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In partnership with the Wellcome Innovations Flagship Programme, MORU launched its Critical Care Asia Network project with its first investigators’ meeting on 19-20 Aug in Bangkok. The project will establish an Asian ICU network across 42 ICUs in nine countries and implement a setting-adapted electronic registry.
How should health researchers advance health equity?
Posted 05/11/2025. In tnis commentary. Phaik Yeong Cheah and Michael Parker outline ways in which health researchers can advance health equity. They focus on often-overlooked areas, including identifying context-specific drivers of inequity, carefully selecting research questions and priorities, engaging stakeholders, including those whose voices are seldom heard, improving diversity and inclusiveness among study participants, and using equity-oriented study designs.
Stakeholder analysis for ‘One Health’ approach to tackle antimicrobial resistance
Posted 04/11/2025. The varied understanding of stakeholder engagement often limits its effective use. In their BMJ Global Health analysis, Bipin Adhikari and colleagues draw lessons from Nepal to show how applying stakeholder analysis through a 'One Health' approach can bridge sectors, clarify roles, and strengthen collective action against antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Optimal gestational weight gain and pregnancy outcomes, by BMI and height, in a marginalised population of women with short stature living along the Thailand-Myanmar border: A retrospective cohort, 2004–2023
Posted 21/10/2025. Pregnancy guidelines are frequently derived from populations in high income countries. International gestational weight gain guidelines are based on taller populations from North America and Western Europe. Mary Gouws, Rose McGready and SMRU colleagues suggest that lower weight gain during pregnancy in women with short stature on the Thailand-Myanmar border is associated with optimal outcomes.
Placental and cord blood DNA methylation in preterm birth: exploring the epigenetic role of maternal dietary protein
Posted 31/10/2025. Fatima Ahmed, Annalisa Terranegra and SMRU colleagues compared DNA methlyation in placental and cord blood samples from preterm birth and full-term pregnancies among Karen and Burmese populations in Myanmar and Thailand. The findings provide novel insights into how protein deficiency may epigenetically predispose to preterm birth and suggests potential biomarkers for early detection and intervention
Antiviral efficacy of oral ensitrelvir versus oral ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir in COVID-19 (PLATCOV): an open-label, phase 2, randomised, controlled, adaptive trial
Posted 27/10/2025. Ensitrelvir shows strong antiviral activity against COVID-19 in first head-to-head comparison with Paxlovid. In the PLATCOV phase 2 trial, ensitrelvir accelerated SARS-CoV-2 clearance by 82% versus no treatment and was only slightly slower than Paxlovid. Both drugs were well tolerated although bad taste was much less frequent with ensitrelvir. The study supports ensitrelvir as an effective, once-daily oral COVID-19 antiviral alternative. By William Schilling.
Identification and pathogen screening of ectoparasites from companion animals in urban Vientiane, Lao PDR
Posted 29/10/2025. Vanheuang Phommadeechack and colleagues examined the prevalence of zoonotic pathogens within ectoparasites found on dogs and cats in Vientiane, Laos. Fleas and ticks carried Rickettsia and Anaplasmataceae, seen as potential human pathogens. This highlights risks of zoonotic infections and the need for vector control strategies with companion animals, supporting public health and awareness.
Plasma folate dynamics in Plasmodium falciparum-infected African children treated with artemisinin combination therapy and single low-dose primaquine or placebo
Posted 20/10/2025. In 408 falciparum-infected under-5 African children treated with single low dose primaquine (SLDPQ) or placebo plus dihydroartemisinin piperaquine, plasma folate dynamics followed those of haemoglobin with an initial fall followed by a rise and were unaffected by SLDPQ or G6PD status. This research provides more evidence of the safety of SLDPQ. By Bob Taylor
Engagement with migrant communities at the Thai-Myanmar border: Lessons learnt from a community advisory board
Posted 26/09/2025. Supa-at Asarath, Napat Khirikoekkong, Phaik Yeong Cheah, and colleagues reflects on engagement with the Tak Province Community Ethics Advisory Board (T-CAB), established in 2009 on the Thai-Myanmar border, capturing views from members on their involvement in health and research topics, their motivations, benefits, and challenges. Findings show how T-CAB improves research ethics, design, and community trust.
Risk stratification of childhood infection using host markers of immune and endothelial activation in Asia (Spot Sepsis): a multi-country, prospective, cohort study
Posted 24/09/2025. WHO danger signs often misclassify febrile children in resource-limited settings. In the first community-based study across seven Asian sites, Arjun Chandna and colleagues show host-response biomarkers, especially sTREM-1, outperform traditional tools for predicting severe illness. These findings highlight the potential for biomarker-based triage tools to transform childhood infection care.
A just war on bugs? Ethical differences between antimalarial resistance and antibacterial resistance
Posted 15/08/2025. In this commentary, Phaik Yeong Cheah and colleagues argue that antimalarial resistance and antibacterial resistance raise distinct ethical considerations. Unlike antibacterial resistance, mitigating antimalarial resistance has well-defined goals and does not involve environmental factors or the use of livestock. These differences make it clear that not all microbes should be addressed in the same way, and that interventions must be tailored accordingly.
Bioethics and Engagement
The Bioethics and Engagement Department is central to MORU’s mission of conducting impactful health research in low-resource settings. Its efforts ensure that research is conducted ethically, inclusively, and in close partnership with the communities and other stakeholders who are affected by our research. The Bioethics and Engagement team coordinates activities across Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.
Use of the International Classification of Diseases to Perinatal Mortality (ICD-PM) with verbal autopsy to determine the causes of stillbirths and neonatal deaths in rural Cambodia: a population-based, prospective, cohort study
Posted 08/08/2025. Perinatal cause-of-death data in low-resource settings are scarce. Applying the WHO's new ICD-PM classification system to verbal autopsy data in rural Cambodia, Kaajal Patel and colleagues identified hypoxia, prematurity, and infection as leading causes. We found that adaptations to ICD-PM were needed to better classify deaths, especially when the timing of death was unknown.
Handheld Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy for rapid non-invasive detection of ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol in medicinal syrups
Posted 06/08/2025. Pavel Matousek, Paul Newton and colleagues from the Medicine Quality Research Group developed a portable laser-based method, SORS, to detect toxic contaminants in medicinal syrups without opening bottles. This innovation addresses the urgent need for accessible screening, following deadly contamination incidents in Asia and Africa. The technology enables rapid, non-invasive testing across supply chains to improve medicine safety.
Comparative virulence analysis of seven diverse strains of Orientia tsutsugamushi reveals a multifaceted and complex interplay of virulence factors responsible for disease
Posted 17/07/2025. Scrub typhus, caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, varies in severity depending on the bacterial strain. Jeanne Salje and colleagues compared seven strains in mice and found no single predictor of virulence. Instead, disease severity results from multiple bacterial genes influencing immune responses. These findings could inform future vaccine development and diagnostics.
Single low dose primaquine to block the transmission of Plasmodium falciparum—proposed stand-alone and ACT-adapted regimens
Posted 16/07/2025. At long last and almost 13 years since the WHO recommendation, we now have evidenced-based regimens of single low dose primaquine to block the transmission of Plasmodium falciparum and help eliminate artemisinin and partner drug resistant malaria which is currently spreading rapidly across eastern Africa and beyond. By Bob Taylor
Why should we be concerned by internalised racism in global health?
Posted 15/07/2025. Internalised racism is an overlooked concept that can shape how professionals from historically marginalised backgrounds see themselves within global health. This essay by Bipin Adhikari and colleagues offers a space for reflection on how deep-rooted racial hierarchies may quietly influence identity, behaviour, and institutional culture. Advancing equity in global health also means understanding how these patterns take hold within us.
Evaluation of the Wondfo G6PD/Hb Test for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency: preliminary performance, matrix equivalence, and usability
Posted 25/07/2025. Increased availability of validated G6PD tests can enhance diagnostic capacity in LMIC for vivax radical cure and neonatal health. This preliminary evaluation of a new point-of-care G6PD quantitative test showed excellent performance in frozen and fresh samples collected in Thailand (SMRU) and USA. A WHO pre-qualification study is now ongoing in Brazil and Thailand. By Germana Bancone
Optimization of heat inactivation protocols for Orientia and Rickettsia species
Posted 30/07/2025. Stuart Blacksell and colleagues evaluated heat inactivation of Orientia tsutsugamushi, Rickettsia typhi, R. conorii, and R. honei at 56 °C, 80 °C, and 90 °C for varying times. All were inactivated at 56 °C for 5 minutes. O. tsutsugamushi showed greater reduction, with time–temperature effects differing by species, highlighting important pathogen‑specific heat‑treatment requirements for biosafety purposes.