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This workshop was a follow-up to the very successful first workshop on OAE organised in Antwerp in October 2017. 

The first workshop led to the creation of the OAE alliance. Since then, much progress has been made. However, certain research questions remain to be addressed. In addition, more advocacy is needed to increase awareness of OAE and influence policymakers to take appropriate action to prevent it and support affected communities. Moreover, OAE needs to be taken into account when estimating the burden of disease caused by onchocerciasis. Improved onchocerciasis diagnostic tools and preventive treatment approaches will be needed to meet the WHO targets for onchocerciasis elimination.

• Organisation committee: Inge Mertens (UA), Joseph Nelson Siewe Fodjo (UA), Amber Hadermann (UA), Luís-Jorge Amaral (UA), Robert Colebunders (UA), Katia Polman (ITM) and Peter Vermeiren (UA).
• Scientific committee: Maria Rebollo (Global Onchocerciasis Elimination Program, WHO), Nicoline Schiess (Brain Health Unit, WHO), Achim Hoerauf (Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology (IMMIP), University hospital Bonn), Inge Mertens (UA), Joseph Nelson Siewe Fodjo (UA), Sebastian Pion (IRD, Montpellier), Charles Newton (Oxford University), Tom Lakwo (National vector control programme, Uganda), Bruno Mmbando (NIMR, Tanzania), Mark Taylor (Liverpool school of Tropical Medicine), Katja Polman (Institute Tropical Medicine, Antwerp), Marion Darnaud (Bioaster) and Michel Vaillant (Luxembourg Institute of Health).
• Workshop objective: Exchange recent OAE study findings, define remaining research priorities, identify ways of collaboration and grant opportunities, and plan multi-country studies to answer research gaps.
• Type of workshop: Hybrid with in-person and remote attendees.  

The workshop presentation slides and recordings are available below, following the title of each presentation. If you have any challenges accessing the content or questions, please contact Luis-Jorge Amaral (luis-jorge.telesdemenesesdoamaral@uantwerpen.be)

Tuesday 19 September 2023

Global Health Institute, Gouverneur Kinsbergen Centrum, Doornstraat 331, 2610 Antwerpen (Wilrijk)

• 9.00–9.00 Registration

• 9.30–9.45 Robert Colebunders (UA): Welcome ( |  Minute 0)

• 9.45–10.00 Maria Rebollo (WHO): Objectives (No Slides |  Minute 13)

• 10.00–10.20 Charles Newton (Oxford University): Global burden of Epilepsy, main leading causes ( |  Minute 19)

• 10.20-10.30 James Sejvar (CDC) Public health significance of some of the global aetiologies of epilepsy (Presentation Slides not available |  Minute 61)

• 10.30–11.00 Sebastien Pion (IRD): Onchocerciasis Associated Epilepsy (OAE): the body of evidence of this association ( |  Minute 79)

• 11.00–11.15 Coffee & tea break

• 11.15–11.45  Amber Hadermann (UA) and Mark Taylor (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine): Pathogenesis of OAE, new perspectives ( & |  Minute 122)

• 11.30–12.30 Discussion ( Minute 0)

• 12.30 Lunch

Afternoon Programme: “PhD defences on onchocerciasis and epilepsy (OAE)”

1) At the University of Antwerp (UA), Campus Drie Eiken, O building room 3.

• ​2.00–4.30 Tom Lakwo (NTD programme, Uganda): The role of entomology in onchocerciasis elimination ()

• 5.00–7.30 Dan Bhwana (NIMR): Onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy in the Mahenge area, Tanzania ()

2) Parallel session: DZIF involvement in the development of new treatments against onchocerciasis and other filariae. Global Health Institute, Gouverneur Kinsbergen Centrum, Doornstraat 331, 2610 Antwerp (Wilrijk)

• 2.00–2.15 Achim Hoerauf (IMMIP): Welcome and objectives  ( |  Minute 0)

• 2.15–2.30 Achim Hoerauf (IMMIP): “Development of new drugs and treatments against onchocerciasis”  ( |  Minute 14)

• 2.30–2.45 Ken Pfarr (IMMIP): “Corallopyronin A- a new natural compound against filariae, STI and staphylococci on its way to phase 1”  ( |  Minute 38)

• 2.45–3.00 Marc Huebner (IMMIP): “Oxfendazole against filariae and STH”  ( |  Minute 80)

• 3.00–3.15 Coffee & tea break

• 3.15–4.00 Discussion 

Wednesday 20 September 2023​

Global Health Institute, Gouverneur Kinsbergen Centrum, Doornstraat 331, 2610 Antwerp (Wilrijk)

• 9.00–9.15 Maria Rebollo (WHO) Onchocerciasis diagnostics research priorities ( |  Minute 0)

• 9.15–9.30 Amber Hadermann (UA): “Preliminary results of a new rapid O. volvulus field test” ( |  Minute 28)

• 9.30–10.00 Brainstorming ( Minute 64)

• 10.00–10.30&�Բ�����; Nicoline Schiess (Brain Health Unit, WHO): WHO guidelines for management of epilepsy ( |  Minute 103)

• 10.30–10.45 Olivia Kamoen (UA): OAE clinical manifestations and case definition ( |  Minute 159 &  Minute 0)

• 10.45–11.15 Joseph Nelson Siewe Fodjo (UA): Challenges for epilepsy care/treatment in onchocerciasis endemic regions ( |  Minute 49)

• 11.15–11.30 Coffee & tea break

• 11.30–12.30 Brainstorming: OAE, what does it mean for onchocerciasis and mental health programmes? How to introduce for a morbidity management component in the onchocerciasis program to address OAE? (Presentation Slides | )

• 12.30 Lunch

• 2.30–2.45 Chiara Trevisan (ITM): Burden of disease - lessons learned from Taenia solium cysticercosis  ( |  Minute 0)

• 2.45-3.15 Luis-Jorge Amaral (UA): OAE control interventions and the models to estimate its burden of disease in Africa ( |  Minute 38 &  Minute 0)

• 3.15–3.45 Brainstorming: Global burden of Disease for onchocerciasis and OAE, data gaps and way forward ( Minute 20)

• 3:45-4.00 Coffee & tea break

• 4.00–5.00 Formulations conclusions and recommendations (Report soon to be available |  Minute 70)

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Friday 21 September 2023​

• 9.00-10.00 Sato Yasuaki and Yasushi Miyauch (UN): Open presentations on Nodding Syndrome ( |  Minute 0)

• 10.00 -12.30 Bob: Discussions collaborative research projects, working on a workshop report/paper ( |  Minute 0)

• 12.30 Lunch