11 September 2019 – In March 2018, the Tropical Disease Research–Small Grants Scheme (TDR-SGS) 2018–2019 call for proposals was announced.

In response, proposals were received and 16 were recommended for funding, covering: neglected tropical diseases, malaria, hepatitis C, tuberculosis, and HIV. The accepted proposals were from 7 countries: Egypt, Islamic Republic of Iran, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Sudan and Yemen (Table 1).

The call included a list of regional priorities, including:

• Evaluation of new models/interventions for implementation of ambulatory MDR-TB
• Cost–effectiveness of new diagnostic tools for multiple drug resistance (MDR) detection in both public and private heath sectors
• Improving collaboration and reporting of TB cases with the private sector in high TB burden countries
• Avoiding catastrophic cost  of TB diagnosis and management on families
• Plasmodium vivax burden in EMR endemic African countries
• Improving access to malaria interventions, including surveillance for remote, migrant and mobile populations
• Enhancing community engagement for implementation of vector control interventions, especially for remote and vulnerable populations
• Assessing the burden of co-infection of malaria and Aedes-borne arboviral diseases
• Evaluating and comparing preventive measures to reduce/interrupt transmission of leishmaniasis
• Innovative approaches to increase detection of new cases of leprosy
• Investigating determinants of transmission of schistosomiasis in hotspots in late stage of elimination
• Innovative approaches for facial cleanliness and environmental improvement components of the SAFE  strategy for trachoma elimination
• Analysis study of the economic impact of hepatitis C prevention and treatment intervention scenarios
• Integrated bio-behavioural surveys and population size estimates among key populations
• Improving access to diagnostic and management tools for HIV, hepatitis B, C infections
• Integrated use of multi-disease diagnostic devices for HIV, hepatitis B & C
• Effective and feasible strategies for engagement of the private sector for effective case management and reporting (TB, malaria, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis)
• Investigating determinants of transmission of schistosomiasis in hotspots in late stage of elimination.
• Innovative approaches for facial cleanliness and environmental improvement components of the SAFE1 strategy for trachoma elimination.
• Analysis study of the economic impact of hepatitis C prevention and treatment intervention scenarios.
• Integrated bio-behavioural surveys and population size estimates among keypopulations2.
• Improving access to diagnostic and management tools for HIV, hepatitis B, C infections.
• Integrated use of multi-disease diagnostic devices for HIV, hepatitis B & C.
• Effective and feasible strategies for engagement of the private sector for effective case management and reporting (TB, malaria, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis).

Table 1. The 16 small grant projects recommended for funding

Country	Grantee	Project	Principal Investigator
Palestine	Medicare Consultancy Group - Leishmaniases Research Unit	Fogging of hyrax dens by Pyrethroid derivatives: an attempt to control sandfly density in rural areas in Palestine	Dr Amer Al-Jawabreh
Morocco	Ecole Nationale De Sante Publique (ENSP)	Cost-effectiveness and acceptability of a rapid diagnostic test for cutaneous leishmaniasis in Morocco	Dr Issam Bennis
Sudan	Sudanese National Academy of Sciences	Strengthening of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) control in Eastern Sudan.	Dr Abdalla Hassan Sharief
Islamic Republic of Iran	Trauma Research Centre	Cost of HCV interfamilial Screening in HCV seropositive injection drug abusers	Dr Zahra  Mohtasham
Egypt	National Liver Institute, Menoufia University	Estimating economic burden of HCV treatment strategies in Egypt 2018-2025.	Dr Alaa Osman
Sudan	FMOH-International Health-National training Activities	Feasibility of Provider-initiated HIV testing and counseling(PITC) in  private healthcare sectors, Sudan 2018-2019	Dr Sarah Mohammed
Egypt	Ministry of Health	Economic analysis of HCV different screening algorithms in Egypt	Dr Amal Moawad
Egypt	Ministry of Health and Population	Assessing household catastrophic total cost of Tuberculosis and their determinants in Egypt: A cohort prospective study	Dr Mohsen Gadallah
Egypt	Cairo Association Against Smoking, Tuberculosis And Lung Diseases-Egypt (CASTLE)	Impact of private medical practitioners’ involvement on Tuberculosis case notification to the National Tuberculosis Control Program in Ghrbia governorate, Egypt.	Dr Essam El Moghazy
Pakistan	Establishment of Environmental Health	Is Tuberculosis treatment truly free? A study to identify key factors contributing towards the catastrophic cost of TB care in Pakistan	Prof Brig Dr Aamer  Ikram
Sudan	National Public Health Laboratory - Federal Ministry of Health, Sudan	Estimation of the risk factors associated with multidrug resistance TB in Sudan	Adel Elduma
Yemen	University of Science and Technology	Assessment of the burden of concurrent infections with malaria and dengue among febrile patients in Hodeidah governorate, Yemen	Dr Rashad Abdul-Ghani
Sudan	Institute of Endemic Diseases	Assessing the burden of co-infection of malaria and Aedes-borne arboviral diseases in the Khartoum state, Sudan	Dr Ayman Ahmed
Sudan	National Public Health Laboratory - Federal Ministry of Health, Sudan	Occurrence  of Malaria and Dengue co-infection and their vectors surveys in a kassala city, Sudan	Khider Alebid daffalah alsedig
Pakistan	District Development Association Tharparkar (DDAT)	Effects of vector-control interventions on changes in risk of malaria among pregnant women through community participation in district Tharparkar Sindh Pakistan.	Dr Ramesh Kumar
Egypt	High Institute of Public Health	Determinants of Schistosoma mansoni transmission in hotspots at late stage of elimination, Kafr El Sheikh governorate	Dr Ramy Ghazy