ZEF junior researcher Nawaphan Metchanun receives grant from Bonn University's TRA6

Nawaphan Metchanun's research proposal on "Covid-19 epidemic trends and health system needs projections for developing countries" received a grant in a competitive process.

The competition for research funds was initiated by the Transdisciplinary Research Area Innovation and Technology for Sustainable Futures (TRA 6) of Bonn University,
who will also provide the research funds of 30,000 €.

This research extends the established transdisciplinary collaboration between the Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, and global health institutes in the US, namely the Institute for Disease Modeling (IDM) and Northwestern University’s Institute for Global Health. The research aims to address the pressing Covid-19 pandemic that is taking lives and threatening to overload health care systems worldwide.

The study applies mathematical-computational disease modeling to project Covid-19 epidemic trends and health system needs for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), using Thailand as a case study, to demonstrate how modeling can be applied in a situation where health care resources are highly limited. In previous malaria modeling work, simulations were applied to evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of novel vector control method (CRISPR/Cas based gene drive mosquitoes) and existing malaria interventions for disease elimination in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and an assessment framework for the DRC and other LMICs was established.