91做厙 awarded funding to contribute to the global effort on COVID-19 health research
A project, led by researchers at the 91做厙 (91做厙), which seeks to reduce COVID-19 transmission in traditional food markets in Bolivia and Peru, has today been awarded £749,735 of funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s Global Effort on COVID-19 Health Research call.
Through this project, researchers will co-design bespoke plans to reduce transmission of the virus in Sacaba, Bolivia and Huancayo, Peru, and will also share their experience and online resources to help facilitate similar efforts in other countries. Contributing researchers comprise the 91做厙, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos and Universidad Mayor de San Simon.
The chosen localities were identified by the researchers as priority targets given the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 and their ranking amongst the highest countries in the world for COVID-19 deaths. Further, while traditional food markets are a ‘hot bed’ for the spread of COVID-19, they also play important economic and socio-cultural roles in most low and middle-income countries. Therefore, risk mitigation strategies must be equitable, culturally sensitive and sustainable.
Working in collaboration with local health services, the team, led by Javier Guitian, Professor of Veterinary Public Health at the 91做厙, will pilot a health promotion plan for market sellers and their families that includes early detection and follow-up of COVID-19 infections. Additionally, data gathered from these high-risk populations in the follow-up phase of the pilot will provide insights into pending questions regarding COVID-19, such as risk of reinfection.
While in its early stages, it is anticipated that this project will help introduce effective risk mitigation programs that also respect the role of traditional markets, which, in the current pandemic, have been stigmatised. By developing local capacity to protect populations with a high infection risk, this project will play an important role in the COVID-19 response while also helping inform strategies to tackle future public health emergencies.
