Switzerland : PhD Position in Epidemiology at the Human-Animal Interface, Swiss Tropical Institute

Neglected Tropical Diseases and integrated demographic surveillance in mobile pastoralists and their animals in Chad

In the frame work of a project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation ProDoc scheme, a PhD position in Epidemiology is open at earliest convenience.

PhD Position in Epidemiology at the human-animal interface

• Working places: Basel, Switzerland and N’Djaména, Chad
• Remuneration: According to the salary scheme of the Swiss National Science Foundation
• Duration 3 years.

Conditions:

• Master of Science degree
• Registration at the University of Basel
• Experience with field work in Africa
• Fluency in French, written and spoken
• Notions in Arabic are an asset
• Suitable candidates have preferably a background in biology, public health, animal health, population biology or health geography.

Applicants are invited to send:

1. Letter of motivation
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Copies of their diplomas
4. Letters of recommendation
5. Names and addresses of two reference persons

To:

PD Dr. Jakob Zinsstag, Swiss Tropical Institute, PO Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland,
or by email to jakob.zinsstag@ unibas.ch, Tel. +41 61 284 81 39

Background and Aims of the Project

Substantial gains have been made in global health, including reductions in overall and child mortality in developing countries. However, progress remains uneven and there are growing differences in mortality, morbidity and disease burden rates according to geographical region. For example, communicable diseases, maternal and perinatal conditions, and micronutrient deficiencies cluster in the tropics and subtropics, and contribute to delay the social and economic development. Improving the health and livelihoods of the global poor could save millions of healthy life years, enhance equity and alleviate poverty, and hence contribute to achieving the millennium development goals (MDGs). Certain MDGs are addressed by global alliances and partnerships; e.g. the control of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Fewer efforts are placed on the so-called neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), e.g. helminth infections and zoonoses. The focus of this project is on the epidemiology and control of NTDs in semi-arid and humid contexts in Central and West Africa.

The goal of this proposal is to deepen our understanding of morbidity patterns and transmission dynamics of NTDs in two eco-epidemiological settings of Africa, and to study the effects of control interventions aiming at reducing the burden due to NTDs. This will entail the development of methods and analytical tools for demographic surveillance of a highly mobile population in Chad, and a rural sedentary population in south-central Côte d’Ivoire. These demographic surveillance system (DSS) sites will serve as platforms to monitor changes in morbidity patterns following locally-adapted interventions.