UNZA-UCLMS

October 2022: The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene awarded Sir Alimuddin Zumla their highest mark of distinction - The Sir Patrick Manson Medal. This is a historic moment since it is the first time in a hundred years the Royal Society of TMH have awarded the very prestigious accolade to an ethnic minority scientist! The award is given every 3 years. There have been 33 winners since 1922, all distinguished Caucasian researchers from UK, Europe and USA. We warmly applaud Sir Ali. Let’s celebrate history being made and Sir Ali’s exceptional role model.

October 2021: Sir Ali has been awarded the Dr Pascoal Mocumbi Prize. The Dr Pascoal Mocumbi Prize aims to reward an individual in recognition of his/her outstanding achievements in advancing health research and capacity development in Africa with significant impact on the wellbeing of the African population.

August 2020: Sir Ali has been awarded the Mahathir Science Award: Tropical Medicine - Award Recipient. The most prestigious international award in Tropical Sciences was presented to Sir Alimuddin in recognition of his world leading efforts towards solving health problems in the Tropics.

Oct 2018: UNZA-UCLMS is delighted to announce that 'Sir Ali' has been awarded the Union Medal at the 49th Annual Conference of the Union Against Tuberculosis & Lung Disease, in The Hague, The Netherlands, this week. Links: Press release, Acceptance Speech

Mar 2018: UNZA-UCLMS launch World TB Day series in Lancet Infectious Diseases. Link: UCL news

Jun 2017: UNZA-UCLMS is delighted to announce that Prof Alimuddin Zumla has been honoured with a Knighthood by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his many years of exceptional service for public health and combatting infectious diseases. Links: Press release

Links to various news articles on Prof Zumla's knighthood

May 2017: UNZA-UCLMS is sad to announce the demise of one of our founding directors, Prof Chifumbe Chintu, on the 4th May 2017. May his soul resit in peace and our deepest condolences to his family and friends. Obituary

Mar 2017: Prof Alimuddin Zumla awarded prestigious NIHR Senior Investigator Award

Nov 2016: UNZA-UCLMS wins 'Outstanding Research Team' Award at Eight EDCTP Forum in Lusaka. Links: EDCTP

May 2016: UNZA-UCLMS Founding Director Prof Alimuddin Zumla award honorary doctorate by the Karolinska Institutet, their highest honour. Links: Karolinska Institutet

Apr 2015: Inaugural meeting of the newly formed Africa-Europe Host Directed therapies network - Cape Town, Apr 2015

Mar 2015: Matthew Bates & Aaron Shibemba present UNZA-UCLMS autopsy data at the first Asian-African Mycobacteriology Congress in Isfahan, Iran.

Mar 2015: Prof Zumla wins award for World Class research for both the UNZA-UCLMS collaboration and the RiD-RTI project. Links: UCLH News

Mar 2015: Bates et al... publish landmark autopsy study in Lancet Infectious Diseases showing alarming levels of missed TB and MDR-TB infections as causes of death among hospital admissions. Links: PubMe d, Lancet Infect Dis

Jan 2015: Zambian nation goes to the polls to elect new president - at UNZA-UCLMS we would encourage any new government to increase the budget for local research activities

Nov 2014: Alimuddin Zumla (UCL), Stefan Kauffman (Max Plank) and Eric Rubin (Harvard) have co-edited a new comprehensive TB book with Cold Spring Harbour press. Links: Cold Spring Harbor Press

Oct 2014: Alimuddin Zumla awarded Mackay Medal by Royal Society for Tropical Medicine & Hygiene. Links: UCL, Biomedical Research Centre

2nd Sept 2014: Prof Zumla, Ziad Memish and collaborators launch Lancet series on emerging respiratory infections

May 2014: UCL and Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health launch Lancet Mass Gatherings Medicine series in Geneva

3rd-4th April 2014: Professor Zumla commences appointment to EDCTP Strategic Advisor Group. For this and other EDCTP news see newsletter.

24th March 2014: Baron Lord Patel of Blackburn hosts Professor Zumla and international delegates visiting the U.K to present at the UCL/LSHTM World TB Day symposium, for a tour of the House of Lords and House of Commons.

21st March 2014: Professor Zumla collaborates with Andrew George MP and Baroness Masham to publish a tuberculosis commentary in the Lancet (PDF) to mark World TB Day 2014 (24th March). Univeristy College London and The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine will hold an exciting day of talks held in the John Snow Lecture Theatre, on Keppel Street in Bloomsbury, London. The event is FREE. To register click here.

29th Nov 2013: UNZA-UCLMS wins the 'Best International Collaboration' award the Times Higher Education AWARDS in a lavish ceremony at the Grosvenor Palace Ballroom. Prof Ali Zumla was accompanied by Dr Matthew Bates and other members of the ADAT study team. A huge thanks and congratulations go out Prof Michael Hoelscher, Leonard Maboko, Petra Clowes and the Tanzanian project team, and also to Peter Mwaba, Dr Nathan Kapata and the Zambian project team. Links: THE AWARDS, UCL News

22nd Nov 2013: Mwaanza et al... publish in Clin infect Dis. on high rates of congenital CMV infection in neonatal admissions at the University Teaching Hospital in Zambia, linked with maternal HIV infection, with broad implications for child development across the region. PDF

23rd Oct 2013: UK All-Party Parliamentary Group report calls for action to reverse spread of multi-drug resistant TB: PDF

15th October 2013: Professor Zumla awarded 'Lifetime Achievement Award' by Zambian Ministry of Health at the Zambian National Health Research Conference in Lusaka, 14th-16th Oct 2013. Links: Zambian Ministry of Health, UCL Biomedical Research Centre

5th Oct 2013: World's leading health organisations unite to issue roadmap for childhood tuberculosis PDF

Huffington Post

20th Sept 2013: Prof Zumla leads a top international team from Saudi Arabia and the U.K, who have demonstrated through whole genome sequencing that MERSCoV has probably been transmitted to humans, from the as yet unknown animal host, on multiple occasions. PDF

5th Sept 2013: The UNZA-UCLMS Research and Training Programme is one of 6 U.K universities shortlisted for the Times Higher Education Award for 'International Collaboration of the Year'

8th July 2013: Bates, Ahmed et al... publish in Trop Med Int Health the use of the Xpert® MTB/RIF assay for diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis comorbidity and multidrug-resistant TB in obstetrics and gynaecology inpatient wards at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia. PDF

20th June 2013: Memish, Zumla et al.. publish in NEJM describing a cluster of health care-acquired MERS-Coronavirus Infections from Saudi Arabia. PDF, Lancet, UCL, HealthCanal

29th May 2013: Bates, Musonda and Zumla publish chapter on human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in sub-Saharan Africa, PDF

14th May 2013: Liong et al... publish in Nature Communiucation about their magnetic barcode assay for genetic detection of pathogens including M.tuberculosis (PDF)

12th May 2013: Zambian government annouce bold plans to double intake at nursing colleges from 2000 to 4000 students annually (Link)

8th May 2013: "EXPOSED - The Race Against Tuberculosis". A four-part series of short films that tell the story of the deadly

global epidemic of tuberculosis

17th Apr 2013: The U.K 'All Party Parliamentry Group on Global TB' (APPG-TB) publish report on the threat of MDR-TB (PDF)

25th Mar 2013

World's TB experts come together to publish comprehensive review series in Lancet Infectious Diseases to mark 'World TB Day'
Watch the UNZA-UCLMS World TB Day presentation here
Zumla et al... publish excellent current concepts article on Tuberculosis in NEJM. PDF

17th Dec 2012: Kapata et al... publish in J Trop Paed, showing declining TB notification rates in children in Zambia, but highlight the absence of HIV co-infection and MDR-TB surveillance data.

8th Nov 2012: Professor Alimuddin Zumla honoured with Annual Prize Lecture Award from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden - University College London Hospitals

Nov 5th 2012: First evaluation of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay for diagnosis of tuberculosis with gastric lavage aspirates in children in sub-Saharan Africa published by Bates et al... in Lancet Infectious Diseases: PDF with attached comment article: PDF

24th Oct 2012: Professor Alimuddin Zumla honoured with the First Division Grand Commander of the Order of Distinguished Service by HE President of the Republic of Zambia Michael Sata, during independence day celebrations in Lusaka - Time of Zambia