NEWS
06/2024
EKC projects exhibited at the Africa Festival
Following last year's successful participation of the EKC at the Africa Festival in Würzburg - Europe's biggest festival for African music and culture - the EKC participated again as part of the university tent at the Africa Festival this year.
Three of the EKC PhD students presented their research projects to a broad and interessted audience.
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© Franziska Pietsch
© SOPHEA
06/2024
Call for Applications to the Planetary Health Summer School 2024
The SOPHEA team is pleased to announce the call for applications for the 3rd Planetary Health Summer School, which will be held in Würzburg, September 13 - 22, 2024.
All students, scientists and practitioners of all disciplines are invited to apply until Jun 22, 2024.
There will also be a webinare series running from June 5 - July 3.
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05/2024
EKC PhD attends conference in Lisbon
The EKC PhD student and medical docotor Deodatus Mabula presented his EKC-founded research project at this year's Heart Failure congress, which took place in Lisbon May 11 - 14. For his work, he was granted a travel stipend by the congress organisers.
His conclusion after his return to Würzburg: "I had a very big moment in Lisbon with a lot of academic exposure from different expert".
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© Deodatus Mabula
04/2024
EKC PhD student in London
Nyanda Justine, one of eight EKC PhD students is currently interning at the Natural History Museum in London. In the laboratory of Dr Bonnie Webster he is learning a specific PCR method for the identification of different schistosomiasis species.
© Nyanda Justine
01/2024
Joint Winter School
January 19-20th, 2024 the University of Würzburg organized the 6th Winter School for the medical students enrolled in the Translational Medicine program. This year, research, challenges, and international perspectives on stroke were discussed. Tanzanian students from the M.Sc. Epidemiology & Biostatistics course were invited to join online. All students from Mwnaza, who took advantage of this opportunity gave very good feedback on the subject matter and relevance of the Winter School.
© ICE-B
© EKC
01/2024
Call for applications: 5 exchange student positions available
The application period for this year's EKC students exchange to Würzburg, Germany just started. Again, 5 medical students from CUHAS-Bugando will be selected for the EKC exchange program. Application deadline is March 31rst 2024. The exchange is scheduled for late August to mid-October 2024.
Details regarding requirements and the application from can be found here and on the CUHAS homepage.
Best of luck with your applications!
© Andreas Müller
11/2023
EKC research projects presented at the ECTMIH in Utrecht
At the 13th European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health, which took place in the Netherlands, Prof Humphrey Mazigo and Dr Andreas Müller presented their newest data on Schistosomiasis morbidities and viral co-infections gathered on Ukerewe Island.
Additionally, the EKC PhD student Shimba Henerico was invited to talk about his research on HIV drug resistance.
11/2023
New Master Program introduced at CUHAS
With the new term, a novel master program on "Epidemiology and Biostatistics" was launched at the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences.
The program was designed in a joint effort between lecturers at CUHAS and the University of Würzburg and will be open for participation of students from both sides.
The first cohort comprises 11 students, which recently took up their master studies.
© Stella Mugassa
© Ladius Kyandalo
07/2024
guest physician at UKW nephrology department
Dr Ladius Rudovick Kyandalo, himself a nephrologist from Bugando Medical Centre stayed for a medical training at the University Hospital in Würzburg for 3 weeks.
His conclusion: "There were many things I learnt here, including the department organization and how patients are managed. Additionally, I could witnes a kidney transplant procedure, which was a difficult, but very successful operation".
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© Michael Thiel
07/2024
EKC as guest at the BayFor
The Bavarian Research Alliance (BayFor) invited representatives from various Bavarian organizations, institutes, NGOs, industries, and universities, which collaborate with different African partners to a panel discussion during the Cooperation Lounge on "Rethinking Collaboration in Research & Innovation" in Munich.
The EKC was invited as example for a longstanding and successfull collaboration between Germany and Tanzania.
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10/2023
EKC at the World Health Summit
The World Health Summit takes place in Berlin every year to bring together stakeholders from politics, science, the private sector, and non-profit organisations from around the globe.
This year, the EKC was also on site. During the well-received session on "Innovative Academic Cooperations: Partnerships to Improve Health", which was hosted by the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Foundation, the EKC was presented by the EKC Scientific Manager Prof Oliver Kurzai.
© Franziska Pietsch
08/2023
CUHAS medical students in Würzburg
We warmly welcome this year's medical exchange students from Mwanza in Würzburg!
Hanna, Elvis, Faraja, Agren, and Winbeth will stay in Würzburg for 7 weeks and rotate through different clinical departments during this time.
Before the clinical part, they will participate at the Summer School "Planetary Health".
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© Barbara Moll
© Jimmy Mwaisakar
08/2023
Continued funding of the EKC approved
Since three years, the participating partner organisations from Mwanza and Würzburg have been working together under the umbrella of the EKC to improve medical education at both locations and health care for the population in the lake zone.
In March 2023, an interim evaluation of the centre took place at the halfway point of the funding period. Not only all evaluators, but also the Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation was very satisfied with the work of the center and has agreed to continue funding of the EKC as a "flagship project".
07/2023
medical equipment for partner clinics
During the coming months, medmissio will provide a number of medical instruments for CUHAS' parnter hospitals.
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To start with, two C-arm X-ray devices were transported to a storage room, which was made available by the City of Würzburg, where they await the shipment to Tanzania.
© Andreas Müller
05/2023
EKC goes Africa Festival
Last weekend, Europe's oldest and biggest festival for African Culture took place in Würzburg. Amongst many other initiatives and collaborative projects of the University of Würzburg, the EKC was presented in the university tent.
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© Franziska Pietsch
© Pamina Hagen
05/2023
Summer School Planetary Health: Call for Application
Following last year's big success, the Universities of Würzburg, Bayreuth, Eldoret, and Mwanza will organise a second edition of the Summer School Planetary Health (Climate, Environment & Health) in Würzburg this September.
Registration is free of charge, application deadline is May 21, 2023.
For more information visit go.uniwue.de/ph-summer-school
© Gunnar Bartsch
03/2023
Prolonged Memorandum of Understanding
This Monday, March 13, the currently existing Memorandum of Understanding between the partner universities and hospitals in Würzburg and Mwanza was renewed in a very ceremonial setting at the Residence in Würzburg. With their signatures, the deputy signatories from JMU, UKW, CUHAS and BMC affirmed a continuation of the medical and scientific exchange between the two locations. The new agreement will be in force for the coming 5 years.
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01/2023
Endoscopy at Nansio / Ukerewe
To improve medical care on Ukerewe, the EKC equipped the district hospital of Nansio with endoscopic devices for imaging diagnostics. This enables the Nansio Hospital to carry out necessary examinations and interventions on site. This is especially important in the event of life-threatening upper gastrointestinal bleedings, as they frequently occur in Schistosomiasis patients.
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© Andreas Müller
© EKC
01/2023
Call for applications
Following a long tradition, this year 5 students from CUHAS will again be selected for the EKC student exchange program. Application deadline is March 31rst 2023. The exchange is scheduled for late August to mid-October 2023.
Details regarding requirements and the application from can be found here and on the CUHAS homepage.
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Best of luck!
08/2024
We welcome this year's exchange students
A warm welcome goes to the five medical students from CUHAS, who will spend the coming seven weeks with clinical rotations through Würzburg's univeristy hospital and also participate at the Summer School Planetary Health.
We hope Dativa, Nancy, Johnson, Sospeter, and Sabrina will have a fantasitc, memorable, and educational time in Germany!
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© Johnson Malunga
12/2022
Christmas time in Germany
One important thing to do during the festive season in Germany is to go to Christmas markets and have mulled wine. Now that we have taken care of this, the next thing to do is to wait for the snow to fall.
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We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
© Franziska Pietsch
10/2022
Back to Rothenburg
Just like last year, we took a daytrip to Rothenburg o.d.T. We had a great day exploring the old streets of this medieval town. We also took the opportunity to marvel at the Riemenschneider Altar at St. James Church and climb the stairs up the City Hall tower.
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On October 31, the students will return to Mwanza. It was a great pleasure having you here. We wish you the best of luck for the future and a safe journey home!
© Andrew Entwistle
© Andrew Entwistle
09/2022
5 Exchange Students in Würzburg
This year, five Tansanian medical students are funded for a 7-week stay in Würzburg. During their visit, they will rotate between different departments of the University Hospital and attend the "Summer School Planetary Health".
To welcome them, Prof Jürgen Deckert, Vice Dean for Internationalisation took them for a guided tour through Würzburg.
07/2022
EKC PhD students in Würzburg
We warmly welcome Vitus Silago (left) and Nyanda Justine (right) in Würzburg. Both are currently doing their PhD at CUHAS and are supported by the EKC as PhD-associate (Vitus) and PhD fellow (Nyanda).
© Franziska Pietsch
06/2022
EKC Progress Report published
Here you can find the progress report of the EKC with the main achievements and highlights since the foundation of the Center.
Please view in 2-page view and enjoy!
© EKC
06/2022
Summer School "Planetary Health" open for application
This Ocotber, the Universitiy of Würzburg, the University of Eldoret, and CUHAS are organising a joint summer school on Planetary Health. Applications can be submitted until July 17.
For more information click here.
© Eva-Maria Schwienhorst-Stich
© Gabriele Gerlach
05/2022
Mwanza delegation in Würzburg
Last week, an honorable delegation from the City of Mwanza visited the EKC Würzburg to learn about the different programs and acitivites within the center. It was a great pleasure to welcome the guest at the EKC Würzburg!
03/2022
Medical Exchange
From mid-January to late March, two medical doctors from Bugando Medical Center in Mwanza came to Würzburg to be trained in various sonographic procedures. To enable training for the diagnostics of liver damages, as seen in Schistosomiasis, the EKC purchased a portable FibroScan device for hands-on training in Würzburg. In the future, this machine will be used on Ukerewe to train colleagues in the field to examine patients.
© Paulina Manyiri
02/2022
Field work on Ukerewe Island
An important part of the EKC is the fight against Neglected Tropical Disesaes (NTCs). On Ukerewe island we focus on the containment of schistosomiasis, which is a highly prevalent parasitic infection at the shores of Lake Vicotria.
© Stella Mugassa
01/2022
The EKC exchange students in Mwanza
Reunion in Tanzania: Last weekend, the EKC exchange students from Mwanza organized an excursion for the German students, who complete part of the practical year at the Bugando Medical Center at the moment.
© Anna Dittmar
12/2021
5 positions for student exchange
Following a long tradition, this year 5 students from CUHAS will again be selected for the EKC student exchange program. Application deadline is March 31rst 2022. The exchange is scheduled for September 15th - November 1rst 2022.
© EKC
11/2021
Visit to Ukerewe
During their stay in Tanzania, the EKC team spent two days on Ukerewe island in Lake Victoria, where the Schistosomiasis project is being carried out.
On the picture, Prof. Mazigo is showing a Bulinus snail, the parasites's intermediate host.
© Franziska Pietsch
11/2021
Official opening of the EKC
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the EKC was officially opened only now, on November 11th. The formal ceremony took place in Mwanza in the presence of all partners. On behalf of the Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation, the delegation from Würzburg was accompanied by Dr. Judith von Heusinger.
© Franziska Pietsch
© Franziska Pietsch
10/2021
Day trip to Rothenburg
Last weekend we took a daytrip to Rothenburg, a small medieval town close to Würzburg. Trains were cancelled and once in Rothenburg it started raining. Anyhow, the day was great.
On November 6th, the students will return to Mwanza. It was a great pleasure having you here. We wish you the best of luck for the future and a safe journey home!
© Michael Ullrich
09/2021
A warm welcome to the EKC exchange students
This year, seven Tansanian medical students can participate in the EKC undergraduate exchange program. We are very glad to have them with us for the coming 8 weeks!
07/2021
Second PhD student started
In the end of August, Deodatus Mabula came to Würzburg as the 2nd EKC scholar to start his research at the Comprehensive Heart Failure Center.
Welcome to Würzburg, Deodatus!
© Deodatus Mabula
06/2021
First PhD student started
In June, Delfina Msanga started her PhD program as the first EKC scholar.
Welcome to Würzburg and the Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, Delfina!
© Delfina Msanga