CIH Center for International Health

Integrated Approaches to Mental Health in Addis Ababa 🧠

From July 21-25, 2026, the BEAM Project and the CIH Global Mental Health Focus Area travelled to Addis Ababa for a week of exchange, learning and collaboration.

A key highlight was the conference “Integrated Approaches to Mental Health: From Brain Stimulation to One Health,” organized together with colleagues from Saint Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC). 🤝

Bringing together clinicians, researchers and public health experts, the conference explored innovative approaches to mental health care – from transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to post-conflict interventions such as Narrative Exposure Therapy and Empowerment-Based Group Therapy. 💡

🏥 Another important milestone was the visit to the newly established TMS Unit at SPHMMC, supported through the BEAM Project. The team also met with local partners to discuss future collaboration and strengthening mental health care in Ethiopia.

🌍 The conference highlighted how international partnerships can drive innovation, strengthen clinical capacity and support locally adapted approaches to mental health care.

A big thank you to our colleagues at SPHMMC and to GIZ, BMZ and MAG&MORE for their support in making the conference and the establishment of the TMS Unit possible.

The conference was held in dear memory of Professor Eshetu Girma Kidane, who passed away last year. 🕊️

Strengthening Community Engagement for Leprosy Detection in Ethiopia

From June 6–15, 2026, the LeAP-Ethiopia team visited Jimma, Ethiopia, for the project’s second official visit.

A key highlight was a community engagement workshop bringing together religious leaders, community elders and healthcare professionals from Jimma and the surrounding region.

Participants discussed leprosy, early warning signs, treatment options and referral pathways. 🤝

Why does community engagement matter? People affected by leprosy often turn to trusted community and religious leaders before seeking medical care. At the same time, stigma, misconceptions and limited awareness can delay diagnosis and treatment.

The workshop was therefore an important first step in connecting community-based systems of trust with medical care empowering local leaders to help counter stigma, encourage early health-seeking behaviour and guide people towards appropriate care.

A big thank you to our local partners Prof. Esayas Kebede Gudina, Mr. Temesgen Kabeta Chala and Mr. Zeleke Alemu for facilitating the workshop and for their continued commitment to supporting local communities in eliminating leprosy.

LeAP-Ethiopia is a collaboration between LMU and Jimma University, funded by the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung.

🌏 Dialogue on One Health – Nepal

On July 21, 2026, representatives of the CIHLMU One Health Network Fund Project AntiThreat, Dr. Deepak Paudel and Rabina Dhakal, hosted an interactive Dialogue on One Health in Kathmandu, in collaboration with the Nepal One Health Institute (NOHI).

The event brought together 33 participants from civil society, government, academia, and development partners to discuss the growing importance of One Health in Nepal.

Discussions highlighted the need for stronger collaboration across the human, animal, agricultural, and environmental sectors, as well as greater institutional ownership to translate research and evidence into policy and practice.

The dialogue reinforced the importance of continued multisectoral exchange to strengthen One Health capacity and address challenges such as antimicrobial resistance. 🌏🤝

🌍 Antibiotics Resistance & Marine Conservation: A One Health Approach

This course links two priority topics: antibiotic resistance and marine conservation, under the “One Health” approach, as they are interconnected and have widespread implications for human, animal, and environmental health.

📅 October 5 – December 10, 2026
📝 Registration deadline: September 25, 2026 (23:59 CEST)
🌐 Language: English
👩‍🎓 For students, professionals & educators

🔗 Register:
https://cih-moodle.med.lmu.de/mod/feedback/view.php?id=28348

✍️ Scientific Writing Workshop – Bogotá 2026

The face-to-face component of the Scientific Writing Workshop – Bogotá 2026 took place in Bogotá, Colombia, from July 6 to 10, 2026.

The third annual edition brought together researchers from Bolivia, Brazil, and Guatemala from partner institutions within the CIHLMU Latin American Network.

Under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Katja Radon, participants worked on advancing and finalizing their scientific manuscripts through focused writing time, personalized mentoring, and peer review.

The workshop fostered scientific writing skills, interdisciplinary exchange, and regional research collaborationwithin the One Health framework. 🌎🔬✍️

🦟💉 With the participation of 35 health workers 👥, the Chagas Disease Update Workshop was held in Jalapa City on March 23-27 📅.

🎓 Professionals from the University of San Carlos were invited to provide training on:
Vector identification 🔍
Microscopic examination of the parasite 🔬
Laboratory tests for diagnosing the acute phase of the disease 🧪
(wet mount, thick smear, blood smear, and Strout’s method)

📚 In addition, lectures were given on:
The One Health approach 🌍
Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary teamwork 🤝

🌍 Climate change is transforming our environment—and with it, the way infectious diseases spread.

🎉 We are proud that our alumnus, Dr. Andreas Kudom, contributed to this new online course, now available through VHB. 💻

Learn how climate change affects mosquitoes and ticks, discover the changing patterns of viral diseases, explore prevention strategies, and gain insights into emerging health risks.

🎓 Open to everyone—from curious learners to scientists.

Learn more and register here: https://lnkd.in/ecZaxqa9

🌿 Connecting with nature through One Health

As part of the CIH Latin America Strategic Planning Workshop, the CIH Latin America team visited Parque Natural Chicaque, one of Colombia’s remarkable protected natural areas.

The field expedition highlighted the importance of direct contact with nature as a key element of the One Health approach, recognizing the close connections between environmental integrity, human well-being, and ecosystem health.

Experiences like these remind us that protecting nature also means protecting human and planetary health.

Proud to share that the LeAP-Ethiopia project funded by the Kröner-Fresenius Stiftung was presented at University ’s Collaboration Day Forum in Jimma, Ethiopia on April 27th, 2026 🎓

The forum centered on the theme: “From Collaboration to Impact: Scaling Partnerships for Innovation, Policy, and Industry Engagement” and brought together researchers, institutions, and partners to demonstrate how interdisciplinary collaboration can translate into tangible societal impact.

The forum opened with welcoming remarks by Prof. Abera Wordofa, Acting Vice President for Research and Partnership Office at Jimma University, followed by a keynote address by Prof. Kebede Gudina, who highlighted global trends in university–industry–policy collaboration.

Our poster, presented by PhD candidate Kabeta Chala, sparked meaningful discussions on leprosy’s medical and social dimensions, undetected cases, and the need for stronger stakeholder engagement in Ethiopia.

A reminder that tackling neglected diseases requires community-based action, awareness, and sustained partnerships. 💙

-Ethiopia