Center for International Health (CIHLMU)
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GENERA Project

For information in Spanish, visit this page. Para información en español, visite esta pagina.

German-Ecuadorian Network for Global Health Research and Innovation

The increasing threat of infectious diseases, driven by factors such as zoonotic diseases, urban expansion, climate change, and global trade, has highlighted the importance of adopting a "One Health" approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health to improve global health security. Ecuador, one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, faces significant environmental challenges, including biodiversity loss and a high prevalence of infectious diseases. The intersection of these factors makes Ecuador a strategic location for research and collaboration.

This project aims to strengthen pandemic preparedness and response through an interdisciplinary One Health approach, focusing on global health challenges. By building on existing partnerships between the Center for International Health at LMU Klinikum (CIHLMU) and Ecuadorian universities, the collaboration will leverage local expertise to advance research and innovation. The efforts will expand from initial training programs to broader research initiatives, improving access to resources and fostering future health solutions in Ecuador.

Specific Objectives

  • Conduct a systematic assessment of the state of the art in the field of "Global Health: Pandemic Preparedness and Response and the One Health Approach" at Ecuadorian universities in order to establish and analyze a comprehensive overview of the possible gaps and opportunities in research and teaching on this topic in Ecuador.
  • Presentation of existing research on "Global Health and One Health" from a German and Ecuadorian perspective in the context of a Simposio on knowledge exchange and planning of future research cooperation, which aims to facilitate knowledge exchange and capacity building between universities and institutions in Germany and Ecuador.
  • Establish a joint research committee with representatives from both countries to develop a research plan and explore funding opportunities for joint, innovative research projects within the framework of Global Health and One Health. This committee will aim to formalize a cooperation agreement between the partner universities and institutions in Ecuador and the CIHLMU with the aim of integrating them into the CIHLMU network once this project is completed.

Study Design

To achieve the project objectives, we propose the following work packages (WPs):

WP1: Project coordination and communication will facilitate cooperation between partners and ensure both internal and external communication of results. The primary goal is to ensure that the project objectives are met on time and to disseminate information about project activities.

WP2: Current state of research in global health: pandemic preparedness and response and One Health in Ecuador will assess the current state of research at partner universities and institutions in Ecuador regarding global health, pandemic preparedness, response, and the One Health concept.

WP3: Simposio on knowledge exchange and planning future research collaboration will organize a workshop in Ecuador with the participation of partner universities and members of the CIH network. The workshop aims to foster an environment for presenting and discussing projects and educational programs on global health. It will also serve as a kick-off meeting for researchers from Ecuador and the Latin American CIH network, providing an important platform for knowledge exchange and initiating future collaborations.

WP4: Research committee and future project proposal will establish a joint research committee with representatives from both countries to develop project proposals and explore funding opportunities for innovative research in global health and One Health. The committee will work towards formalizing a cooperation agreement between the partner universities and institutions in Ecuador and CIHLMU, with the aim of integrating the partners into the CIHLMU network at the conclusion of this project.

Partners & Financial Support

The Center for International Health at the LMU Hospital works together in this project with four partner universities in Ecuador: Universidad de Cuenca, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Universidad de las Américas and INSCORA.SA.
The project is financially supported by a fund of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Project Team & Contact

Study coordination in Munich: Dr. Katja Radon, Dr. Bernarda Espinoza Castro (Mail: Bernarda.Espinoza@med.uni-muenchen.de)

Local coordinator in Universidad de las Américas: Ing. Juan Pablo Piedra, M.Sc. (Mail: juan.piedra@udla.edu.ec)

Local coordinator in Universidad San Francisco de Quito: Dr. Ximena Garzón (Mail: xgarzon@usfq.edu.ec)

Local coordinator in Universidad de Cuenca: Dr. Monserrath Jerves (Mail: elena.jerves@ucuenca.edu.ec)

Local coordinator in INSCORA.SA: Dr. Mario Navas (Mail: mnavas@inscora.org)

Related Events

2024 One Health Symposium, Quito, Ecuador