GHiGS

Scientific orientations of the research team

The GHiGS team aims to contribute to improving health at individual and population level in countries from the Global South and to contribute to reducing health inequities between countries, as well as within countries.

Low- and middle-income countries, and in particular in Sub-Saharan Africa, are going through major changes including epidemiologic, sociodemographic, economic, agronomic, technological, and climatic transitions. At the same time, they are carrying the triple burden of: (i) infectious diseases, including HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, hepatitis and a number of other emerging infectious disease threats (including hemorrhagic fevers and other epidemics); (ii) growingly prevalent non-communicable diseases (NCDs; diabetes, cancers, hypertension, obesity), and (iii) unprecedented outdoor pollutions and environmental threats. The GHiGS team aims to respond to these major transitions and new challenges through integrated, multi-level and inter-disciplinary research approaches in the context of the Global South.

Among the key highlights of the past five years, the GHiGS team contributed to a major revision in the international HIV treatment guidelines issued by the World Health Organization and was among the rare research teams worldwide having conducted a treatment trial to reduce mortality during the Ebola virus disease epidemic in West Africa.

In the coming years, the GHiGS team will strengthen and expand two key research themes, i.e. infectious diseases and mother and child health issues, to address new challenges in the field of diagnosis, care, and treatment and beyond.

NCD research, previously addressed by the team in relation with infectious diseases (HPV and HBV related cancers, cardiovascular and metabolic HIV-comorbidities), will become a standalone research theme. Major challenges in implementing evidence-based interventions will be addressed within a cross-sectional and structural research axis on “Models of care, implementation and health systems”. Finally, beyond individual and health systems levels, the GHiGS team will explore the impact on health (NCDs, emerging epidemics,..) of global forces and environmental changes (climate change, bacterial ecosystem, resistance to antimicrobials, pollution…), as part of the “People in their environment” axis.

Research in the GHiGS team will be built on equal partnership and co-construction with scientific partners, clinicians, policy-makers from Global South countries.

Through its expanded research program and strengthened and expanded collaborations and partnerships, the ambition of the GHiGS team is to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal #3 on Health and Well-Being.

Structuration of the research team

The GHiGS activities will be organized around 3 research themes (infectious diseases; maternal and child health; non-communicable diseases) which correspond to major global health challenges; and 3 cross-sectional axes (Prevention, diagnosis and treatment; models of care, implementation, and health systems; people in their environment) that will structure research efforts, collaborations, and development of methods and scientific engineering capacities.