Tag: e-News

On 2-3 Nov, investigators from the South and Southeast Asian Community-based Trials Network (SEACTN) spent two intense but highly productive days in Bangkok refining the statistical analysis plans for the projects in the first phase of SEACTN which ends in 2024, as well as brainstorming for its next phase. Exciting times are ahead, with many high-impact outputs from the first phase expected to be published starting  next year! Special thanks to Watcharintorn Thongpiam, Krongkarn Nareepon, and Sureeporn Thongkuna for coordinating the logistics, ensuring a smooth and efficient meeting!

SEACTN aims to define comprehensively the epidemiology of acute febrile illness in rural South and Southeast Asia, and to serve as a platform for trials of interventions to improve its management.

– Text courtesy of Chris Chew, with thanks to Krongkarn (Fang) Nareepon for photo.

It was good to see lots of MORU colleagues (Maliwan Hongsuwan, Akanittha Poonchai, William Schilling, Ellen Beer, Simon Boyd, Nick White, Phrutsamon Wongnak, Tanatchakorn Asawariworanan, Wanassanan Madmanee, Jindarat Kouhathong, and Kanokon Suwannasin) in Laos 6-8 Aug for a monitoring and training visit related to the PLATCOV (PIs Will Schilling & Nick White) and SEACTN (PI Yoel Lubell) projects. 

The PLATCOV study (Platform trial of antiviral pharmacodynamics in early symptomatic COVID-19) has been running in Mahosot Hospital with the Lung Ward since 2022. Recruitment has been challenging as COVID-19 has transitioned to a predominantly mild illness with few patients presenting to the hospital. We hope to start the AD ASTRA study (NCT05648448) in the coming months, which is a similar study in patients with influenza.

The SEACTN project (Southeast Asia Community Trials Network) is a multicountry study aiming to improve the management of patients with febrile illness living in rural areas in Southeast Asia. LOMWRU have completed Work Package A, recruiting more than 20,000 patients with febrile illness to health centres in collaboration with the Savannakhet Provincial Health Office. Work Package B continues to recruit in Savannakhet Provincial Hospital.

– With thanks to Liz Ashley for text, and Latsaniphone Boutthasavong for the group shot.

Following IRB approval, we started collecting dry blood spots in the cause of fever SEACTN-WPB study we are carrying out in Mae Chan and Mae Suai hospitals. The results will help estimate the incidence of febrile illnesses in South and Southeast Asia, a project led by Kristen Aiemjoy. On 20 July, Krista Vaidya, who will carry out a seroincidence project with Kristen in Nepal, visited Mae Chan hospital to see how procedures are being carried out. Thank you, Krista, for the visit and for the many precious tips! Pictured, Benjamas Nuangkanta performs a finger prick to collect blood spots from a SEACTN WPB patients, behind her Nidanuch (Pui) Tasak (left) and Krista Vaidya (right), assist in the procedure. 

– Text and photo courtesy of Carlo Perrone.

Having overseen recruitment of an astounding 25,000 patients by our partners from Savannakhet Health Centres in Atsaphangthong, Phalanxay and Phin District Health Centres as part of Work Package A of the multi-country SEACTN project (improving management of febrile illnesses in rural areas), as well as conducting more than 1400 verbal autopsies, the LOMWRU Work Package A team packed up to return to Vientiane last week (week of 3 July). We visited the district hospitals with Provincial Health Office Director Dr Tiengkham Pongvongsa (bottom photo, left) who has overseen numerous research projects in Savannakhet Province over the years. Dr Koukeo Phommasone, who has coordinated all the work packages in Laos since the beginning of the project, gave very preliminary results to the heads of the District Health Offices, who eagerly await full results from MORU in Bangkok at a later date. We also caught up with Dr Chanthala Phamisith, Director of Savannakhet Provincial Hospital where Work Package B of SEACTN is being conducted with more than 1000 patients included so far (WP-B team is Dr Xaykhamphet, Dr Khanxayaphone, Dr Sengdavanh and Mr Bank).

The LOMWRU WP-A team are shown above on a previous visit, from left: Mr Souksavanh Simanivong (logistician), Mr Somdy Xayalath (VA project), Dr Nongneth Khambounheuan (Director of Atsaphangthong District Hospital), Dr Souphap Inxyxiengma (Head of Atsaphangthong District Health Office), Dr Xaipasong Xaiyaphet (site coordinator), Dr Khambang Seevanhthong, and Dr Aitlada Soulivong. 

– Text courtesy of Liz Ashley, with thanks to Dr Xaipasong Xaiyaphet for photos.

As part of the work for the South and South East Asia Community Trials Network (SEACTN), Jaruwan Tubprasert and Akanittha Poonchai visited CCRU to monitor the work package B, which will find out the causes of acute febrile illness and its outcomes in people presenting to hospitals in the region, and the household survey, which will define a picture of the health status of communities in the network. Their precious feedback will help us improve the quality of our work, Thank you Jaruwan and Akanittha!

Together with the monitoring team, Dr Aninda Sen, Dr Sharmin Ahmed and Dr Nawrin Kabir came from BRAC University, Bangladesh to exchange experiences on the project, as they will soon start the household survey and have only recently started with work package B. Meiwen Zhang, Watcharintorn Thongpiam, SEACTN PI Prof Yoel Lubell and Chris Chew completed the visiting party. Together, we visited Chiangrai Prachanukroh and Mae Chan Hospitals together, met local partners and household survey fieldworkers, and discussed issues related to the projects.

Pictured during a lunch break at Mae Chan, clockwise from left: Dr Sharmin Ahmed, Laphaphat Naruesornsiri, Jaruwan Tubprasert, Akanittha Poonchai, Yoel Lubell, Dr Aninda Sen, Carlo Perrone, Chris Chew, Benjamas Nuangkanta, Dr Nawrin Kabir, Nidanuch Tasak and Areerat Thaiprakhong,

We all thank our visitors for their company and help. Unfortunately, the dry-season wildfires have made the air hazardously polluted so outdoor activities had to be kept to a minimum. We hope in future visits to show them Chiangrai’s wonderful outdoors. 

– Thank you, Carlo Perrone, for text and Benjamas Nuangkanta for photo.

Congratulations are in order as our amazing SEACTN-Work package A team, from left, Souksavanh Simanivong (logistician), Dr Aitlada Soulivong, Dr Khambang Seevanhthong and site coordinator Dr Xaipasong Xaiyaphet and the Savannakhet provincial and District health staff led by Dr Tiengkham Pongvongsa (not pictured), enrolled more than their target of 20,000 consultations in health centres in Atsaphangthong, Phalanxay and Phin by end Feb. This is a massive achievement and the Laos site is the first to reach its target. Taking place in Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia and Laos, SEACTN (Southeast Asia Community Trials Network) aims to improve the management of febrile illness in rural areas. There are other work packages such as WP-B studying patients presenting to Savannakhet Provincial Hospital with febrile illness, and a verbal autopsy sub-study. Dr Koukeo Phommasone, Deputy Head of Mahosot Hospital Microbiology and Clinician Scientist, manages the Lao SEACTN programme of research, and Prof Yoel Lubell, based in MORU, Bangkok, is overall SEACTN PI.  

– Thank you, Liz Ashley, for text and Dr Xaipasong Xaiyaphet for photo.