PREV-PKDL consortium partners conclude final meeting in Frankfurt

The partners of the PREV-PKDL Consortium gathered in Frankfurt on 25-26 March 2025 for their final meeting, marking the conclusion of a groundbreaking collaborative effort to advance research on visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL).  

March 2025

Ensuring continued engagement and collaboration despite geographic distances, some PREV-PKDL Consortium partners joined the meeting virtually. Several challenges were faced by the consortium over the course of the project, but the strong spirit of collaboration among partners remained unwavering, driving the project's success.

One of the significant highlights of the project was the IMMSTAT@Cure research study, conducted across four sites in East Africa. The study is currently undergoing in-depth data analysis and offers the unique opportunity to combine clinical, immunological, and parasite genomic data to deepen our understanding of the immune mechanisms that contribute to VL and PKDL, paving the way for future therapeutic and control strategies.

The final meeting in Frankfurt provided a platform for the consortium members to reflect on their achievements, share insights, and discuss the ongoing work required to analyse the IMMSTAT@Cure study data with the invaluable support of the members of its Scientific and Ethics Advisory Committee.

Despite the hurdles faced throughout the project's timeline, the collaboration across international partners has proven to be an invaluable asset. As the data analysis continues, the PREV-PKDL partners remain committed to advancing the science behind visceral leishmaniasis, with the hope that this research will lead to improved diagnostic, treatment, and prevention strategies in the future.

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PREV_PKDL is a collaborative EU funded project within the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP2) Programme (RIA2016V-1640).