Respiratory viral infections, such as measles and SARS-CoV-2, remain a major public health challenge in Ethiopia, causing recurring outbreaks and straining healthcare systems. At HITM, we focus on improving the detection and monitoring of these infections through strengthened laboratory diagnostics, including real-time PCR and sequencing technologies.

Projects support regional surveillance of measles, characterization of circulating viral strains, and the development of rapid diagnostic and outbreak response capabilities. Additionally, research assesses the impact of respiratory viral outbreaks, particularly COVID-19, on routine care for other diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis.

Through close collaboration with local and international partners, HITM aims to enhance early detection, guide targeted interventions, and improve preparedness for future respiratory viral threats.

Measles remains a significant public health challenge in Ethiopia, with recurrent outbreaks affecting vulnerable populations across multiple regions. HITM supports outbreak response efforts by conducting measles sequencing to elucidate viral transmission patterns, identify circulating genotypes, and strengthen national surveillance capacities. This genomic information informs targeted vaccination strategies and contributes to improved prevention and control of future measles outbreaks in Ethiopia.

As Ethiopia was severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, there was also a scientific interest in addition to participation in routine diagnostics. We collected data on the prevalence of SARS -COV-2 infections in the different treatment centres in Asella and surroundings.

We also investigated the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the adequate care of tuberculosis- and HIV- patients.

PREVENT COVID-19 and COVSERO are projects funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

PREVENT COVID-19 involves a multimodal approach: we strengthened laboratory capacities by training staff and installing new equipment for PCR diagnostics and machine RNA extraction, we also established hygiene concepts and a mobile app for contact tracing.

COVSERO is dedicated to investigating the seroprevalence of antibodies against SARS-COV-2, for the first time using a state-of-the-art serology analyser. Sequencing analyses are also being carried out.