SciDev.Net

The AMMA programme aims to study how the West African monsoon affects meningitis and malaria epidemics. While it focuses on one weather system, the climate factors it looks at can be generalised to other environments. For example, it examines how wind, dust, rainfall, temperature and humidity, amongst others, affect mosquito density and malaria or meningitis epidemics in people. The website also offers a key resource for researchers in the form of an open-access bibliographic database containing more than 250 scientific articles.

A project of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, AlertNet is a news aggregator that aims to raise awareness of humanitarian crises around the globe, particularly 'forgotten' emergencies that rarely make headlines. It publishes news from over 400 aid agencies and other media outlets across a range of topics, from natural disasters to climate change to health. AlertNet also provides tools for journalists, including facts and figures, crisis briefings and training modules.

CHIEX investigates how climate variability affects human health in the tropical Americas. It runs projects in Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico and Venezuela, and focuses specifically on the spread of dengue fever and malaria in these countries. These projects have practical implications; for example, a study in Cuba led to the development of a "bioclimatological" monitoring system that uses climatic predictions to prevent and control disease.

The health gateway of the Climate Institute, which aims to help policymakers tackle climate change, has detailed notes on the resurgence of infectious diseases through global warming. These include vector-borne diseases spread through mosquitoes, ticks, triatomine bugs, sandflies and blackflies. It also looks at rodent-borne diseases, which are also set to increase as the climate changes — increased heavy rainfall can drive rodents out of their burrows and climate change is set to alter human migration patterns which could bring people into closer contact with rodents.

The partnership promotes training on health reporting for journalists and health workers through workshops in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. The website carries regularly updated news and information, and links to useful resources such as training manuals. A mailing list enables workshop participants to exchange views on relevant issues.

Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative is an independent non-profit collaboration between organisations including the Ministry of Health of Malaysia, and Médecins sans Frontières that focuses on developing drugs for neglected diseases, such as leishmaniasis.

DNDi harnesses existing research and development capacity to develop these drugs, and ensures they are accessible to the developing world.

There are extensive links to articles, publications and conference reports, many available for downloading, and a petition to support DNDi in its call to governments around the world to do more for neglected diseases.

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine's Gates Malaria Partnership is a collaboration between research centres in the UK, Denmark and those in n Africa, where malaria is widespread. It seeks to improve malaria control in these regions through improved training, promoting research in malaria-endemic countries, and ensuring the ability to translate knowledge into practice and treatment.

The website describes the priority areas of the partnership, including epidemic prediction and response, and household and community level interactions.

The Global Forum for Health Research provides evidence, tools and discussion forums for decision-makers in research funding and policy to improve the health of the poor. Although it covers issues for both infectious and non-communicable diseases, the agency recognises that mental health problems are severely neglected in developing countries. As well as links to various publications and reports, the website also hosts RealHealthNews, which aims to share news on research and interventions that can improve the health of those in developing countries.

This is a project operated by the Kaiser Family Foundation with major support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

It aims to keep journalists informed of the latest updates on malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. The website has information on the current status of each disease, and links to news items from around the world. There are also extensive links to libraries and many other information resources.

Readers can receive e-mails of news and event updates from the Kaiser foundation, and can use a search facility for news summaries.

This partnership of government and non-government organisations, researchers, international bodies and the private sector has a much-called for goal: to increase cooperation between organisations involved different sectors such as health, climate, humanitarian assistance, ecosystems, research and operational services.

The partners collaborate on regional projects to increase capacity within the medical and environmental science communities; use rural communication networks to provide information to remote communities; and enhance the capacity of public-health services to predict and respond quickly to cholera, malaria, meningitis and other climate-sensitive diseases.

The IRD is a French public science and technology research institute that conducts research, consultancy and training towards supporting sustainable development in developing countries. The main interest focuses on the relationship between people and the environment, including diseases such as malaria. The IRD website can be read in either French or English, and has background information and press releases on its research activities, and a list of sponsored research centres throughout Central Africa.

This organisation provides the US government with independent scientific analysis and advice on health issues through expert panels, including one on tropical diseases such as malaria. Recent major activities include the launch of a new African Science Academies Development Initiative, with the assistance of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The school is an international postgraduate centre of excellence, devoted to research, education and training, and consultancy, with a focus on malaria. The website details the courses and programmes it offers, and has comprehensive coverage of all aspects of attending the school. There are extensive links, including health information for travelling abroad.

This non-profit organisation works with partners in Ghana and Uganda to improve the control and treatment of malaria. It offers services such as programme design and development, consultancy services, and technical support services to other non-governmental organisations. Information resources include annual reports, publications, and links to journals and organisations.

This global non-profit organisation established by PATH (the Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health) develops and tests potential malaria vaccines. The website contains background information on its malaria vaccine programme, including fact sheets, project and strategy outlines, interviews, and extensive links to other vaccine and malaria-related organisations.

This is an organisation of African scientists from different institutions that provides an atlas of malaria prevalence and risk in Africa. The website describes the data analysis that provides this geographical model of malaria, and aims to inform decision-makers on how to implement effective malaria control and treatment measures.

MARA is keen to disseminate its research results, and there are downloadable malaria poster maps and a user-friendly information tool, the MARA-LITe CD-ROM, which allows access to the results and products of the MARA project. Technical reports are also available in French.

This non-profit organisation funds and coordinates the development of effective and affordable anti-malarial drugs through public-private partnerships. Partners include public health institutions, academic laboratories and pharmaceutical companies, and the World Health Organization's Roll Back Malaria partnership. The website contains relevant news, information and links relating to its wide-ranging project portfolio.

MIM is an alliance of organisations and individuals working on tackling malaria. It aims to maximise the impact of scientific research on malaria in Africa by promoting capacity building and facilitating global collaboration to ensure that research translates into health benefits.

This website provides up-to-date information on funding opportunities for researchers in countries where malaria is widespread, and makes announcements of upcoming meetings. MIM works with several other malaria initiatives such as the World Health Organization's Roll Back Malaria effort to help coordinate the global response to malaria.