Swedish-Ethiopian Course in Tropical Infections
The Closing Ceremony of the Swedish Ethiopian Course in Tropical Infections 2023-24 took place in Moshi, Tanzania on Feb 10th 2024. The next course is preliminary planned for during Nov 2025 – Feb 2026.
General Information
The Ethiopian part of the course will depend on the political situation in Ethiopia. If it won´t be feasible to have it in Ethiopia, we may try to move the field part of the course to another African country (e.g., Tanzania), if possible.
Aim
This is a course in clinical tropical medicine for clinicians. The overall aim is to provide general knowledge about infectious diseases which require or thrive in a warm climate and / or are important causes of morbidity and mortality in low-income countries. The focus is on diagnosis and treatment both in situations with scarce resources and in more affluent countries. The field visit to Ethiopia gives the participants a unique experience of the health system and infectious disease panorama in a developing country.
General description
The course consists of full-time studies for a total of 6 weeks (usually spread over the time period middle of November to beginning of February). There will be three separate weeks in Stockholm, the equivalent of one week distance learning, and a two week field visit to Ethiopia (or possibly another African country).
Those who pass the examinations (weekly and final) and participate in the field visit will receive a certificate. It is possible to attend a single week (week 1 or 2) without completing the entire course. The maximum number of participants is 24 fully qualified physicians.
Theoretical part in Stockholm
The theoretical part in Stockholm is located at the Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge and consists of three separate weeks. The two first weeks are separate modules (Malaria and systemic protozoan infections and parasites and intestinal infections respectively). The last week (3rd) also includes the final examination and final case discussions.
In the mornings there are lectures providing an overview of the diseases and covering epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnostic methods, therapy and prophylaxis.
In the afternoon there are in-depth clinical discussions in small groups based on an abundant number of case reports. There will also be practical training in microscopic examination (week 1 and 2). Friday afternoons are free.
Distance e-learning
The participants are given literature recommendations for self-studies and patient cases to prepare. Some lectures will be available on the web. This will cover main tropical viral and bacterial infections. On the final examination these diseases will be included. Participants will also hand in written comments and be prepared to present during the final case seminar. The total workload is equivalent to one week of full time studies.
Field visit in Ethiopia (or another African country)
During the field visit (two whole weeks) the focus is on bedside teaching, and to get insight into the Ethiopian health system. The participants will meet patients at different levels of the health system in Ethiopia – from rural health stations to the university hospital in the capital.
Application
Target groups
Fully qualified physicians (e.g. infectious diseases specialists, infectious diseases residents, paediatricians, doctors planning to work abroad in developing countries, and other medical doctors with interest in tropical medicine).
The course language is English and participants from countries outside Sweden are also welcomed.
Application
The next course is preliminary planned for during Nov 2025 – Feb 2026.
It will open for applications in late spring 2025 with deadline in end of August 2025.
The application should include:
- Short CV with clinical and research experience
- Information on wether the application is for the full 3+1 week course in Stockholm or only for separate weeks (w1 or w2)
- Information if you want to participate in the field visit to Ethiopia
Do not forget to provide information about where the invoice should be sent.
Please submit your application to:
Course administrator Johanna Erbom, preferably by e-mail: johanna.erbom@regionstockholm.se or Course leader Hilmir Asgeirsson, e-mail: hilmir.asgeirsson@regionstockholm.se
Post address: Department of Infectious Diseases I73, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-14186 Huddinge, Sweden.
Applications sent to the previous course administrators (Mary Hyll and Sara Roth de Albuquerque) will be forwarded to the course leaders.
Deadline for application for the course 2023-2024 was August 27th 2023
Information on acceptance was distributed by e-mail (in the first week of September 2023).
Course fee (2023-2024)
- The fee for the Swedish part is a total of 26 000 Swedish Crowns (SEK).
- The fee for one single week (w 1-2) is 8000 SEK.
- The cost for the two week field visit to Ethiopia is 34 000 SEK (participation in the whole theoretical part is required). This covers local transportation, full teaching program and full board.
- The cost for the full course (3+1 weeks in Stockholm + field visit to Ethiopia) is 60 000 SEK.
The Flight to Ethiopia (or other African country) is not included (approx. 8-10 000 SEK).
Schedule
Course Schedule 2023-2024
Theoretical part in Stockholm
1st week – Malaria and other systemic protozoan infections (Nov 13th – 17th 2023)
Malaria: Taxonomy and life cycles, Epidemiology, Clinical aspects, Principles of therapy, Principles of prophylaxis, Pathogenesis, Diagnostic methods, Parasite morphology, Antimalarial drugs, Drug resistance, Malaria vaccines, Anopheles entomology.
Other: African trypanosomiasis, Leishmaniasis, Chagas disease.
Afternoon: Case discussions. Practical training in microscopy and use of rapid diagnostic methods.
2nd week – Parasitic and intestinal infections (Dec 11th – 15th 2023)
Filariasis, Onchocerciasis, Gastrointestinal helminths, Echinococcus Liver flukes, Neurocysticercosis, Schistosomiasis, Intestinal protozoan infections, Diagnostic methods, Eosinophilia, Entomology, Medical anthropology.
Afternoon: Case discussions. Practical training in microscopy.
3nd week – HIV and other infections (Jan 8th – 12th 2024)
HIV: General overview on epidemiology with focus on low-income countries, Pathogenesis, Clinical aspects, HIV therapy, Mother to child transmission, Diagnosis and treatment of opportunistic infections, TB/HIV co-infection.
Other: Dengue fever, Viral haemorragic fevers, TB, STI and dermatology, Leprosy.
Thursday, Jan 11th Distance e-learning case discussions
Friday, Jan 12th Final examination
Distance e-learning
The participants will be given literature recommendations for self studies including review articles and published clinical trials. They will have constant access to the teachers by mail. A total of five lectures will be available on the web. A number of case reports are distributed and written comments must be handed in to the course leaders. At the end of the course the cases are discussed.
The main diseases to be covered are:
- Viral: Chickungunya, Rift valley fever, Japanese encephalitis, Poliomyelitis, Rabies, West Nile fever, Viral hepatitis (acute), Yellow fever, HTLV, Tetanus
- Bacterial: Brucellosis, Leptospirosis, Meloidosis, Plague, Q-fever, Rickettsia, relapsing fever and bacterial meningitis
Field visit to Ethiopia or Tanzania (Jan 27th – Feb 11th 2024)
The visit to Ethiopia will allow the participants to come into contact with the situation in a low-income country where resources are scarce. They will meet an abundant number of patients with different infections including complicated HIV and TB cases. The participants will experience the differences in living conditions, disease spectrum and facilities between the capital and remote rural areas (in southern Ethiopia).
The program in Ethiopia will be organized in collaboration with the Department of Internal Medicine, Black Lion Hospital, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa.
Contact
Organising Department
Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Course Leaders
Hilmir Asgeirsson MD, PhD, associate professor; tel: +46 72 569 7756, hilmir.asgeirsson@regionstockholm.se
Jan Vesterbacka MD, PhD; jan.vesterbacka@regionstockholm.se
Abdurke Dido, MD (assistant course leader, Ethiopian part). Internist and teacher at Asella Rehoboth General Hospital and Medical College.
Course administrator
Eva Johansson. E-mail: eva.ka.johansson@regionstockholm.se
Previous administrators: Johanna Erbom, e-mail: johanna.erbom@regionstockholm.se and Mary Hyll, e-mail: mary.hyll@ki.se .