Projects

Topic 1. Adapting Infectious Disease Interventions

One area of focus for the IN Lab is improving how infectious disease interventions—such as vaccination, mass drug administration, and community-wide screening—are adapted to reach everyone, especially those historically underserved. These interventions are most effective when uptake is high, but the literature on HOW to increase access across different populations and settings is limited.

To investigate this, the IN Lab is finalizing a series of rigorous scoping reviews to assess the existing evidence. The reviews focus on urban informal settlements, conflict and post-conflict settings, and racially, ethnically, and religiously marginalized populations. The IN Lab is now planning to move into a new phase—identifying, analyzing, and documenting real-world case studies to build the evidence base and inform more effective programming.

Polio Eradication Initiative - https://www.poliokit.org/

Adapting Infectious Disease Interventions - for Conflict Settings

Conflict and post-conflict settings pose unique challenges for infectious disease control as conflict often disrupts health systems. This IN Lab scoping review investigates how community-based infectious disease interventions—such as vaccination, mass drug administration, and screening—have been adapted to reach affected populations in these fragile settings. With a global, multi-disease perspective, the project identifies tested adaptations, barriers and facilitators to access, and outcomes reported across diverse contexts. The findings aim to inform future intervention design, ensuring more effective, equitable delivery in some of the world’s most complex environments as well as inform the global research agenda.

Getty Images.

Adapting Infectious Disease Interventions for - Urban Poor Communities

Urban informal settlements face unique challenges for infectious disease control, including high population density, poor sanitation, and limited access to health services. This IN Lab project is a scoping review that examines how interpersonal infectious disease interventions—such as mass drug administration, vaccination, and community screening—have been adapted for urban poor settings in low- and middle-income countries. By synthesizing evidence on how interventions were adapted, the project aims to generate practical insights to guide future programming and policy in rapidly urbanizing environments and to inform the global research agenda.

Link to full article in Lancet Infectious Diseases here

Adapting Infectious Disease Interventions - for Marginalized Populations

Ethnically, racially, and religiously marginalized populations are often left behind in the delivery of infectious disease services. This IN Lab study—published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases—is the first in a broader series examining how interventions must be adapted for harder-to-reach contexts. Through a scoping review, the project identified strategies that have increased access to mass drug administration, vaccination, and screening among historically excluded groups. Findings highlight the importance of engaging trusted community actors, addressing structural barriers, and tailoring delivery to local social and cultural contexts—offering practical guidance for advancing health equity in disease control efforts. Gaps in research are also identified.

Topic 2. Integrating and Sustaining Infectious Disease Interventions

Another key area of the IN Lab’s work is generating evidence on how infectious disease programs can be effectively integrated into national health systems—and sustained over time. As countries shift from vertical, donor-driven efforts to more country-led models, there is a pressing need to understand what integration and sustainability look like in practice.

To address this, the IN Lab has conducted a global scoping review and is now working to identify and study real-world cases. This work aims to produce practical, policy-relevant insights that strengthen health systems and guide future investments by governments and donors.

Friends of Europe.

Integrating Disease Elimination Programs into Health Systems

As global efforts accelerate toward eliminating infectious diseases, there is growing interest in how treatment and surveillance activities can be embedded into routine health systems for lasting impact. This IN Lab scoping review, conducted in partnership with GLIDE, maps how elimination-focused programs—such as those targeting tuberculosis, lymphatic filariasis, and leprosy—have integrated services into primary health care and national health systems. By synthesizing research across low- and middle-income countries, the project identifies strategies, barriers, and outcomes of integration, providing critical insights for policymakers, donors, and implementers navigating the shift from vertical to system-based approaches.

Photo by M Baker

Sustaining Delivery of Interventions for Neglected Tropical Diseases

As countries move beyond vertical approaches to neglected tropical disease (NTD) control, there is growing demand for evidence on how to sustain progress through integration into national health systems. This IN Lab initiative partners with national NTD programs to document how countries are implementing sustainability strategies—such as policy reforms, multisectoral coordination, and financing shifts. Through country-led research, the project aims to capture practical lessons, elevate national voices, and inform donor investments and global guidance. Findings will be shared through case studies, policy briefs, and publications that advance the WHO 2030 Roadmap agenda.

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