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Azithromycin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic often used to treat children and adults who suffer from different infections. In countries where the eye disease trachoma occurs, azithromycin has been administered in mass campaigns to the entire population in order to reduce the disease burden.
In such campaigns, it was shown that infant mortality decreased in areas where azithromycin mass administration was used. LAKANA wants to clarify this connection and another point of interest is the possible antimicrobial resistance, which may result from mass administration of antibiotics.
The coordinating institute is Tampere University. The collaborators in the research project are University College London in the UK, Center for Vaccine Development Mali and a UK-based global health consulting company Tro Da.
In media
19.11.2019: Tampere University reducing infant mortality in Mali
Publications
- Adubra et. al. Testing the effects of mass drug administration of azithromycin on mortality and other outcomes among 1–11-month-old infants in Mali (LAKANA): study protocol for a cluster-randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, parallel-group, three-arm clinical trial. Trials 2023; 24:5
- Alber D, Haidara FC, Luoma J, Adubra L, Ashorn P, Ashorn U, Badji H, Cloutman-Green E, Diallo F, Ihamuotila R, Klein N, Martell O, Onwuchekwa UU, Samaké O, Sow SO, Traore A, Wilson K, Ducker C, Fan YM. SARS-CoV-2 infection and antibody seroprevalence in routine surveillance patients, healthcare workers and general population in Kita region, Mali: An observational study 2020-2021. BMJ Open 2022;12. Doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-060367