Connie Hoe and Shannon McMahon (Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Heidelberg University), and Dr. Bey Schmidt and Professor Uta Lehmann (University of Western Cape (UWC)) initiate the enclosed collaboration, which aims to build a strong network of relevant NCD policy transfer and implementation stakeholders in South Africa and globally; and identify priority research questions for a future grant application. The primary objectives of this initiation phase are to: 1) cultivate strong linkages between researchers at Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, the School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape; and the Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, University of Cape Town; 2) establish linkages with global and national stakeholders involved in NCD policy transfer and implementation; and 3) develop a joint full research proposal.

Analysis Of Received Therapy And Management Of Neonates (AORTAMON)

Applicant: Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Jansen (Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen)

Cooperation partner: David Mukunya Ph.D. (Busitema University)

Country: Uganda

Summary: During the millennium development goal period (1990-2015), the death of children under five years reduced from 12 million to 6 million in total. This decline resulted from targeted interventions, political commitment and economic development. However, the reduction in deaths was not equitably distributed across all age groups and geographical locations. As a result, over 40% (2.6 million) of deaths in children less than five years occur in the newborn period. One of the preventable causes of death and disability in neonates in low-income countries is birth asphyxia. 

In Sub-Saharan Africa, birth asphyxia accounts for 24% of all neonatal deaths and it is associated with significant disabling morbidities among survivors. Within two workshops, existing requirements in neonatal care will be identified and analyzed. With the help of different semi-structured interviews as well as the exchange of the participating experts, possible solutions for identified challenges will be designed. Especially for the already identified problem of asphyxia, the solution approach of prediction by cerebral oximetry will be analyzed. This analysis is part of the two workshops. As a result, both a URS and a DRS for cerebral oximetry will be developed. In processing the identified challenges and within the developing steps, particular attention is paid to the production and further development on site. Furthermore, the focus is on long-term cooperation and mutual knowledge transfer. In addition, a possible study design and a funding proposal will be developed. In addition to the development of sensors, strategies for calibration, in-vitro testing and maintenance are identified. The identified challenges in addition to the treatment of asphyxia serve as the basis for long-term cooperation. Based on these, further joint projects are to be developed beyond the workshop.

Cervical Cancer Prevention in Ghana - A German-Ghanaian Collaboration

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Stefanie Klug (Technische Universität München)

Cooperation partner: Dr. Joseph Akuamoah (University of Cape Coast), Dr. Emmanuel Dodor, Dr. Nana Esi Gaisie (Ghana Health Service), Dr. Sebastian Ken-Amoah (University of Cape Coast)

Country: Ghana

Summary: Cervical cancer carries a high burden of disease worldwide, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa that can be ultimately prevented through primary and secondary measures such as Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and screening. Additionally, follow-up and treatment of screen-positive women are predicted to significantly reduce mortality. Currently, the healthcare system in Ghana does not provide universal access of women to screening services, nor are healthcare workers at the primary community level adequately equipped or trained to provide comprehensive screening and treatment.

The idea behind this collaboration between German and Ghanaian partners is to explore ways to educate and train Ghanaian healthcare workers within primary healthcare service levels using innovative strategies including the use of mobile health (mHealth) such as digital colposcopy to screen and monitor disease. Research in this aspect is sparse in Ghana and due to resource constraints, particular attention must be made for context-appropriate interventions to be accepted and to take place. We aim to initiate this collaboration and develop a research project together over the next twelve months.

The long-term goal of the resulting research project is to increase knowledge and screening services by healthcare workers as well as increase the awareness, knowledge and uptake of screening and treatment services. This collaboration is important to initiate as the coapplicants from Ghana aim to conduct an innovative cervical cancer prevention research project and collaborate with German partners. The applicant from Germany requires local context-specific knowledge and understanding of the capacities available and apply innovative strategies from a different context.

To initiate the collaboration, the applicants are planning several events between March 2022 and March 2023 to realise a joint research proposal for DFG funding. German delegates will attend a workshop in October 2022 hosted by the coapplicants in Ghana, where needs and research methods will be explored and a joint research proposal will be developed together with key stakeholders. The workshop will be directly followed by site visits to local healthcare facilities in Ghana. A reciprocal guest visit by the Ghanaian coapplicants to Munich, Germany is planned in March 2023. During this visit, further discussions regarding the joint research project will be conducted and delegates will also visit various sites relating to cervical cancer screening and treatment. An additional the goal of this collaboration is to establish a long-standing exchange of teaching and study opportunities between the applicants and their respective affiliation institutes.

Comparative analysis of determining factors of child development, health and disease in developing and modern world settings

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Antje Körner (Universitätsklinikum Leipzig AöR)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Robert Ojiambo Ph.D. (University of Global Health Equity (UGHE))

Country: Rwanda

Summary: The aim of the cooperation is to plan and initiate a cohort study (prospective, longitudinal, CHAD = Child Health and Development study) in Rwanda. Due to the still very different living conditions with relatively small geographical distances, but a rapidly developing economy and a young population structure together with a well-developed local social health system, Rwanda offers excellent conditions for conducting a cohort study looking at the impact of environmental, social, health and nutritional status on children's developmental outcomes. In addition, aspects in the fields of rare diseases, immunology, infectious diseases, metabolism, psychosocial development, community medicine and public health will be investigated.

The cooperation between Rwanda and Leipzig is planned for a total of five years plus a follow-up. This period includes the first 6 months as initiation phase (phase 1), a consolidation phase (phase 2) of 1.5 years and the subsequent study phase (phase 3). The requested funds are intended for the implementation of a workshop in Leipzig as well as for the financing of an on-side training in the initiation phase and for another workshop in Rwanda within the first 6 months of the consolidation phase. As a result of the funding in the first year, we aim to lay the groundwork for the CHAD study, prepare a first draft of a comprehensive study programme that includes various medical, psychological and socio-demographic examinations as well as the collection of biological samples, and work out all logistical, administrative and ethical requirements.

Integrated Tricycle for Antimicrobial Resistance (IT-AMR)

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Lothar Kreienbrock (Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover)

Cooperation partner: Buregyeya, Esther (Makerere University), Prof. Dr. John Bwalya Muma (University of Zambia)

Country: Uganda, Zambia

Summary: Antibiotic resistance is recognized as a global health problem. Antibiotic resistant bacteria are found in humans, animals and the environment, so this should be considered together as part of a One Health approach. The WHO has therefore developed a so-called tricycle protocol to generate data on all areas. However, this information is not recorded simultaneously, so that the direct transfer of resistance cannot be examined directly.

The cooperation proposed serves to develop a protocol that enables joint data acquisition. To this end, experts from the participating countries from the fields of epidemiology and microbiology as well as from the application fields of humans, animals and the environment must be involved in an integrated manner.

Community-based spatial epidemiology of snakebite envenoming and health policy improvement through science, education, and public awareness: a One Health approach in the Albertine Rift, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Applicant: Dr. Ulrich Kuch (Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Dr. David Groneberg (Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main), Esto Bahizire Ph.D. (Université Catholique de Bukavu), Prof. Chifundera Kusamba Ph.D. (Centre Antivenimeux (CAV))

Country: DRC

Summary: Snake bite envenoming is one of the most neglected and underreported diseases of poverty worldwide. It is a serious threat to public health especially for rural communities in the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and has recently been recognized as a neglected tropical disease of the highest priority by the WHO which estimates that 4.5–5.4 million people a year are bitten by snakes, with 1.8–2.7 million developing clinical illness, resulting in 81,000–138,000 deaths and more than 300,000 cases of permanent physical disability, and psychological trauma, all of which greatly affect the lives and livelihoods of the victims and their families. Specific treatment for snakebite envenoming (the administration of antivenom made of purified antibodies from immunized animals) is unavailable to most patients who need it, and crucial knowledge of snakebite epidemiology, the molecular and species diversity of snakes, and (geographical) variability of snake venom composition lacking. In Africa there are about 500,000 snakebite cases annually that need medical treatment. 

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Africa’s second largest country, antivenom treatment for snakebite is only available in the capital Kinshasa. However, snakebite envenoming in the DRC typically affects farmers in poor rural communities, and the highest burden occurs in regions where health systems are weakest and medical resources sparse. Snakebite affects both humans and livestock, and because snakes as predators of rodents and bats play at the same time an important role in controlling rodent- and bat-borne diseases and preventing food insecurity caused by rodent pests, it is necessary to address these complex systems affecting public health in a holistic way. Just like any public health policy and intervention, this requires a solid basis of epidemiological evidence. In this project, we propose to use an integrative, interdisciplinary approach to generate this evidence for a particularly vulnerable and evidence-deficient region of Africa, the Albertine Rift sub-region in the DRC. Our project will capitalize on existing strengths and infrastructure of our partner institutions to obtain results that are representative for the study region, creating a methodological toolkit and capacity that will be applicable in the entire country and beyond. Our team includes experts in public health, human medicine, veterinary medicine, infectious (including vector-borne and zoonotic) and non-communicable diseases, agriculture and forestry, social and political sciences, toxicology, and zoology. Integrated in a strong One Health framework, this will allow us to better understand the magnitude of the problems caused by snakebite envenoming in the Albertine Rift, the causes underlying the present failure of health systems to provide access to treatment, and to introduce evidence-based perspectives for sustainable improvements.

Linking healthcare options in plural health systems: exploring and testing the use of digital health for inclusive, equitable care in Sierra Leone

Applicant: Dr. Hanna Luetke Lanfer (Universität Bielefeld), Prof. Dr. Constanze Rossmann (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München)

Cooperation partner: Elizabeth Anderson (World Hope International), Dr. Nicola Brew-Sam (Australian National University), Abu Conteh (Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (SLURC))

Country: Sierra Leone, Australia 

Summary: A nine-months collaboration will be formed between two German, two Sierra Leonean and one Australian partner. During the collaborative period, various online meetings and an exploratory workshop in Sierra Leone will be held with the objective to specify a research idea and design a joint research project with the working title “Linking healthcare options in pluralistic health systems: exploring and testing the use of digital health for inclusive, equitable care in Sierra Leone”. The rationale behind the research idea is a) the existence of multiple informal, traditional and biomedical healthcare providers in many Sub-Sharan African countries like Sierra Leone; b) a lack of understanding how patients navigate these complex systems and how and to which extent different healthcare providers are linked to each other; and c) how digital health interventions can be used to connect patients, caregivers and formal and informal healthcare providers in these settings for prevention and health promotion, referrals, healthcare access and treatment. This collaboration is composed of partners with different yet overlapping sets of expertise, research strengths and networks to make this collaboration a success.

Surveillance of molecular markers for antimalarial drug resistance in the South Kivu region, DR Congo

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Frank Mockenhaupt (Charité Universitätsklinikum)

Cooperation partner: Esto Bahizire Ph.D., Dr. Espoir Bwenge Malembaka (Université Catholique de Bukavu)

Country: DRC

Summary: The recent emergence of malaria parasites resistant to the mainstay antimalarial drug artemisinin in East Africa is a major concern of public health. Currently, the only locations in Africa were such resistant malaria parasites have been reported are Rwanda and Uganda, but the full extent of dissemination in the region is yet to be evaluated. Our target project aims to intensify and speed up surveillance of antimalarial drug resistance in the South Kivu region, DRC. This region’s geographic proximity to Rwanda and high human mobility across the DRC-Rwandan border makes it a crucial location to install sentinel sites and carry out decentralized surveillance. By bilaterally exchanging our experience in this field, we aim to develop the Catholic University of Bukavu laboratories into a central hub in East Africa for molecular surveillance of antimalarial drug resistance, which is projected to be extended to molecular surveillance of other pathogens too. 

Specific objectives of the target project are to collect samples from malaria patients and malaria mosquitos at strategic locations in the South Kivu region and assess the presence of molecular markers of resistance. This presents us with a situational assessment, but also provides data for projections of further dissemination of resistant malaria parasites in Sub-Saharan Africa. Objectives of this initiation of collaboration are to explore laboratory capacities for the surveillance activities at the Catholic University of Bukavu, to exchange and acquire project-related skills in molecular biology and epidemiology, to link up with East African biotech facilities that could provide production and sequencing services, and to prepare a proposal for the target project.

One Health based approach for sustainable control of Ascaris spp. infections in humans and pigs

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Georg von Samson-Himmelstjerna (Freie Universität Berlin)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Olaoluwa Akinwale Ph.D. (Nigerian Institute for Medical Research), Dr. Sónia Maria de Santana Afonso (Universidad Eduardo Mondlane)

Country: Nigeria, Mozambique

Summary: Infections with intestinal helminths are among the most common diseases of children and adolescents in the global South. Roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides) infections alone contribute to significant impairment of child development and affect around 800 million people worldwide. Together with other parasitic nematodes, e.g. the hookworms and the whipworm Trichuris trichiura, roundworms belong to the so-called Soil Transmitted Helminths (STHs). Despite regular deworming campaigns, STHs continue to be of outstanding importance and result in a high global burden of disease (3.5 million disability adjusted life years). In particular, adult roundworms, which are about 20 cm long and about the thickness of a pencil, are small intestinal parasites that can cause food competition associated with reduced body growth and delayed cognitive development. In addition, during the development of roundworms in the host, which after oral infection proceeds with migration of larvae through the wall of the small intestine, via the blood to the liver, right heart, lungs, trachea, larynx to the small intestine, further organ damage may occur particularly in liver and lungs. Especially in persons infected in parallel with other pathogens, complications or more severe courses may occur.

A. lumbricoides and the very closely related pig roundworm Ascaris suum are both zoonotic pathogens. Pigs are also particularly susceptible to roundworm infections at a young age. Infections with Ascaris spp. are a classic One Health problem. Due to the high tenacity of roundworm eggs excreted in faeces or stool, they can persist in the environment for long periods of time, i.e. many months, leading to long term contamination of the environment with infectious stages. In view of the lack of vaccines and the often inadequate hygienic conditions in endemic regions, regular and consistent deworming is currently the approach at the forefront of preventive health care.

However, experience of the regular use of anthelmintics in veterinary medicine suggests that this may ultimately lead to the development and spread of anthelmintic-resistant worm populations. As an example, consider the widespread populations of resistant equine roundworms. Of critical importance for initiating measures to prevent or at least delay the development of resistance is to identify emerging inefficacies as early as possible. This is currently not the case in almost all affected regions and should be better possible in the future through the cooperation aimed at here. For this purpose, it is planned to establish an interdisciplinary cooperation of colleagues working on both, basic research-oriented and clinical aspects, from the complementary fields of human and veterinary research.

Health Technology Assessment for digital health interventions/initiatives for public health (Hilltop): Fostering cross-country collaboration and identifying research needs

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Walter Swoboda (Hochschule Neu-Ulm)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Jennifer Chipps Ph.D., Prof. James Kariuki Njenga Ph.D. (University of the Western Cape), Deogratias Mzurikwao Ph.D., Prof. Dr. Felix Sukums (Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences), Prof. Vincent Sezibera Ph.D., Celestin Twizere Ph.D. (University of Rwanda)

Country: South Africa, Tanzania, Rwanda

Summary: Digital Health technologies have seen a drastic increase in recent years. An example of the Hilltop project country Tanzania is the Digital Health Strategy 2019-2024 and other related strategies to fast-track the progress towards achieving universal health coverage and the health-specific Sustainable Development Goals while addressing challenges and opportunities arising from the healthcare digitalization.

While digital health has been seen as a patient-centered technology for a long time, the use of digital health in public health has seen considerable growth given the current trends in the digitalization of public health services. This trend has been fueled using digital health tools to help contain the Covid-19 pandemic. There are many parallel digital health interventions/initiatives, but no proper Health Technology Assessments (HTAs) are being done before, during, and after implementing such digital solutions. Health Technology Assessment (HTA) has become the gold standard for decision-making about the reimbursement of new medications and diagnostics. HTA is not commonly used for public health interventions, and there is no consensus on how to use HTA for public health interventions. HTA should be a critical component of digital health initiatives and used systematically and independently at different health system levels. HTAs will explore technology implementation and behavior change, including user experiences, acceptance, adoption, maturity level assessment, assessment of development, implementation, and adoption of new digital health technologies

The Hilltop project aims to initiate a cross-country collaboration between Tanzania, Rwanda, South Africa, and Germany and interdisciplinary collaboration across Medical Informatics, Nursing, Mental Health, and Information Systems to address these issues. In the first phase (initiation of international collaboration), the projects partners will share experiences and trends from their countries to identify gaps and expected trends. A scientific outcome will be an overview of the state of HTA in the Hilltop project countries and the relation and use of HTA for digital public health interventions. This overview will highlight the gaps in the current use of HTA and will serve as the basis for the joint project application. The resulting collaborative project will be based on the preliminary findings of the collaboration initiation phase and utilize the team's interdisciplinary experience to critically assess the potential of the use of HTA for digital health interventions in public health, based on the experiences in the Hilltop project countries. These results will be used to develop guidelines and recommendations for the use of HTA for digital health interventions in public health. Lastly, the findings will be compared and an assessment of compliance to Global principles such as the Principles of Digital Development, WHO M&E guidelines for mHealth solutions will be done.

Novel Community-based Mobile Health Interventions to Support Motherhood among Vulnerable Adolescents and Young Mothers in Uganda

Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Stefanie Theuring (Charité Universitätsklinikum)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Angella Musiimenta Ph.D., Wilson Tumuhimbise (Mbarara University of Science and Technology), Rebecca Nuwematsiko (Makerere University), Prof. John Rubaihayo Ph.D. (Mountains of the Moon University), 

Country: Uganda

Summary: Teenage pregnancies and deliveries are the leading cause of death among 15-19 year old girls worldwide. They pose significant and long-term health risks not only for the teenage mothers, but also for their children. Seeking appropriate health care is often difficult for this age group in ressource-limited setting like Uganda for a variety of reasons, including the stigmatization or even punishment of teenage pregnancy, lack of resources or lack of knowledge and education among those affected. With the COVID-19 crisis and the closure of schools, Uganda has been facing a new and dramatic epidemic of teenage pregnancies. According to UNFPA estimates, more than 600,000 teenage pregnancies occurred in Uganda between 2020 and 2021, when schools were shut down for long periods.

Against this background, our vibrant and experienced Ugandan-German team would like to jointly develop a research proposal on the implementation and evaluation of a strategy to support adolescents in pregnancy and motherhood through mHealth and community-based mentoring in South-Western Uganda. As a novel approach, we will explore the development of a holistic, client-centred model of care for pregnant girls that incorporates the specific socio-economic and cultural context of adolescent mothers and their children. In doing so, a mobile technology-based multimedia application (MatHealth app) will be further developed in a targeted manner. Embedded in a community-based care approach, this app has the potential to support pregnant teenagers and young mothers by promoting access to healthcare, social support and social empowerment for both the teenage mothers and their children.

The objectives of our initiation phase of this proposed project include organizing a kick-off exploratory workshop in Germany to initiate and explore collaboration opportunities for the proposed project idea; conducting another exploratory workshop in Uganda to locally develop and consolidate a research proposal for our manifested project idea; and the organization of a one-month project-related guest residency for a cooperation partner from Uganda in Berlin, Germany, to refine and finalize the research proposal for funding application, and to participate in a DFG status workshop. The intended end result of this preparatory phase is a ready-to-submit full proposal to raise funds for a multicenter study assessing and evaluating a novel strategy to support teenage pregnancy and adolescent mothers.

Feasibility of a multinational Southern African prospective NCD cohort – international cooperation project

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Hajo Zeeb (Leibniz-Institut für Präventionsforschung und Epidemiologie - BIPS GmbH)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Dr. Albertino Damasceno (Universidade Eduardo Mondlane), Prof. Charles C. Michelo Ph.D. (Baylor Research Institutes), Dr. Fadzai Mutseyekwa (Africa University)

Country: Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Summary: Non-communicable diseases contribute substantially to the disease burden globally, and increasingly so in many African countries, in addition to the ongoing burden due to infectious diseases including the recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Research on specific etiological questions as well as on preventive and health service aspects relevant for NCDs has so far only been conducted to a limited extent in many SSA countries. In particular, epidemiological cohort studies as a core tool of Public Health research remain scarce. The project partners from Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and Germany foresee to initiate an international collaboration to explore opportunities for a multi-country NCD cohort.

The objectives of the current initiation project are to a) strengthen the early collaboration established between the applicant and partner institutions, b) identify current challenges in NCD research in the participating countries c) establish a collaborative research think tank for NCD research to address these challenges, including an online seminar series d) develop a joint study protocol and funding application for multinational NCD cohort research in three SSA countries and e) identify potential stakeholders and funders to be addressed for a full study.

This joint research initiative builds on existing interinstitutional collaborations between the Leibniz-Institute BIPS and Africa University, and expands this collaboration towards two further SSA research partners from Mozambique and from Zambia.

The “African-German Scientific Exchange in the Field of Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture”(interner Link) included research questions concerning animal sciences and microorganisms; ecology; economy, sociology, technology and digitalisation; and soil, plant breeding and plant pathology. 

24 teams with researchers from 18 African countries and Germany received funding. 

Sustainable intensification in Agriculture for rural economic transformation

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Awudu Abdulai (Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Dr. Victor Owusu Ph.D., Dr. Andrew Opoku (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST))

Country: Ghana

Summary: Achieving inclusive growth through the pursuit of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals of poverty reduction and elimination of hunger requires a paradigm shift in agricultural production systems capable of structurally transforming the rural economies in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). There is no doubt that agriculture holds an immense potential to be leveraged in achieving these policy objectives. The need to increase agricultural productivity to fully harness its growth and transformative potential in Africa is widely documented. Available statistics, however, reveal that about three-quarters of the agricultural growth in SSA since the 2000’s have only emanated from expansion in land. Certainly, this trend of growth through extensification is not sustainable given the numerous accompanying negative environmental consequences. There is therefore the need for a change in the current unsustainable extensification to a more sustainable one.

The objective of the project is to contribute significantly towards the attainment of sustainable intensive agriculture by building the capacity of partners from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Development Studies (UDS) on novel research methods and data analyses techniques. By the end of this project, we aim to present the current state of soil and land degradation, by identifying hotspots for prompt intervention measures that will help in boosting productivity and food security. We also want to provide training on the state of the art on key technical tools, such as GIS, Systems thinking model & Recent Machine Learning methods to aid in the analyses of sustainable intensification measures. In addition, we aim at collecting and analysing survey data on the drivers, and welfare implications of sustainable intensification methods undertaken in the study areas, and also creating an enabling environment for better stakeholder engagement to promote sustainable intensification practices.

Harnessing multiscale research on root exudates for sustainable crop production

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Mutez Ali Ahmed (Technische Universität München (TUM)), Prof. Efstathios Diamantopoulos (Universität Bayreuth)

Cooperation partner: Dr. Barbara Arthur (University for Development Studies), Dr. Florent Anguilles Dehogbe Noulekoun Ph.D. (University of Ghana), Dr. Samuel Kumahor Ph.D. (Université de Parakou)

Country: Ghana, Benin

Summary: Climate change represents one of the most important challenges to our planet, resulting in more extreme and longer periods of drought at many places worldwide. Africa is projected to be hardest hit by climate change since most of the agricultural production systems depends on rainfall, which is projected to be very volatile under future climatic conditions. Drought affects the physiology of many plant species, leading to reduced growth and crop productivity. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that scientists investigate drought resilience of plants, which includes both the capacity to resist drought and the potential to recovery after drought. Yet, mechanisms associated with the drought resistance, especially in relation to belowground traits (i.e. root and rhizosphere), remain poorly understood. A plant strategy to increase the capture of soil water consists in modifying the environment where they grow, i.e., the rhizosphere. For this, a key process is the exudation of mucilage from roots. Mucilage provides benefits to crops by improving the hydraulic connectivity between the plant and the soil thereby improving water and nutrient uptake. Previous modeling activities, which has been focused only to small spatial scales (cm to dm), has not yet been validated for larger (field) scale, especially the tropics and subtropics. This is important, since these models are considered crucial for the development of digital tools (twins) that may assist decision makers, and to strengthen the current research effort on analysis, visualization and contextualization of any digital solutions.

We are planning to submit a proposal, with cooperation partners from Ghana and Benin, towards a next generation crop model that includes a mechanistic representation of root exudates dynamics. The project aims are to i) quantify root exudates from various African maize varieties, and comparison with European varieties, ii) conduct multiscale (mm-cm (pore scale), dm (lab) and m (plot experiments)) research where various processes will be simultaneously monitored (biomass dynamics, water and energy state variables, mucilage dynamics, yield, etc.) iii) implement root exudates dynamics (production from the roots based on the crop’s phenomenological state, effect on soil physical properties and degradation) into the Daisy agroecological model, iv) calibrate and validate the model for a new set of environmental conditions v) utilize climate change projections, for Ghana and Benin, to evaluate the response of root exudates production to future climate change, and tailor available varieties with agro-climatic zones using numerical simulations.

For this, we are currently applying for a 1-year collaborative project that aims to i) conduct literature review on the topic, ii) conceptualize the main proposal iii) exchange information between partners iv) generate preliminary data v) design required experiments and modelling approach vi) draft the main proposal.

Monitoring agro-ecosystems of sub-Saharan Africa: Pesticides and land use as stressors for plants, bees and pollination interactions

Applicant: Dr. Abdulrahim Alkassab (Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI) - Bundesforschungsinstitut für Kulturpflanzen)

Cooperation partner: Dr. Anke Dietzsch (Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI) - Bundesforschungsinstitut für Kulturpflanzen), Prof. Dr. Mazi Sanda Ph.D. (Université de Ngaoundéré), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Regina Pohle-Fröhlich (Hochschule Niederrhein), Dr. Katharina Stein Ph.D. (Universität Rostock), Dr. Kirsten Traynor (Universität Hohenheim), Dr. Drissa Coulibaly, Dr. Dassou Anicet Ph.D. (National University of Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (UNSTIM)), Prof. Dr. Lucy Kamau Ph.D. (Kenyatta University)

Country: Cameroon, Benin, Kenya

Summary: Pollinators are exposed to various interacting stressors, including the global spread of pathogens and pests, climate change, land-use change, and agricultural intensification with its widespread use of pesticides. By establishing collaboration and working together on a project, we aim to tackle two major stressors, land-use changes and pesticide exposure, in four countries (Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Benin, and Kenya) along a west-to-east trajectory in sub-Sahara Africa. In the initial phase of our proposal, we establish a collaboration with our African project partners by harmonizing skillsets of all project partners, sharing standardized methodologies, and familiarizing ourselves with field site conditions. We seek to exchange information and hands-on practice on residue analysis, optimization of beekeeping, and remote sensing across country borders. Workshops and project related visits will facilitate exchange of expertise to cover the differences between countries. This will ensure that all project partners have the necessary skills and tools to participate actively in a newly launched standardized long-term pollinator monitoring program as part of our actual research project.

Further goals of this project are to improve the pollination of important cash crops (e.g., cashew and cotton); to evaluate pollinator efficacy for these crops; to assess bee species-specific risks from exposure to agrochemicals and land use changes; and to extend taxonomic reference collections and databases with the monitored and identified pollinator species. Different methods, such as pan traps and Dynamic Vision Sensors (DVS), will enable us to evaluate pollinators' abundance and species identity, species interactions, their impact on crop production, and changes in insect activity patterns in response to pesticide applications. Addressing these topics in the project partner countries will help to establish and further develop risk assessment and management systems for pesticides across country borders.

Targeting heat stress resilience in poultry using genomic selection and local plant-bioactive lipid compounds in Sub-Saharan West Africa (HeatRes)

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Jörg R. Aschenbach (Freie Universität Berlin)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Camus Adoligbe (University of Abomey-Calavi), Dr. Kokou Voemesse Ph.D., Dr. Georcelin Alowanou Ph.D. (Institut Togolais de Recherches Agronomiques), Dr. Oyegunle Emmanuel Oke Ph.D. (Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta), Dr. Abidi Bilalissi Ph.D. (National University of Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (UNSTIM))

Country: Benin, Togo, Nigeria

Summary: Heat stress poses a considerable threat on poultry production in West Africa. Poultry raised under high ambient temperatures and/or high humidity do not attain their genetic potential as a result of altered metabolism and increased energy expenditure for coping with environmental stressors. In severe cases, heat stress may lead to exhaustion and death. Hence, there is an urgent need to explore efficient means of improving heat stress resilience of poultry under hot climates. A sustainable way to improve heat stress resilience with feeding strategies could be the use of plant bioactive lipid compounds (PBLC). PBLC are known to be safe, economical and easily available from or within several tropical plants. Some of these compounds have properties that could specifically protect the gut from thermal injury, e.g., antimicrobial, mucus-enhancing and antioxidant properties. The gut, in turn, is a key organ that determines the impact of heat. Thus, a detailed understanding of the action of PBLC on the intestinal responses to heat stress is necessary. However, the available information on the role of phytochemicals for heat stress protection in poultry is scarce. 

Consequently, identification of suitable PBLC and investigation of their efficacy in ameliorating the effects of heat stress in fast-growing chickens with specific reference to their intestine will be a central aim of the consortium. To limit exposure of live animals to harsh environmental conditions, an Ussing chamber model shall be developed to study the negative impact of heat stress on the chicken intestine ex vivo and to investigate the protective mechanisms of PBLC with due consideration of animal welfare. The functional studies will be combined with basic research on improved genomic selection for heat tolerance using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and RNA-Seq tools, as well as available information on quantitative traits loci (QTL) related to heat stress susceptibility or tolerance in chickens. It is suggested that such holistic approach has great potential to increase productivity, sustainability and animal welfare in poultry production in Sub-Saharan West Africa. To develop a detailed research plan that addresses the above scientific questions, the present proposal requests mobility funds (1) to enhance the understanding of local needs and methodological restrictions in basic research targeting the sustainable intensification of agriculture in West Africa, (2) to implement scientific collaboration of Freie Universität Berlin with selected research institutions in West Africa to promote research contribution to sustainable intensification of agriculture, (3) to foster local cross-country cooperation and scientific exchange of topically related research institutions in West Africa, and (4) to identify new collaboration partners that favourably supplement the expertise of the consortium.

The role of microorganisms in iron toxicity in rice (Oryza sativa)

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Folkard Asch (Universität Hohenheim), Prof. Dr. Eric Kemen (Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen)

Cooperation partner: Dr.-Ing. Tovohery Rakotoson Ph.D. (Laboratoire des RadioIsotopes)

Country: Madagascar

Summary: After corn, rice is the second primary source of calories in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, only 60% of rice demand is locally produced due to abiotic and biotic stress challenges, and increasing demand has been met by rice importation from other continents. Among the abiotic factors facing rice production is iron toxicity. In the African highlands, iron exists as insoluble ferric form, which is usually washed down the rice-growing low lands by frequent flooding. These fields are typically engorged by water, poor in oxygen circulation, and mostly acidic, providing a conducive environment for the reduction of ferric (Fe3+) to ferrous (Fe2+) form. Fe2+ acts as a catalyst in the Fenton reaction, a process that generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), which may damage the components of the cells and potentially induce oxidative damage to the plants. Previous studies have shown that rhizosphere microbes may relieve rice from iron toxicity. During the planned project following work packages could be included: metagenomic analysis to identify microbial networks that inhabit the rice microbiome, characterization and classification of candidate microbes with the potential for enhancing iron tolerance in rice, investigation of the effect of microbial inoculation on natural strategies for rice tolerance to iron toxicity, and the mode of action of microbes to iron toxicity in rice. Design of a predictive model using deep learning algorithms that can identify unknown microbes with the ability to relieve rice from iron toxicity provided various genes are available.
Objectives:

• Analyses of the microbial community of Fe resistant and susceptible plants to identify potential functional units and to build hypothetical models
• Molecular characterization of candidate microbes with the ability to enhance rice tolerance to iron toxicity
• Determination of the mode of action of microbes in enhancing iron tolerance in rice
• Verification and improvement of computational models to improve identification of beneficial microbes and critical abiotic factors in a community context.
• Identification of alterations in the stress response of inoculated rice plants with regard to their genotypic adaptation mechanisms to iron toxicity
• Identification of genotypic traits responsible for the ability to positively interact with/ shape the microbiome

Developing iron-biofortified Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) for food and nutritional security to alleviate the severe micronutrient malnutrition in Sub Saharan Africa (IrBiAfCw)

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Petra Bauer (Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf)

Cooperation partner: Dr. Eltayb Abdellatef Ph.D. (National Center for Research), Dr. Yohannes Gedamu Gebre Ph.D. (Wollo University)

Country: Sudan, Ethiopia

Summary: Mineral nutrient deficiencies, often known as ‘hidden hunger’, affect more than one-half of the developing world’s population, and are prevalent in Subsaharan Africa (SSA), affecting particularly women, unborn and young children. Due to the necessity of iron for development of physical and mental capabilities, micronutrient deficiency has drastic negative consequences on the performance of the society in the following generation. Production of biofortified food products is considered of prime importance especially of the rural areas. Pulses are fundamental to human survival, and their seeds carry a rich assortment of nutritious compounds including micronutrients. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is an ancient crop in the region of SSA, and there is a large highly valuable local collection of germplasm accessions available. The goal of this project is to identify, characterize and develop indigenous African Cowpea lines with improved grain iron (biofortification) and integrate them to a farming system that supports sustainable agricultural intensification. 

We will identify genes and molecular mechanisms that contribute to Cowpea iron uptake, deposition and accumulation of iron in seeds, and that can serve as high-confidence specific targets for future breeding. The objectives of our study are characterizing indigenous African Cowpea accessions for identifying iron-rich grain varieties, describing their iron allocation patterns in Cowpea tissues, identifying genes and potential genetic mechanisms that are associated with high-iron seed traits, ultimately engaging the private sector for breeding, enabling and empowering women as seed custodians in selected local communities, and entering into a participatory dialog with citizens in Germany on precious proteinaceous pulse crops in a quality human diet. This project will strengthen the abilities of African and German research partners through expertise exchange and gained knowledge on the superior quality of pulses in terms of nutritional value. We expect that we will produce deliverables which are of direct value to science, SSA agriculture and health of local people in Africa as well as in Germany. This project will be conducted in different phases. During the first 12 months, we will initiate the cooperation between SSA and German partners by mutual research visits to screen the African resources of Cowpea and establish tools for studying their iron nutrition-related performance.

Artificial intelligence(AI)-based methods to monitor arthropods for improved pollination and pest control in sustainable African fruit orchards

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Klaus Birkhofer (Brandenburgische Technische Universität)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Regina Pohle-Fröhlich (Hochschule Niederrhein), Dr. Katharina Stein Ph.D. (Universität Rostock), Prof. Dr. Pia Addison Ph.D. (Stellenbosch University), Dr. Seth Johannes Eiseb Ph.D. (University of Namibia), Dr. Shem Kuyah Ph.D. (Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology), Dr. Reyard Mutamiswa (University of the Free State), Dr. Joyce Nakatumba-Nabende Ph.D. (Makerere University), Prof.  Dr. Casper Nyamukondiwa Ph.D. (Botswana International University of Science and Technology)

Country: South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Uganda, Botswana

Summary: There is ongoing pressure to increase agricultural production in Africa and conventional intensification of agriculture has been a major strategy to produce more food for the growing human population worldwide. The ongoing conventional intensification may cause severe environmental problems such as environmental pollution and loss of biodiversity. More sustainable agricultural practices that promote ecosystem services and improve production while simultaneously maintaining environmental integrity and public health are highly warranted. Ecological intensification focuses on promoting key natural regulatory processes that support agricultural production due to the provision of ecosystem services. A key improvement to promote the uptake of related sustainable management practices in commercial orchards is the development of reliable and easy-to-use identification and monitoring systems, which help to assess levels of beneficial species for use in integrated pest and pollinator management systems (IPPM).

The available techniques to identify and monitor pest and beneficials are labour intensive and often require high levels of taxonomic expertise or only focus on individual pest species. Shape-based image analysis approaches allow for the rapid identification of pest and beneficial organisms and automated surveying systems simultaneously provide data on the activity of these species. Joint applications of identification and monitoring techniques create a win-win situation by facilitating the testing of the effectiveness of management strategies that aim to promote ecosystem service provision. At the same time, they reduce costs, simplify the assessment of thresholds and minimize the use of pesticides due to high quality, real time monitoring data. The experts participating in the two proposed explorative workshops will develop a proposal which compares the suitability of some more recently developed AI-based identification and monitoring methods, like automated camera systems or image analyses based on neural network or deep learning techniques to determine the efficiency of methods for increasing pollination and biological control services under ecological intensification. The suitability of these methods will then also be compared to a recently developed dynamic vision sensor (DVS) methods, that holds the potential to replace competing video systems. To accomplish the submission of a collaborative project proposal the objectives of the two exploratory workshops are to co-create a design and draft a competitive proposal that tests hypothesises about sustainable approaches to manage pollination and pest control services in commercial fruit orchards across climatically different regions of SSA.

Agricultural pests under changing landscapes and climates: opportunities and costs to mitigate crop damage through managing biodiversity in Southern Africa (PestClim)

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Klaus Birkhofer (Brandenburgische Technische Universität)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Dr. Anna Cord (Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn), Prof. Dr. Frank Wätzold (Brandenburgische Technische Universität), Prof. Dr. Pia Addison Ph.D. (Stellenbosch University), Dr. Sunday Ekesi (International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE)), Dr. Reyard Mutamiswa (University of the Free State), Prof. Dr. Casper Nyamukondiwa Ph.D. (Botswana International University of Science and Technology), Dr. Martin Paul Jr Tabe-Ojong Ph.D. (International Food Policy Research Institute)

Country: South Africa, Kenya, Botswana, USA

Summary: The levels and security of agricultural production must increase to provide sufficient food for the predicted 3.5 billion people in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by 2100, while at the same time combating poverty and environmental pollution. Insect pests destroy between 5-20% of the global yield of major grain crops each year, with increasing temperatures expected to lead to further losses in SSA. Several economically relevant pests have extended their range in the previous decades due to the changing climate and trade in agricultural commodities. Control programs and rapid responses to novel pests often rely heavily on the introduction of new or extension of use of already registered pesticides. These practices have negative consequences for the environment, farmer health and local biodiversity. 

The active promotion of native natural enemies through habitat management and the resulting conservation biological control services contribute to combating future pest outbreaks. However, reliable data about the distribution and efficiency of these natural enemies in different regions of SSA is still limited. Three major invasive agricultural pest species, Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly), Bactrocera dorsalis (Oriental fruit fly) and Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm) have considerable impact on food and nutritional security, economic well-being and overall livelihoods of human societies in southern Africa. The expansion of the distribution range of these pests is related to climate change, year-round host plant cultivation and trade in agricultural products, adverse effects of changing climate on their natural enemies and adaptations of local and landscape scale management approaches. Agroecological and landscape management practices can promote the conservation of natural enemies of these pest species and may act as an important component of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies that offer a potential opportunity to protect food crops at low environmental cost. In this international collaboration, we plan to develop a project proposal at the two exploratory workshops with the objectives:

a) to improve the understanding of the distribution and persistence of these invasive pest species in climatically different regions of SAA through an integrated regional research approach.
b) to understand landscape-scale management effects on natural enemies and associated pest control services for these pest species under different climatic conditions.
c) to provide innovative management recommendations for the three pest species and their natural enemies based on habitat and climatic requirements taking into account costs and cost-effectiveness of management approaches.

The role of (epi-)genetics and the gut microbiome on feeding, health prophylaxis, and management strategies

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Amelia Camarinha Silva (Universität Hohenheim)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Camus Adoligbe (University of Abomey-Calavi), Dr. Lucas Asaava Ph.D. (Kenyatta University), Dr. Abidi Bilalissi Ph.D. (Institut Togolais de Recherches Agronomiques), Dr. Ruth Ofongo (Niger Delta University), Prof. Dr. Aberra Melesse Ph.D. (Hawassa University), Dr. Divine Ewane Ph.D. (University of Buea)

Country: Benin, Kenya, Togo, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Cameroon

Summary: Poultry meat is an important animal protein source, and one of the most popular meats humans consume worldwide. Poultry consumption is expected to increase 17.8% by 2030. In developing nations, poultry farming is paramount, with about two-thirds of rural communities practising it to augment their nutritional intake through eggs and meat. However, most chickens in sub-Saharan Africa are indigenous and raised in villages under semi-scavenging conditions. The predicament lies in the modest performance of indigenous chickens, attributed to genetic factors, diseases, inadequate feeding, suboptimal feed efficiency, and subpar management practices, often thwart profitable returns on investment. 

Gut microbiota influences birds' health, is the first-line defence against pathogens and facilitates nutrient absorption. There is a growing interest in how the avian gastrointestinal tract is affected by dietary components and probiotic microorganisms, and its role in spreading infectious diseases. Despite the research evaluating AMR within industrial farming systems, there is a gap in understanding the emergence of bacterial resistance from poultry within resource-limited environments - smallholder farmers. Research is required to understand the epidemiology and ecology of AMR in smallholder poultry farms and its exposure to other domestic animals, wildlife, and, ultimately, humans. The pre-slaughter and slaughter sites serve as pivotal reservoirs for AMR genes, and they provide a conduit for transmitting these genes to processed meat and nearby water sources. Leveraging locally sourced feed ingredients presents an opportunity to reduce production costs and serve as an alternative to antimicrobial feed additives. Identifying and using these indigenous ingredients could emerge as a sustainable strategy, especially in Sub-Saharan countries.

The main objectives of the initiation of international collaboration are (1) to understand the challenges entailed in the intensification of sustainable agriculture, (2) to initiate and establish a productive and cooperative relationship between the University of Hohenheim and African research institutions to promote and develop international research projects that can contribute to the intensification of agriculture in Africa, (3) to prioritize mutual capacity building, allowing for the exchange of expertise and knowledge. Furthermore, this international collaboration will (i) enrich and compare datasets to enhance feeding and management strategies, (ii) delve into novel aspects specific to Sub-Saharan indigenous breeds, (iii) provide deeper insights into smallholder systems, focusing on their unique characteristics related to breeding, feeding, management strategies, and adaptive responses, and ultimately (iv) deduce, validate, and formulate generalized theorems and pioneering hypotheses, setting the stage for future collaborative research initiatives and the submission of at least four project proposals.

Towards better understanding of indigenous-cattle genotype resilience in the changing climatic environment and intensified crop-livestock production systems in Sub-Saharan Africa

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Mizeck Chagunda (Universität Hohenheim)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Camus Adoligbe, Prof. Dr. Luc Hippolyte Dossa Ph.D. (Université d'Abomey-Calavi), Dr. Abdulmojeed Yakubu (Nasarawa State University), Prof. Dr. Abubeker Hassen (University of Pretoria), Dr.-Ing. Bossima Ivan Koura (Université Nationale d'Agriculture (UNA)), Dr. Bruno Stephen July Phiri (University of Zambia)

Country: Benin, Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Zambia

Summary: Global food production must increase by 70% to feed an additional 2.3 billion people by 2050, while at the same time combating poverty and hunger; in Africa, this equates to a 300% increase. Cereal crops, particularly maize, sorghum and millet are the most significant crops for low-income African countries, providing food and nutrition security, incomes and livelihoods. Similarly, for German and Europe in general, so many cereal crops e.g. maize and wheat are significant for food and feed. In both continents, however, we have witnessed a significant decline in cereal crop production as a consequence of increased susceptibility to environmental and associated biotic stress, exacerbated by climate change. Climate changes have caused an increased invasion of pest species, with severe impacts on crop production. Recent invaders in Africa include the Asian fruit fly, the South American tomato leafminer and the fall armyworm. Especially the fall armyworm is a serious pest for many crops including maize, sorghum, cotton, diverse pasture grasses and non-grass cultivated plants, and has recently become a concern in Africa and indeed globally. This invasion of Africa with pests poses a critical burden on the continent where ~70-80% of the population depends on cereal subsistence farming for food security and livelihoods. Similarly, its global invasion also poses a significant biosecurity threat to the global trade of affected plants and plant products between affected and unaffected countries. Also, with increasing temperatures associated with climate change, European winters have become more benign, thus giving potential for tropical pest insects to thrive. For example, pest insects like tomato leafminer are known to overwinter in the Mediterranean region already. 

Therefore, the aim of this project is, in a multidisciplinary group, to target the invasive and highly destructive insect “fall armyworm”, aiming at the development of new concepts to counteract it with sustainable agricultural practices. To achieve this a multidisciplinary team will come together to analyze the problem from different perspectives. The development of an outbreaking solution is possible with the synergic work of agroecologists, entomologists, plant pathologists, sociologists and engineers. Only with 360 degrees understanding of the problem, every partner can go beyond the state of the art, generating creative ideas in his field.
 

The team coming together will have a deep understanding of
1. sensor development and embedded system design, to conceive powerful monitoring tools.
2. biological control using parasitoid wasps and entomopathogens which ‘infect’ and kill their host (the insect pest).
3. agroecological management strategies, e.g. the use of natural substances that improve plant resistance.
4. socio-economic impacts of infestations and how the development of an integrated management system will translate to socio-economic and livelihood improvement.

STOP_FAW: Towards the development of participatory climate smart tools for integrated fall armyworm management

Applicant: Dr.-Ing. Laura Maria Comella (Hochschule Karlsruhe - Technik und Wirtschaft)

Cooperation partner: Dr. Dassou Anicet Ph.D., Dr. Joelle Toffa (National University of Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (UNSTIM)), Prof. Dr. Casper Nyamukondiwa Ph.D. (Botswana International University of Science and Technology), Dr. Eric Nyarko Ph.D. (University of Ghana)

Country: Benin, Botswana, Ghana

Summary: Global food production must increase by 70% to feed an additional 2.3 billion people by 2050, while at the same time combating poverty and hunger; in Africa, this equates to a 300% increase. Cereal crops, particularly maize, sorghum and millet are the most significant crops for low-income African countries, providing food and nutrition security, incomes and livelihoods. Similarly, for German and Europe in general, so many cereal crops e.g. maize and wheat are significant for food and feed. In both continents, however, we have witnessed a significant decline in cereal crop production as a consequence of increased susceptibility to environmental and associated biotic stress, exacerbated by climate change. Climate changes have caused an increased invasion of pest species, with severe impacts on crop production. 

Recent invaders in Africa include the Asian fruit fly, the South American tomato leafminer and the fall armyworm. Especially the fall armyworm is a serious pest for many crops including maize, sorghum, cotton, diverse pasture grasses and non-grass cultivated plants, and has recently become a concern in Africa and indeed globally. This invasion of Africa with pests poses a critical burden on the continent where ~70-80% of the population depends on cereal subsistence farming for food security and livelihoods. Similarly, its global invasion also poses a significant biosecurity threat to the global trade of affected plants and plant products between affected and unaffected countries. Also, with increasing temperatures associated with climate change, European winters have become more benign, thus giving potential for tropical pest insects to thrive. For example, pest insects like tomato leafminer are known to overwinter in the Mediterranean region already. Therefore, the aim of this project is, in a multidisciplinary group, to target the invasive and highly destructive insect “fall armyworm”, aiming at the development of new concepts to counteract it with sustainable agricultural practices. To achieve this a multidisciplinary team will come together to analyze the problem from different perspectives. The development of an outbreaking solution is possible with the synergic work of agroecologists, entomologists, plant pathologists, sociologists and engineers. Only with 360 degrees understanding of the problem, every partner can go beyond the state of the art, generating creative ideas in his field. The team coming together will have a deep understanding of

1. sensor development and embedded system design, to conceive powerful monitoring tools.
2. biological control using parasitoid wasps and entomopathogens which ‘infect’ and kill their host (the insect pest).
3. agroecological management strategies, e.g. the use of natural substances that improve plant resistance.
4. socio-economic impacts of infestations and how the development of an integrated management system will translate to socio-economic and livelihood improvement.

CONFARMED: Multidisciplinary approach to CONserve and FARM EDible insects for a circular food economy in Uganda

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Dietrich Darr, Prof. Dr. Matthias Kleinke (Hochschule Rhein-Waal), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Regina Pohle-Fröhlich (Hochschule Niederrhein)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Dr. James Peter Egonyu Ph.D. (Busitema University)

Country: Uganda

Summary: The proposed project aims to facilitate the initiation of collaboration among three German scientists, a Ugandan scientist, and other local and regional partners. The goal of the collaboration is to conduct multi-disciplinary research on selected entomological, agroforestry, socio-economic, and digital technological aspects of edible insect collection, farming, waste recycling and use to contribute to a circular food economy in Uganda. Insect production for food and feed has been acknowledged as a viable sustainable source of animal protein. Furthermore, detritivorous insects such as the black soldier fly are famed for efficient recycling of agricultural waste into nutritious animal feed additives and bio-fertilizer. However, edible insects are mostly harvested from the wild, where forest trees are a major component of their breeding sites and foraging substrates. 

A detailed analysis of interactions of key edible insects with their host-trees and other environmental factors, as well as studies of the financial profitability and socio-economic performance of edible insect collection relative to other livelihood strategies and the analysis of related market chains and consumer preferences could guide interventions on addressing forest degradation, and declining harvests of edible insects. This will also incentivise the conservation and purposeful integration of trees and shrubs in agricultural farming landscapes. Given that lack of a systematic management of wild edible insect populations can partially be attributed to a limited understanding of their population dynamics and ecology, research is required to investigate these aspects. The analysis of the types and quantities of biomass found in insect breeding areas can provide the basis for an efficient and sustainable feeding management. Refinement of detritivorous insect farming could be achieved by better analysis of their performance against specific elements in the bio-waste streams from different localities as well as some amendments of the diet with microorganisms, enzymes or some metabolites. Application of digital tools such as dynamic vision sensors could help identify the origin of edible grasshopper swarms, hence providing leads to their breeding sites, which can then be conserved for sustainable harvests of the insects. These tools could also help in the analysis of the behaviour of edible insects in captive rearing as a more sustainable strategy for production of insect-based protein than reliance on their declining and seasonal wild harvests. The German partners will visit Uganda in February 2024 for nine days to explore suitable study sites for the later project and to participate in the exploratory workshop which will also be attended by up to 27 local and regional African stakeholders. The Ugandan partner will then visit Germany in April-May 2024 to jointly develop the search proposal and participate in the Status Workshop.

Exploiting the rhizosphere microbiome of cocoa trees to improve tolerance against drought conditions

Applicant: Dr. Rita Grosch, Dr. Theresa Kuhl-Nagel (Leibniz-Institut für Gemüse- und Zierpflanzenbau (IGZ) e.V.), Dr.-Ing. Dietrich Stephan (Bundesforschungsinstitut für Kulturpflanzen (JKI))

Cooperation partner: Prof. Dr. Akwasi Adutwum Abunyewa Ph.D., Prof. Dr. James Seutra Kaba Ph.D. (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)), Dr. Joseph Osafo Eduah, Dr. Francis Padi (Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG))

Country: Ghana

Summary: Climate change is associated with more frequent and longer periods of higher temperature and drought also in Ghana. Yields of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) as one of the most important crops for Ghana’s economy are increasingly threatened. Especially juvenile cocoa trees are highly sensitive to drought stress. Studies showed that the rhizosphere microbiome of plants has a significant impact on plant growth and health and that the use of beneficial microbes can improve the tolerance of plants against abiotic stressors, such as drought. A team of scientists from several institutes in Ghana and Germany plan to exchange knowledge on the importance of rhizosphere microbiomes for plants, use of beneficial microbes, cultivation of cocoa as well as large-scale production and formulation of biologicals during exploratory workshops and combine this knowledge in a joined project proposal. 

The aim is to analyze the microbial community composition and the associated functions of the cocoa rhizosphere/root microbiome under drought and irrigated cultivation conditions. Based on this knowledge about the cocoa tree microbiome potential beneficial microbial taxa will be selected to improve tolerance of cocoa trees against drought stress. Furthermore, formulation and production methods for the use of beneficial microbes in Ghana will be evaluated. Standard production protocols will be used, whereby a technical realization for smallholder farmers in Ghana will be taken into account. For strains, which can be mass produced, cost-efficient formulation strategies will be developed. The international collaboration can help to understand microbiome dynamics of perennial crops, such as cocoa, and shows how this knowledge can be used to improve tolerance of plants against abiotic stress, such as drought. The goal of the collaboration is to exemplary develop microbiome-based strategies for the cultivation of resilient plants under changing conditions of production.

Gender dynamics in family poultry in Togo and Nigeria and implications for lintensification

Applicant: Dr. Juliet Kariuki Ph.D. (Universität Hohenheim)

Cooperation partner: Dr. Abidi Bilalissi Ph.D. (Institut Togolais de Recherches Agronomiques), Dr. Eric Nyarko Ph.D. (University of Ghana), Dr. Oyegunle Emmanuel Oke Ph.D. (Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta)

Country: Togo, Ghana, Nigeria

Summary: Poultry farming in Africa is among the fastest-growing enterprises of livestock production. Given increasing demand, family poultry (FP) practiced widely in West Africa presents a promising pathway for alleviating poverty and boosting food security. However, the gender gap in agriculture undermines the achievement of sustainable livestock development. Although the study of gender in agriculture has become an important subject of research interest, most work has focused primarily on gender in crop production, to the large exclusion of gender in livestock production. Gender gaps are structured by norms that interact with other categories of social differentiation such as age, class and ethnicity which worsen deeply entrenched gender inequalities and can be better understood by adopting an intersectional lens in livestock research. Gender inequality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) widen productivity gaps whereby female farmers have lower rates of agricultural productivity compared to males. Much less is known about bridging the gender gap in poultry production. Given the knowledge gaps surrounding the historical neglect of gender from livestock research and the potential trade-offs from increased poultry production in Africa, gender-sensitive and ideally transformative poultry breeding is not only relevant but timely. As West Africa undergoes a restructuring of the poultry value chain, FP remains the dominant production system despite previous efforts to develop commercialised intensive poultry production. Despite scientific findings on chicken breeding objectives and trait preferences, little is known if trait preferences vary by gender and the extent to which preferences may be transformed due to intensification.

Furthermore, empirical understandings of gender relations are particularly important for FP production, where little evidence of gendered impacts from commercialisation in low-input systems exists. Using an innovative combination of participatory qualitative and quantitative tools, this proposal seeks initiation funding to answer the following: 1) Are there intra household differences in poultry trait preferences and, if so, how may preferences change under commercialisation? 2) How do gendered roles vary in FP production along the value chain and what intersectional factors influence variation? and, 3) What indicators and strategies for gender sensitive and transformative approaches appeal to FP keepers and are most likely to promote gender balanced outcomes? Project-related trips to Togo and Nigeria are envisaged to allow for opportunities for a scoping study with key stakeholders, including male and female farmers. Additionally, a project-related guest visit for a workshop at the University of Hohenheim and in Bonn has been planned for April 2024. These activities are targeted at developing empirical questions for further in-depth research, strategies, methods, designs and collaborations for the initial grant proposal.

Sustainable Innovations and Digitalization in Crop - Livestock Systems Subsaharan Africa (INNOVAFRIKA)

Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Olivier Kashongwe Ph.D. (Leibniz-Institut für Agrartechnik und Bioökonomie e.V. (ATB))

Cooperation partner: Dr. Andrew Opoku (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology), Dr. Mouritala Sikirou (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA))

Country: Ghana, DRC

Summary: The project proposes to conduct workshops, guest visits and trips abroad for German researchers in order to establish collaboration with institutions in Ghana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We plan to organise an inception workshop at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) during the first month of the project (10-14.07.2023). This meeting will serve as an opportunity to exchange on the existing innovations in crop-livestock systems in Ghana and DRC in order to find synergies and opportunities to transfer digital/ technical expertise from ATB to the partner institutions. The inception workshop will be followed by a guest visit of African researchers to ATB-Potsdam, Germany (11-29.09.2023). 

During their stay, the African researchers will be exposed to the state-of-the-art technological development in crop and livestock production, as well as the digitalization opportunities that can be exploited by Sub-Saharan African institutions to improve the performance and monitoring of the crop-livestock systems. The research stay of African researchers will consist of 6 weeks of practical immersion in the relevant activities of the research programs diversified crop production, individualized livestock production and integrated residue management for two weeks in each research program. This will include the use of sensor technology/ remote sensing approaches to monitor soil and plant health; measuring emissions from cattle manure and monitoring barn climate; and current techniques in biogas research from animal manure. The activity will be conducted in conjunction with the Leibniz Innovation farm newly established by the ATB (ATB: Leibniz-Innovationshof für nachhaltige Bioökonomie (atb-potsdam.de). 

Following the practical sessions with the research programs, a capacity-building activity will be conducted online, with the facilitation of the data science in the Bioeconomy department of ATB. The training modules will focus on hands-on data analysis applied to agricultural research with python and R in which we will use extensively crop-livestock datasets. We will introduce also the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict/monitor animals or crop growth and production as well as disease detection and prevention. Training on the use of open data kits (ODK) and research data management and research ethics will conclude this intensive 4 week of training. Researchers will convene again in Kinshasa, D.R.C for a workshop to select applications of technologies/ techniques, based on the learning experience at ATB, which can be incorporated in the research proposal for long-term collaboration between the partners. An agreement for a research consortium on the topic will also be sought as a result of this workshop. Finally, the consortium will meet for the status workshop organised by the DFG from 8 to 12 April to report on the project achievements.

Adoption of digital tools by African farmers for sustainable intensification of cropping systems: A case study of Nigeria

Applicant: Dr. Fatima Lambarraa-Lehnhardt Ph.D. (Zentrum für Agrarlandschafts- und Landnutzungsforschung e.V. (ZALF))

Cooperation partner: Dr. Eric Nyarko Ph.D. (University of Ghana), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eric Kobina Tutu Tchao Ph.D. (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)), Dr. Omasanuwa Zelda Ph.D. (University of Port Harcourt)

Country: Ghana, Nigeria

Summary: Sub-Saharan African agriculture is facing a range of environmental challenges, including climate change, land degradation, water scarcity, and a growing population. Digital tools can help promote sustainable intensification of African agriculture by enabling farmers to make informed decisions, optimize resource use, and manage pests and diseases, leading to increased productivity and farm resilience while minimizing environmental impact.

Nigeria has been chosen as a case study due to its similarities with other sub-Saharan African countries and the potential benefits of adopting digital tools for sustainable cropping farming practices. The project's objectives are to identify the barriers and opportunities for digital tool adoption in sustainable cropping system in Nigeria, and to create a comprehensive framework to understand Nigerian farmers' decision-making processes. The project aims to develop an innovative methodological approach based on discrete choice experiments and machine learning algorithms and to conduct a qualitative study to co-produce localized strategies for the uptake of digital tools for sustainable intensification in agriculture. The ultimate goal is to assess the potential of digital tools like AI in improving smallholder farmer resilience to climate change impacts. In addition to these goals, the project aims to foster cooperation between research institutes and to enhance research outcomes by exchanging knowledge and resources and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration between the researchers.

African-German Applied Research Initiative on Agroforestry - Perspectives from Sub-Sahara Africa and Germany

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Carsten Lorz, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Schauberger (Hochschule Weihenstephan-Triesdorf)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Dr. Akwasi Adutwum Abunyewa Ph.D. (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christelle Boko Ph.D. (Université Nationale d'Agriculture (UNA)), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rodrigue V. Cao Diogo Ph.D. (Université de Parakou), Dr. Abera Habte Ph.D. (Wolaita Sodo University), Dr. Chika Jidere Ph.D. (University of Nigeria), Prof. Dr. Stefan Wittkopf (Hochschule Weihenstephan-Triesdorf), Prof. Dr. Adetunji Kehinde Ph.D. (Osun State University)

Country: Ghana, Benin, Ethiopia, Nigeria

Summary: In this initiative, we propose an African-German platform for applied research on agroforestry. This platform will promote a wider use and expand the scientific basis of agroforestry in Africa and Germany in order to take advantage of its beneficial effects. The project and its respective activities are divided into two major elements, i.e. (i) thematic focus and (ii) dissemination of knowledge. The purpose of this platform is the discussion and exchange of knowledge from different contexts (North-South, South-South and South-North). Climate analogues may play a role here, matching future climates in one region with current climates in another one.

Applications of solar cooling devices for a better quality and safety management of perishable foods in West Africa

Applicant: Dr. Klaus Meissner (Universität Hohenheim)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sylvain Dabadé Ph.D., Prof. Dr.-Ing. Fernande Honfo, mey-Calavi, Dr.-Ing. Romaric Ouetchehou Ph.D. (Université d'Abomey-Calavi)

Country: Benin

Summary: In West Africa, perishable foods are particularly prone to spoilage due to fluctuations in temperature and humidity, poor storage conditions, and inadequate transportation systems. In order to guarantee the nutritional quality of the products and to meet the demands of consumers, research is being carried out at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin, to find solutions in the process chain that significantly reduce post-harvest losses. A PV-based cold room concept, among other solutions, is suitable for this purpose. With conventional electricity, however, this solution is ecologically and economically unfeasible. The Institute for Agricultural Engineering in the Tropics and Subtropics at the University of Hohenheim, Germany, is working on solutions for PV-based cooling systems. So far there is no life cycle analysis (LCA) and no evaluation for the usage of cold rooms for fish and crustaceans. A collaboration with the University of Abomey-Calavi, which has experience with mathematical modeling tools, is particularly interesting in order to process the scientific topic in relation to its technical and practical basics.

Cascading use of agricultural, agro-industrial and urban organic wastes (green-COW)

Applicant: Dr. Holger Pabst (Institut für ländliche Strukturforschung), Prof. Dr. Moritz Wagner (Hochschule Rhein-Waal), Prof. Dr. Matthias Kleinke (Hochschule Geisenheim University)

Cooperation partner: Ass. Prof. Thomas Rewe (Great Lakes University of Kisumu), Prof. Geofrey Kingori Gathungu Ph.D. (Chuka University), Dr. Ermias Tesfaye Teferi (Bahir Dar University), Dr. Seid Hussen Muhie (Wollo University), Dr. Mwemezi Rwiza (Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology), Prof. Charles Olambo Joseph (University of Dar es Salaam), Dr. Emmanuel Menya (Gulu University), Prof. Dr. James Peter Egonyu Ph.D. (Busitema University)

Country: Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda

Summary: Growing populations and better living standards result in increasing pressure on agro-ecosystems. To ensure food security, intensive agriculture is often seen as a solution, but not without consequences. While artificial fertilisers promise better growth and yields, they are costly and their misuse is often associated with negative impacts by altering the natural equilibrium between soils, flora and fauna and the water regime. East Africa is home to five of the ten countries with the highest rates of urbanisation. The rapidly increasing population and urbanisation result in large amounts of waste with detrimental consequences for the environment and human health.

In East Africa, agro-industrial waste and waste from markets are the largest sources of organic waste, which is rich in nutrients and bares potential as feed source or bio-fertilizer. This collaboration therefore strives to evaluate the methods of vermi-composting, insect-based waste management and biochar production and their potentials of utilising organic waste. With the nutrient recovery from organic waste, the proposal aims to correct nutrient balances and close material flows, which involves adapting knowledge to local potentials and conditions and developing guidelines for implementation.

Organic waste as a feed source for insects, e.g. the black soldier fly, is an option to develop alternative protein feeds. Due to their high protein and fat content the larvae represent a feed source for livestock, while residues are rich in plant nutrients and qualify as high quality organic fertiliser. Being an efficient mechanism to convert organic waste into fertilizer, composting can overcome smallholders’ problem of low soil fertility and yields as it stabilises soil organic matter, improves the water storage capacity, and increases nutrient concentrations. Vermi-composting has the potential for higher quality fertilizer than traditional composting, attributable to the enzymatic and microbial activities in the earthworms’ gut, resulting in stable but still plant-available nutrients. Albeit with some limitations, organic waste can also be used in the production of biochar. Therefore, this collaboration plans to investigate the potential of biochar as soil amendment, which offers unique opportunities in the face of climate change. There is also need for comparing different organic waste utilisation options in terms of their environmental performance, which is crucial for subsequent monetisation and transfer into practice.

This proposal seeks to explore opportunities and develop strategies to establish a circular bio-economy, using hands-on approaches and previously untouched potentials for utilisation of organic wastes in order to contribute to the sustainable intensification of agriculture. The collaboration brings together a multidisciplinary consortium of researchers from East Africa and Germany in order to devise ways of addressing the bottlenecks in the cascading use of organic wastes.

The impact of plant diversity and habitat complexity on arthropod biodiversity and pest regulation in cashew and mango agroecosystems of Benin

Applicant: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Regina Pohle-Fröhlich (Hochschule Niederrhein), Prof. Dr. Emily Poppenborg (Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen)

Cooperation partner: Dr. Dassou Anicet Ph.D. (National University of Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (UNSTIM))

Country: Benin

Summary: This project proposes to establish a collaborative research team to investigate the complex interactions between plant diversity, habitat complexity, and arthropod communities in tropical agroecosystems, which are crucial to various ecosystem services. Recent studies have shown how modifying plant diversity and habitat complexity at both local and landscape scales can enhance natural pest regulation in agroecosystems. However, the implications of the diverse and complex agricultural landscapes exemplified by mango- and cashew-based agroforestry systems in Benin for arthropod biodiversity and pest regulation remain largely unexplored. 

This multidisciplinary research team intends to examine plant diversity and arthropod interactions and their cross-scale effects on natural pest regulation from individual agroforests to landscape-wide levels. At the scale of agroforests, the research will focus on the importance of intercropped plants and the structural, taxonomic, and functional diversity of edge habitats surrounding the plots. At the landscape scale, the diversity and composition of key land use types will be investigated to determine how they influence the spread of arthropod communities, the structure and functioning of trophic networks, and their potential for natural pest regulation in these systems. The research will combine field- and landscape-wide experiments with innovative biodiversity monitoring methods, such as powerful camera technology and AI-enhanced image analysis, to study the diversity of arthropods and food web structures and analyze the impact of tree diversity and habitat complexity at different spatial scales. In addition, the team will conduct a diagnostic study with farmers on the production constraints and sustainability of the methods of integrated pest management developed through past projects. Through a transdisciplinary and participatory approach, the project aims to leverage these insights to develop and test realistic guidelines for maintaining and/or enhancing arthropod conservation and ecosystem service provision in mango and cashew systems in the region. For the initiation phase of this international collaboration, the partners seek to develop a specific framework and ideas for a collaborative research proposal to the DFG on the above questions and to produce a synthetic literature review for publication to an international peer-reviewed journal within the 12-month time frame of the grant. The literature review will support and strengthen the framework and objectives of the envisioned collaborative research proposal. Two workshops, one project-related trip abroad and one guest visit are applied for in order to reach these objectives.

Mechanisms used by human pathogens to adapt and persist in agricultural environments

Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Adam Schikora (Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI))

Cooperation partner: Dr. Jarishma Gokul, Prof. Dr. Lise Korsten, Dr. Erika du Plessis (University of Pretoria)

Country: South Africa

Summary: In order to uncover the mechanisms used by human pathogens to adapt and persist in agricultural environments, we propose to work with Salmonella enterica as a model organism. Salmonella is an increasing concern in African and European countries, mainly because of its prevalence on fresh produce and acquisition of antibiotic resistance. How this bacterium adapts to a plant-related environment and which resistances are preferentially acquired is not totally understood. The envisaged project should initiate a collaboration between the German Partner (JKI, Braunschweig) and the South African Partners (University of Pretoria) as well as take advantage of existing national collaborations within Germany (plantinfect and plantinfect-2 consortium).

The aim at this point will be to establish the basis for a future full-scale research proposal, which should be a collaboration between the two institutions and, if possible, include other laboratories as associated partners. Questions, which should be addressed in the research proposal will include:

• How biodiversity of agricultural soils influences the persistence of human pathogens? Can we pinpoint similarities and/or differences in those aspects between Germany and South Africa?
• Do human pathogens acquire antibiotic resistance during the passage through plant production system in a high population density environment? Are antimicrobial resistances acquired by Salmonella specific to strain, environment, country, produced crop or applied management techniques?
• Do human pathogens display an adaptation strategy to environment related to plant production?
• Can we identify potential antagonists to use in preventative approaches?

Structural transformation and the role of women for sustainable intensification in Sub-Saharan African agriculture (SURMOUNT)

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Franziska Schünemann (Universität Hohenheim)

Cooperation partner: Dr. Marther Ngigi Ph.D. (Machakos University)

Country: Kenya

Summary: Sustainable intensification (SI) of Sub-Saharan African agriculture has become essential to increase food security and simultaneously reduce poverty and biodiversity loss. Many of the technologies to achieve SI however are very capital and labor-intensive. As the structural transformation in many African countries is progressing, rising wages through increased off-farm employment are making it difficult for smallholder farmers to adopt labor-intensive technologies. Instead of substitution of labor with capital like machinery, there is evidence for the adoption of labor-saving technologies in the form of herbicides.

et, increased herbicide input may not be in line with SI in case of overuse or a general reduction of biodiversity. The evolving structural transformation may also have implications for the role of women in agriculture. With more men moving to cities, women could play a significant role in determining the path of agricultural intensification in Sub-Sahara Africa. Despite this, the effects of structural transformation on the role of women in agriculture and on SI have not been studied simultaneously. Through the collaborative activities of SURMOUNT, Kenyan and German researchers want to close this research gap and combine their expertise to simultaneously examine the effect of structural transformation on labor and input substitution decisions across genders and how these interactions promote sustainable or unsustainable intensification. For this purpose, an explanatory workshop will be conducted in Kenya to narrow down joint research questions, which will be tested during a field-trip to smallholder farmers in preliminary focus group discussions. The collected information as well as a literature review will be used to write a first review paper. This will be the base for a research project proposal that will be drafted during a guest visit and finalized in the final phase of the collaboration.

Controlling virus diseases of cassava in Cameroon with improved planting materials and preventing introduction and spread of cassava brown streak disease with pre-emptive measures

Applicant: Dr. Samar Sheat, Dr. Stephan Winter (Leibniz-Institut DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH)

Cooperation partner: Dr. Oumar Doungous Ph.D. (Institute of Agricultural Research for Development)

Country: Cameroon

Summary: Cassava viruses cause significant crop losses in sub-Saharan Africa associated with low yields, the destruction of the harvested tubers, and food scarcity. The two most widespread and damaging virus diseases are cassava brown streak virus disease (CBSD) and cassava mosaic virus disease (CMD) caused by viruses belonging to two distinct genera, of which several virus species are implicated in the diseases. All viruses are transmitted by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), and the movement of infected plant materials further exacerbates the spread of these viruses.

In Cameroon, cassava is a main food crop and is cultivated in almost all regions of the country. The crop suffers heavy yield losses due to CMD, while to date, the threat of CBSD is not yet evident because the viruses have not entered the country. However, due to the proximity to the Democratic Republic of Congo, it can be anticipated that diseased material will be introduced and disease spread will occur. In response to the threat of diseases to cassava cultivation on the continent, various initiatives have been created in cassava growing regions of Africa to raise awareness and educate farmers on disease prevention and control, in particular, to select healthy planting materials, avoid movement of infected materials, adhere to phytosanitary measures and breeding to develop disease-resistant varieties.

The objectives of this proposal are to take pre-emptive measures to prevent the impact of this transboundary disease, halt its further westward movement and its establishment in the cassava region which will eventually destroy the diversity of the indigenous cassava varieties that are preferred by the local communities (landraces). To achieve this, new virus resistant materials shall be introduced during this collaborative effort and the improved materials will be grown in demonstration plots to monitor agronomic performance and resistance against the viruses prevailing in Cameroon. This research collaboration focuses on virus disease control and prevention of both CMD and CBSD in Cameroon, taking into consideration cassava breeding for virus resistance and adaptation of improved virus-resistant materials in Cameroon. This shall be an initiation of further collaborative research to characterize resistance against the viruses and including their whitefly vector.

Utilization of termite mound material and rock powder towards a more sustainable agriculture in southern Democratic Republic of Congo

Applicant: Dr. Cordula Vogel (Technische Universität Dresden)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Dr. Karsten Kalbitz (Technische Universität Dresden), Laurent Kidinda Kidinda, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Basile Mujinya Bazirake Ph.D. (Université de Lubumbashi)

Country: DRC

Summary: The Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo has more than 13 million hectares of arable land, which represents a large potential for agricultural production. However, national agricultural production is not able to meet the needs of the population. One reason is low crop yields due to the inherent nature of the soils. Most soils in this region are highly weathered, acidic, dominated by low activity clays and high contents of sesquioxides. As a result, nutrient concentrations and cation exchange capacity are low. Thus, their soil fertility largely depends on the nutrient cycling in response to organic matter–mineral–microorganism interactions and the potential to resupply nutrients. The pursuit of higher yields, lower production costs, and greater sustainability in agriculture requires the optimization of nutrient management through eco-friendly fertilizers, such as termite mound material and rock powder. In sub-Saharan Africa in general, and DR Congo in particular, where the use of termite mound material and rock powder could be critical to sustainable agriculture, we need to extend our knowledge of their effectiveness in increasing soil fertility and crop yields through short- and long-term influences on soil biogeochemical properties. Rock powder from the region might be a promising future substitute for the use of termite mound material and could foster sustainable agriculture. In this regard, basic research is needed to understand and manage the effects of the two potentially eco-friendly fertilizers on soil resources and crop yields for a more sustainable agriculture. 

Therefore, two bilateral exploratory workshops will be jointly organized between the Technische Universität Dresden, Germany and the University of Lubumbashi, DR Congo, one in each country, to share and exchange knowledge between the participants as fundamental base for the envisaged research and to support the initiation of international collaboration. During the exploratory workshop in DR Congo, field trips will be organized, additionally to impulse lectures, to visit fields where termite mound material has been applied at different points in time. This gives the unique opportunity to work out potential study areas to investigate long-term effects. A second aim of the field trips will be to assess potential regional sources for obtaining rock powder. The workshop in Germany will base on that and aims to jointly specify the research objectives and develop scientific hypotheses for the joint research proposal work. The workshops will offer unique opportunities to initiate bilateral DFG-funded projects aiming at developing hypothesis-driven research to gain a better mechanistic understanding of the applications of termite mound material and rock powder as potential tools towards more sustainable agriculture in DR Congo and beyond.

The “African-German Scientific Exchange in the Field of Neurosciences”(interner Link) included research questions concerning basic, applied and clinical topics.

9 teams with researchers from 7 African countries and Germany received funding. 

African Brains for African Brain Images (AB4ABI)

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Silke Anders (Universität zu Lübeck)

Cooperation partner: Dr. Eberechi Wogu (University of Port Harcourt)

Country: Nigeria

Summary: Structural and functional MR neuroimaging has revolutionised cognitive neuroscience, but up to now there is a severe lack of MR neuroimaging studies representing countries in the Global South, and particular in Africa, both in terms of researchers and subjects. This is particularly true for basic neuroscientific studies. This does not only exclude a large part of the world from participation in neuroscience, it might also lead to a severe bias in the way we look at human brain function. To address this issue, we aim to initiate a German-Nigerian collaboration between Universität zu Lübeck, Germany (Silke Anders), and Port Harcourt University, Nigeria (Eberechi Wogu) with additional support from Nikolaus Weiskopf (MPI Leipzig, Germany) and Damian Eke (Nottingham University, UK). The proposed project pursues three aims: (i) explore MR neuroimaging opportunities in Nigeria, (ii) secure resources (knowledge and infrastructure) necessary to conduct MR neuroimaging studies in parallel at Port Harcourt and Lübeck University and (iii) to draft and finalize a grant proposal (DFG funding line Cooperation with Developing Countries) to conduct structural and, possibly, functional, MRI social neuroscience studies in parallel at Lübeck University and Port Harcourt University.

Neurobiology of adaptations and heterothermy in warm and cold climates - a comparative approach

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Annika Herwig (Universität Ulm)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Khalid El Allali Ph.D. (Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II), Prof. Dr. Hicham Farsi Ph.D. (Universität Ulm)

Country: Morocco

Summary: The aim of this collaboration is to initiate a project between the German team headed by Prf. Annika Herwig, Ulm University, Germany and the African team of Prof. Khalid El Allali, Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Medicine Institute, Rabat, Morocco. During this measure, we will develop project ideas to comparatively investigate the neurobiology of seasonal adaptations and heterothermy in mammals from different biotopes with opposing environmental conditions. Research of the German group focuses on chronobiology and neuro-adaptation of a small rodent, the Djungarian hamster (Phodopus sungorus), to the cold environments of winter in temperate regions, studying hypothalamic mechanisms of physiological adaptations, energy balance and heterothermy. 

The Moroccan group studies chronobiology, neuro-adaptation and heterothermy in animals adapted to hot environments of the desert, using the camel and the desert goat as animal models. In rodents living at high latitudes, a shortening photoperiod is the main factor driving seasonal adaptations and heterothermy, whereas ambient temperature has a modulatory effect on these processes. In the hot desert, ambient temperature is the critical factor to adjust adaptive heterothermy, circadian rhythms and melatonin secretion. How photoperiod and/or ambient temperature are able to generate a comparable physiological process (heterothermy) in two opposing biotopes should be the main axis of discussion. The collaboration will also be used to determine technical possibilities for applying methods used in Germany to the models of the desert. In this period of initiation, we would like to explore directions of research that we could take to understand the mechanisms involved in the regulation of circadian and seasonal systems and the appearance of heterothermy in very different mammalian species of two opposing biotopes.

Classroom-based Hyperscanning Across Cultures (ClassScan-X)

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Kerstin Konrad, Dr. Vanessa Reindl (Universitätsklinikum Aachen, AöR)

Cooperation partner: Dr. Hanrie Bezuidenhout Ph.D., Prof. Dr. Elizabeth Henning, Dr. Candida Da Silva Ferreira Barreto Ph.D. (University of Johannesburg), Dr. Mojtaba Soltanlou (University College London)

Country: South Africa

Summary: Cognitive neurosciences have greatly advanced our understanding of the neural mechanisms involved in learning; however, most studies have been conducted in controlled environments, which differ from the dynamic and socially complex settings of actual classrooms. Yet, research in education highlights the importance of social interactions in shaping learning outcomes, particularly for diverse learners, including those with special educational needs. These processes likely interact with cultural values and practices, highlighting the need for a holistic, culture-sensitive approach to understanding classroom learning mechanisms.

Hyperscanning studies, which measure the brain activity of interacting individuals simultaneously, allow to examine the dynamic, reciprocal neural mechanisms underlying real-time learning exchanges. These studies have shown that classroom learning is supported by the synchronization of brain signals between teachers and students, as well as among peers. Yet it is unclear how this is affected by cultural influences. Additionally, cross-cultural educational neuroscience can enhance our understanding of brain development and plasticity, e.g., exploring how different linguistic and numerical frameworks shape cognitive processes.

This international collaboration initiative aims to bring together researchers specializing in school-based learning with social neuroscientists to study the neural mechanisms of classroom learning across cultures. It involves two bilateral workshops to identify similarities and differences in educational systems and practices across cultures and explore how hyperscanning can be leveraged to effectively capture these. We aim to follow a participatory research approach, conducting focus groups with teachers and parents in South Africa and Germany. The workshops will foster collaboration between the labs and provide scientific training in hyperscanning and educational neuroscience methodologies. From this, we aim to develop:

i) Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for conducting school-based hyperscanning studies in both countries,
ii) an experimental protocol for cross-cultural educational research and a joint research proposal and
iii) a joint publication on the challenges and opportunities in cross-cultural educational neuroscience.

This cross-cultural perspective will allow for the first time to systematically explore the effects of cultural backgrounds (e.g., differences in teacher trainings, parenting styles, multi- or monolingual school environments) on dynamic learning processes in diverse children and can thus contribute to deriving neuroscientific-based, culture-sensitive recommendations for an inclusive education.

Supporting the diagnosis of epilepsy using artificial intelligence

Applicant: Stefanie Liebe Ph.D. (Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen)

Cooperation partner: Dr. Manqoba Vusumuzi Gule (University of Cape Town)

Country: South Africa

Summary: Diagnostic evaluation of seizure-related behaviour, EEG recordings and brain images has so far been carried out almost exclusively through manual evaluation by clinical experts. However, this process is not only time-consuming and labour-intensive but also highly dependent on the clinician's level of experience and training. More importantly, AI algorithms can be especially valuable in situations in which there are no clinical experts, such as in Africa. Nevertheless, the use of AI algorithms in diagnosing epilepsy is still an underexplored opportunity, especially in LMICs like Africa. Here, modern AI techniques provide immense potential to support clinicians in different diagnostic tasks. The proposed project aims to establish a collaborative research initiative with a focus on using Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithms, including Large Language Models (LLMs), to enhance the diagnosis of epilepsy by analyzing seizure descriptions from German and African patients. LLMs offer a unique advantage in settings with limited clinical, technological, or AI expertise, as they require no specialized training or prior familiarity with machine learning techniques.

This collaboration will provide access to a diverse range of seizure descriptions from different cultural and linguistic contexts, currently underrepresented in the medical literature. By comparing seizure descriptions from South African and German cohorts, the project aims to identify potential linguistic and cultural variations in how seizure symptoms are expressed, despite identical electrophysiological seizure types. The project will investigate whether LLMs can accurately predict epilepsy diagnoses based solely on colloquial and vernacular verbal descriptions of seizures. This will be evaluated by comparing LLM predictions against clinical decisions and ground truth data, such as EEG confirmations of epileptiform activity and imaging evidence of epileptogenic lesions. The study also intends to examine the challenges NLP algorithms may face during the translation of these descriptions across languages and cultures. Additionally, the project will explore the use of video recordings of seizues from the Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town South Africa to automatically analyze seizure behavior and classify it into known seizure and epilepsy types. By combining verbal and video data, the research aims to develop more generalizable and culturally adaptable diagnostic tools for epilepsy, ultimately improving diagnosis and care for diverse patient populations.

Germany and African Initiative for Nutritional Neuroscience (GAINN)

Applicant: Rachel Lippert Ph.D. (Deutsches Institut für Ernährungsforschung Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE))

Cooperation partner: Dr. Benjamin Aboagye, David Larbi Simpong Ph.D (University of Cape Coast), Olusegun Adebayo Ph.D. (Redeemer's University), Dr. Frank Adu-Nti Ph.D. (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)), Prof. Dr. Adejumoke Idowu AYEDE (University of Ibadan), Awa Ba Ph.D. (Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar), Dr. Ruth Hanssen (Max-Planck-Institut für Stoffwechselforschung), Gueyraud Rolland Kipre Ph.D. (Université Félix-Houphouët-Boigny), Prof. Dr. Moritz Köster (Universität Regensburg), Dr. Sarah Matuja Ph.D., Dr. Matiko Mwita (Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences), Michael Ntim Ph.D. (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)), Prof. Marie-Christine Simon Ph.D. (Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn), Dr. Sharmili Edwin Thanarajah (Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main)

Country: Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Tanzania

Summary: With the DFG funding support we aim to unite research across 5 African countries with German researchers to generate collaborative research proposals through the lens of neuroscience and nutrition. This will highlight key research areas such as early development, diverse food environments and aspects of gut-brain in driving neurodegenerative disease development and progression. By synergizing expertise across human and animal studies as well as diverse local nutritional influences, we aim to drive forward novel research ideas in the context of the nutritional environment and long-term neurodegenerative disease risk. 

This will be accomplished through two intense workshops taking place in Ghana and In Potsdam, allowing for direct interaction and impulses from the invited researchers on both continents. Further, by immersing in the local environments, new ideas and strategies can be born to untie research programs across the different represented countries. We aim to have invited talks from local stakeholders to stimulate discussions and unveil new areas or avenues of research to pursue. Through pinpointing molecular mechanisms driving these influences, we ultimately strive to have research findings which will lead to improved interventions as well as guidelines and potentially policies with regard to access to unhealthy nutrition, such as ultra-processed foods.

A collaboration to investigate novel neurochemical pathways for management of Alzheimer's disease using histamine H3 receptor antagonists and cholinesterase inhibitors in zebrafish models of memory and learning

Applicant: Prof. Dr. Holger Stark (Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf)

Cooperation partner: Prof. Donatus Adongo Ph.D., Benjamin Kingsley Harley Ph.D., Dr. Augustine Tandoh Ph.D.  (University of Health and Allied Sciences)

Country: Ghana

Summary: New dual targeting ligands with inhibitory affinity at Histamine H3 receptors as G protein coupled receptors (GPCR) and inhibitors of acetylcholin esterase will ge screened on prclinical Alzheimer modells on Zebra fish assays. Taking advantage of the 3R approach (replace, reduce, refine) we will effectively select the most promising compounds. I addition, we will screen natural compounds taken from traditionally used herbal compounds for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The compounds will be screened on aminergic GPCRs and selected metabolic enzymes for neurotransmitters.

Potential Impact of Metal-Based Nanoparticles on the Viability and Developmental Biology of Insect Nervous Systems

Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Michael Stern (Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover)

Cooperation partner: Dr. Karen Cloete Ph.D. (University of South Africa (UNISA))

Country: South Africa

Summary: Nanotechnology is a fast-moving area that finds applications in such diverse areas as material science, electronic engineering, consumer goods production, medicine, and agriculture. A recent innovation in the field is the use of plant extracts in nanoparticle synthesis. Due to the involvement of auxiliar natural substances, this so called „green nanotechnology“ aims for environmentally beneficial and more biocompatible nanoparticles free from hazardous substances. Copper nanoparticles (CuNPs), synthesized using green methods, have been particularly noted for their potent insecticidal activity. On the other hand, there is a growing public awareness about the toxic potential for humans associated with nanoparticles applied to the environment. The small size of nanoparticles poses the risk of permeating the protective blood brain barrier into the nervous system, even by inhalation through the nose. The nervous system, and in particular the developing central nervous system is more sensitive to damage than other organs. Whereas developmental neurotoxicological testing usually employs large numbers of mammalian experimental animals, basic mechanisms can be studied in cell culture, or insect embryonic tissue culture.

The purpose of the project applied for here, is the development of a joint multidisciplinary approach to study potential adverse effects of green-engineered nanoparticles on the developing nervous system. On the biological side, using neuronal precursor cells and/or embryonic insect nervous tissue, the effect of nanoparticles can be tested on neurotoxicological endpoints such as cell differentiation, neurotransmitter content, cell migration, neurite outgrowth, and growth cone navigation. On the material science side, modification of the production process enables to test effects influenced by nanoparticle size, biochemical modification, or effectivity of uptake by plants. The objective of this planned collaboration is to define a specific project in which the strengths of both partners, development of green-engineered nanoparticles in South Africa, and developmental neurotoxicology in Germany, are combined to gain deeper knowledge about the interaction of these new materials with living cells, connecting the distinct fields of human and environmental nanotoxicology.

Comparative analysis of ocular adaptations to different levels of sunlight exposure in African and European tree-dwelling diurnal squirrels

Applicant: Prof. Reiner Ulrich Ph.D. (Universität Leipzig)

Cooperation partner: Dr. Olanrewaju Fatola Ph.D. (University of Ibadan)

Country: Nigeria

Summary: The proposed pre-project aims to investigate the ocular adaptations of diurnal tree-dwelling squirrels from Africa and Europe in response to varying levels of sunlight exposure. Understanding these adaptations is crucial for elucidating how environmental factors, such as sunlight, drive the evolution of the eye in diurnal mammals. Hypothesis and Aims: We hypothesize that African tree squirrels, such as the Gambian Sun Squirrel (Heliosciurus gambianus) and Thomas’s Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus anerythrus), have developed specific ocular adaptations to intense sunlight compared to the Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), which inhabits more shaded environments. The primary objective is to perform a comparative analysis of ocular structures, including eye size, retinal composition, and pigmentation, to identify evolutionary adaptations. Materials and Methods: The pre-project will involve collecting and analyzing eye specimens from three squirrel species: Gambian Sun Squirrel, Thomas’s Rope Squirrel, and Eurasian red squirrel. Key techniques will include macroscopic measurements, histological analysis, immunohistochemistry, and morphometry. Additionally, the project will introduce three-dimensional visualization of ocular structures using light-sheet fluorescence microscopy.

Expected Outcomes and Future Research: The pre-project is expected to reveal significant differences in ocular morphology between African and European squirrels, providing insights into the evolutionary pressures exerted by different light environments. These findings will enhance our understanding of ocular adaptation to varying light exposure levels in diurnal mammals. The knowledge and techniques developed through this project will lay the groundwork for future collaborative research endeavors, including studies on retinal diseases and further investigations into sensory evolution in other species. The three-dimensional morphometric investigation methods developed, with cellular-level resolution, could be applied in numerous experimental studies in the future, such as a Rift Valley fever virus-induced retinitis model.

Molecular mechanisms underlying hypoadrenalism and the risk for psychiatric symptoms after traumatic brain injury

Applicant: Dr. Eva Viho Ph.D. (Max-Planck-Institut für Psychiatrie)

Cooperation partner: Dr. Sally Rothemeyer, Prof. Dr. Dan Stein (University of Cape Town)

Country: South Africa

Summary: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability globally. Hypopituitarism is a chronic condition associated with TBI. Approximately 30% of TBI patients develop hypopituitarism within a year, with ~10% experiencing hypoadrenalism, leading to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction and cortisol deficiency, which could be especially prevalent in patients with TBI-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This condition correlates with molecular changes in the brain, significantly affecting patients’ recovery outcome. Understanding the relationship between neuroendocrine dysfunction and brain molecular changes in TBI is crucial. 

The collaboration between the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry (Munich, Germany) and the Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cape Town (South Africa) aims to develop a research project to identify biomarkers to recognize 'at-risk' patients for TBI-associated hypoadrenalism and PTSD, and develop targeted therapeutic interventions to improve the quality of life for TBI patients with neuroendocrine chronic conditions. To take full advantage of our collaboration and combine our respective expertise in neurosurgery, neurology, psychiatry, molecular neuroendocrinology and genetics, we will organize several collaborative activities to develop our research project and foster a broader collaborative relationship between our two institutions.