The Duke Global Health Institute has awarded a two-year $50,000 pilot grant to DGHI faculty member Wendy O'Meara and Duke Global Health Fellow Thomas Holland to study non-malarial causes of fever among children at a rural district hospital in western Kenya. This is the first pilot awarded by the DGHI Emerging Infections Working Group.

Though malaria has long been recognized as one of the preeminent contributors to childhood mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, recent data show a decline in deaths due to malaria, including in Kenya. It is expected that other pathogens are emerging as important contributors to the burden of pediatric illness, yet there lacks evidence describing the etiologies of acute febrile illness.

The project aims to describe how non-malarial pathogens such as group A streptococcus, rickettsia and respiratory viruses contribute to acute febrile illness among children admitted to the Webuye District Hospital with fever.

"We are grateful for this pilot funding from DGHI which will allow us to better understand the causes of fevers in children in rural Kenya," said O'Meara. "We hope this study will pave the way for improved diagnosis and clinical care for childhood illnesses and reduce morbidity and mortality."

The study is important because despite revised guidelines advocating confirmation of malaria infection prior to treatment, it is believed that a majority of Kenyan outpatients with fever are routinely prescribed antimalarial drugs.   

The research team will also evaluate the appropriateness of current clinical guidelines for the management of pediatric fevers among hospital patients and identify community risk factors for malaria and rickettsial infection as model systems for zoonotic and vector-borne infections.

From Michael Merson, Founding Director of the Duke Global Health Institute

The emphasis of this year's report is on the places, partners and purpose of the Institute's work. The very nature of what we do at the Duke Global Health Institute demands strong partnerships across the Duke campus and around the world with universities, non-governmental organizations, governments, corporations, and the media. When we plot our activities on a map, behind each marker are dozens of individuals, countless hours of work and deliberation, and meaningful collaborations that are resulting in a healthier world.

 This report is filled with stories about how our faculty and students are working together with partners to address issues such as water and sanitation in India, access to health care and medicines in Kenya, mental health in Haiti, obesity in China, medical education in Tanzania and malnutrition in Uganda.

We are not only working on cutting-edge research, but also in many places around the world, such as in rural India and urban China through our Global Semester Abroad program for undergraduates. Faculty from Duke, UNC-CH and NC State are working together within the Triangle Global Health Consortium on a new graduate course dedicated to the burgeoning field of One Health.