DFID Minister visits Institute

The Institute of Global Health Innovation welcomed Stephen O’Brien MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for International Development (DFID)

The Institute of Global Health Innovation welcomed Stephen O’Brien MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for International Development (DFID) earlier this month at an event which displayed how research from Imperial College can be translated to benefit global populations.

Chaired by Professor the Lord Darzi, The Institute of Global Health Innovation (IGHI), brings together world-leading academics in medical science, engineering, business and health policy to improve people’s health and reduce health inequalities in developed and developing countries. During the event the Minister heard from leading scientists on a wide-range of interesting research, which is helping to change the lives of many across the world.

The first presentation was from Simon Taylor-Robinson, who is investigating liver cancer caused by cirrhosis of the liver, a chronic condition that can stop the liver from functioning. Liver cancer, resulting from cirrhosis is the third commonest cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Professor Taylor-Robinson’s research focuses on finding a better way to diagnose liver cancer and cirrhosis at an early stage and his team are developing a test that uses a series of biomarkers in urine to identify whether the patient is suffering from cirrhosis of the liver or from liver cancer. The test will be beneficial as it will be used in local, rural health centres rather than in specialised, urban settings which may involve hours of travel for the patient. The test was trialled in Nigeria (where hepatitis B-related cirrhosis and liver cancer is common) and Egypt (where hepatitis C-related liver cancer is common) is now being rolled out to a bigger study of 13,000 patients in Gambia, Senegal and Nigeria, managed by Dr Debbie Garside, who was also present at the event.

The Minister also heard from Mohammad Mansoor Hamayun, a recent Imperial College graduate who is currently Partner and Director of a social enterprise that is bringing electricity to rural areas in East-Africa. Mansoor studied Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and founded an award winning charitable student organisation during the end of his second year with the aim of tackling the problem of rural electrification. In the coming months Mansoor hopes to develop the supply chain, the framework and the technology to support the process of electrification for some of the 1.6 billion people that still don’t have access to electricity.

The final presentation came from Professor Robert Wilkinson who studies the connection between HIV and tuberculosis (TB) in South Africa. Around 1000 people per day die prematurely because of HIV and the annual risk of TB amongst people infected by HIV can be as high as 1 in 3. Professor Wilkinson described a varied research programme which aims to understand the cellular mechanisms of HIV associated TB. Specific areas of research include investigating the role of Vitamin D as it might suppress the patient’s susceptibility to TB, and how the team is developing potential biomarkers to understand how treatment for TB produces certain immune responses.   

Commenting on the visit Professor Darzi said: “We’re pleased to share Imperial’s innovative and exciting research with the UK Government, who have made an extraordinary commitment to helping countries less fortunate than ours through increasing the aid budget and ring-fencing the research budget for the Department for International Development. It was encouraging to hear from the Minister that he shares our belief that robust, quality research is vital in meeting the needs of the poor. We hope Imperial will work closely with DFID to find solutions to address the world’s health problems.”