Berlin, 30 January 2025 - On the occasion of the World Day against Neglected Tropical Diseases, in the last session week of the German Bundestag, Dr. Georg Kippels MdB, spokesperson of the Parliamentary Advisory Council against Neglected Tropical Diseases and longest-serving member of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development, emphasized the commitment of members of parliament in the fight against these diseases. He particularly emphasized the long-standing support of Prof. Dr. Andrew Ullmann and Prof. Dr. Helge Braun.
The fireside chat of the German Network against Neglected Tropical Diseases focused on two important anniversaries: the 200th birthday of Theodor Bilharz and the 125th anniversary of the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg.
Prof. Dr. August Stich, Chief Physician for Clinical Infectiology at the University Hospital of Würzburg, traced a historical arc from the first contact between European explorers and indigenous peoples in the 16th century to colonialism and the perception of tropical diseases as a threat that had to be combated - particularly with regard to the economic exploitation of the colonies. He addressed key players such as Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch as well as the role of tropical doctors then and now.
He referred to the long-term consequences of colonialism, including climate change caused by the global North. Critically, he stated: “There is still a bit of racism hidden within us” and called for an honest acknowledgement of this responsibility as well as concrete measures to make amends - including in the field of tropical medicine.
He shed light on the history of tropical medicine and critically questioned the strategies for combating neglected tropical diseases. He also addressed the role of science and the Christian mission, particularly in the context of African sleeping sickness and schistosomiasis.
In view of current political challenges in Germany, in particular the increasing isolation towards migrants, he concluded with an African proverb: “I am because you are, and so that we are, I am.”
Prof. Dr. Jürgen May, Chairman of the Board of the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) and Honorary Chairman of the DNTD, addressed the current debate surrounding the institute's namesake, Bernhard Nocht (1857-1945). Accusations that Nocht was a racist or National Socialist were critically analyzed. In 2022, the Institute commissioned the Research Center for Contemporary History in Hamburg to produce an expert report. At the same time, a biography on Hamburg's (post)colonial heritage was written. Both works are currently being discussed and a possible renaming of the institute is being debated.
Dr. Gisela Schneider, Director of the German Institute for Medical Mission (Difäm) in Tübingen, reflected on the responsibility of the church in the colonial era and spoke about the need for all people to have an equal right to health. She emphasized that today's approaches are based on community empowerment and that civil society involvement has grown. She also addressed the current difficult situation in Goma/DR Congo and the lack of prospects for the civilian population there.
Dr. Julien Alban Nguinkal, bioinformatics statistician at the BNITM, presented the opportunities of artificial intelligence in research. He discussed how colonial research structures can be overcome and how data in countries of the Global South can be collected in real time and made available to researchers on site. Research results are often only published once the associated studies have been published, meaning that valuable findings are only available to local researchers after a delay. Artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT, must be trained with data and not just fed with “Western” data from the global North. He emphasized the need to involve local stakeholders and health authorities and provide them with targeted training.
Dr. Sophie Schneitler, board member of the German Society for Tropical Medicine, Travel Medicine and Global Health e.V. (DTG), presented a study for discussion on whether the term “tropical medicine” is still up to date. Researchers from the Global South and North were asked about this. The central message from the South was: “You are dealing with strange things, we are working on the current medical problems on the ground.” She pointed out that improving medical education was more important than the debate about the name of the specialty.
The event was moderated by Antonia Braus, deputy spokesperson of the DNTDs, consultant for One Health and scientific monitoring at Veterinarians Without Borders (ToGeV), and Dr. Dr. Carsten Köhler, Director of the Baden-Württemberg Competence Centre for Tropical Medicine at the Institute for Tropical Medicine at the Eberhard Karls University and the University Hospital of Tübingen. Dr. Köhler is also the 1st Chairman of the German Society for Tropical Medicine, Travel Medicine and Global Health e.V. s
The conclusion of the event can be summarized as follows:
- research and training must be adapted to current global challenges. Medical training should focus more on neglected tropical diseases, particularly with regard to migration medicine.
- international partnership and capacity building are crucial for a sustainable fight against neglected tropical diseases. Local actors in the affected countries must be more closely involved and trained.
- Technological innovations such as artificial intelligence can help to decolonize research structures and make health data usable in real time.
- private sector initiatives are playing an increasing role in the development of new medicines and vaccines for affected regions.
- the debate on historical responsibility shows that the colonial past of tropical medicine must continue to be critically reflected upon. This applies not only to institutions such as the Bernhard Nocht Institute, but also to the entire research landscape.
