Current Research Projects

The Deanship of Scientific Research, Development, and Innovation (DSRDI) supports high-impact research that addresses Sudan’s most pressing health and environmental challenges. Below are our active research projects, organised by thematic cluster.

 

Cluster I: Neglected Tropical Diseases & Local Impact

Focusing on high-burden diseases that disproportionately affect rural and vulnerable communities.

  1. Mycetoma
    Investigating the environmental and climatic drivers of this disabling chronic infection. The project aims to improve early detection methods and establish community-based surveillance systems in endemic areas.
  2. Snakebite Envenoming
    Mapping human–snake interactions and analysing epidemiological patterns to improve access to life-saving antivenoms, particularly in agricultural and remote communities.
  3. Trachoma
    Supporting the WHO-recommended SAFE strategy (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, Environmental improvement) to eliminate trachoma-related blindness, with special attention to water scarcity and sanitation challenges.
  4. Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS)
    Studying freshwater ecosystems and snail host populations to understand disease transmission better. The goal is to improve reproductive health outcomes for women and girls in endemic regions.
  5. Soil-Transmitted Helminthiases (STHs)
    Integrating Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) interventions with school-based deworming programmes to reduce parasitic burdens among school-aged children.

 

Cluster II: Global Health Security & Emerging Threats

Addressing risks that require integrated surveillance and international collaboration.

  1. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
    Monitoring resistant pathogens across the human–animal–agriculture chain. This project promotes antimicrobial stewardship to safeguard the effectiveness of existing medicines.
  2. Viral Febrile Diseases
    Strengthening outbreak preparedness for vector-borne viral infections, with a focus on urban and conflict-affected settings where surveillance systems are often disrupted.
  3. Malaria
    Tracking drug resistance patterns and investigating how changing rainfall patterns affect mosquito breeding sites and transmission dynamics, to inform more effective vector control strategies.

 

Cluster III: Integrated Knowledge Systems

Bridging traditional wisdom with modern scientific evidence.

  1. Traditional Medicines
    Documenting indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants and natural remedies. The project evaluates the safety and efficacy of these treatments to support their responsible integration into Sudan’s formal healthcare system.