Alumni webinar #2 Global Research Prize 2026 - Barbora Píšová

Background

This new series of ITM alumni webinars features the three ITM winners of the Prize for Global Research 2026. The Prize for Global Research is awarded yearly by the Province of Antwerp to research projects of master-after-master students of ITM and other Higher Education Institutes. Development relevance, quality, and originality of the master theses are key in the selection. Through this award, the Province of Antwerp wants to stimulate global research.

In webinar #2, MTM alumna and Global Research Prize laureate Barbora Píšová (Czech Republic) shares insights from her master's thesis, entitled 'Retrospective Evaluation of Patient Monitoring Practices for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Cases Treated with Systemic Sodium Stibogluconate at Arba Minch General Hospital, Ethiopia.'

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected tropical skin disease, with more than 12 million cases reported worldwide. Ethiopia is among the countries most affected, with an estimated 20,000–50,000 cases annually. For severe and mucocutaneous CL, sodium stibogluconate (SSG) remains the main systemic treatment in Ethiopia. However, it can cause serious adverse events and requires intensive safety monitoring. Treatment is mainly available at specialised centres, which are often difficult for patients to access. Efforts to decentralise CL care raise concerns about the feasibility of adequate monitoring at lower-level health facilities. In her retrospective study, Barbora examines patient monitoring practices and treatment-related complications under routine care at Arba Minch General Hospital. Her findings highlight challenges in SSG treatment and limited adherence to existing monitoring recommendations. She proposes context-appropriate, evidence-based guidelines to improve patient safety while taking local capacity into account.

During the webinar, Barbora will present her main findings, recommendations and conclusions. The Q&A session, moderated by Johan van Griensven (Department Head of Clinical Sciences), will give participants the opportunity to ask questions.