Projects
Projects
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Topic 1. Adapting Infectious Disease Interventions
Topic 1. Adapting Infectious Disease Interventions
Many infectious disease interventions (e.g., vaccination, mass drug administration, and community-wide screening) are highly effective as designed, but reaching control and elimination goals - and ensuring that all populations benefit - often requires adapting delivery in complex or underserved settings. Because published evidence on how to adapt remains limited, the IN Lab is finalizing a series of rigorous scoping reviews focused on urban informal settlements, conflict and post-conflict settings, and racially, ethnically, and religiously marginalized populations.
We are now ready to work with partners to develop research-based case studies as a next step.
Polio Eradication Initiative - https://www.poliokit.org/
Adapting Infectious Disease Interventions - for Conflict Settings
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.
Read outputs of the project here.
Getty Images.
Adapting Infectious Disease Interventions for - Urban Poor Communities
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
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.
Read outputs of the project here.
Topic 2. Integrating and Sustaining Infectious Disease Interventions
Topic 2. Integrating and Sustaining Infectious Disease Interventions
Many countries and partners are now being asked to integrate infectious disease programs into routine health systems, often with limited practical evidence on how to do this effectively. The IN Lab is working to generate that evidence and translate it into usable guidance.
We are continuing to build collaborations in this area and currently seeking input on what case studies to focus on next.
Friends of Europe.
Integrating Disease Elimination Programs into Health Systems
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.
Read outputs of the project here.
Photo by M Baker
Sustaining Delivery of Interventions for Neglected Tropical Diseases
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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