Ethiopia is one of the countries with the highest incidence of tuberculosis in the world. An important problem in treatment is the development of drug-toxic hepatitis, i.e. liver inflammation caused by the tuberculosis drugs. This complicates the therapy in up to one third of patients, especially with pre-existing liver diseases and liver-toxic concomitant medication (e.g. HIV medication). In this case, the tuberculosis therapy often has to be interrupted, with the consequence of a poorer response or progression of the disease and possibly the development of resistance.

In this study, which was funded by the Research Commission of the University Hospital Düsseldorf for 2 years, the frequency of this complication as well as the effects on the success of the therapy, but above all the risk factors were investigated. According to recent findings, polymorphisms (genetic variants) of bile salt transporters could play an important role here; a number of these polymorphisms were investigated in this study.

Another on-going study is investigating the prevalence and aetiology of chronic liver diseases in Asella. For this study, patients attending the hospital are screened for the presence of chronic liver disease using the transient elastography, a fast and non-invasive technique. The causes, risk factors and determinants for clinical progression in patients with chronic liver diseases in the region are being investigated. Again, the study is accompanied by clinical training on the management of chronic liver diseases and associated complications.

Within the framework of the ESTHER initiative (Ensemble pour une Solidarité Thérapeutique Hospitalière en Réseau), various projects in the field of infectious diseases have been and are being realised.

The first project was a hospital partnership on maternal and child health, including a capacity building programme, dealing with the impact of infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B virus infections, childbed fever and sexually transmitted diseases.

This was followed by projects on urinary tract infections, hygiene, especially hand hygiene as well as nosocomial infections.

Conducted by the partners of the COMBAT-AMR network, these related projects, funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany, deal with the topics of digitalisation (e-health) and wound infections (SSI, Surgical Site Infections). On the one hand, the causes of wound infections are investigated by means of targeted microbiological diagnostics (pathogen detection and resistance spectrum). On the other hand, these and all other results of microbiological diagnostics are now digitally recorded in a database and forwarded to the attending physician in real time via an app in order to gain valuable time in adapting antibiotic treatment and thus implement a significantly more targeted therapy that also counteracts the development of antibiotic resistance.