Funder:
European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP)
Amount: €192,187.50
Project Period: 01 March 2018 – 28 February 2022 (No cost extension)

Research Team Members:
Dr. (Mrs) Augustina Angelina Sylverken (PI, Group Leader)
Dr. Michael Owusu
Dr. Yaw Ampem Amoako
Dr. Titus Adade

(This Project is a collaboration with Prof Richard Phillips’ Group)

Students enrolled:
Richmond Yeboah (PhD candidate)
Richmond Gorman (MPhil Candidate)

Collaborating Institutions
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Overview of the project
Viruses have been regarded as the most important etiological agents for encephalitis. However, there is the challenge of timely and rapid identification of viral causes of encephalitis. Consequently, choice of management strategies by clinicians are not based on virus specific diagnostics of patient samples and this can lead to a considerable burden on the patients as well as healthcare facilities. The use of molecular diagnostic techniques has identified several viruses as key causes of viral encephalitis; however, this is yet to be explored in clinical settings in Ghana.
This project is aimed at establishing the influence of diagnostics of specific viral etiological agents of encephalitis on outcome of disease.

Expected Impact
This project will provide a stable testing system to identify viral etiologies of encephalitis and establish how specific viral diagnosis based on a molecular intervention influences the outcome of viral encephalitis.