9 July 2025 Articles

End of SIMBLE study visits at CNHU-HKM and Boko hospital in Benin

In May 2025, the ITM SIMBLE team visited CNHU-HKM in Cotonou and Boko Hospital in Benin for the last time.

In May 2025, the ITM SIMBLE team visited Centre national hospitalier et universitaire Hubert Koutoukou Maga (CNHU-HKM) in Cotonou and Boko Hospital in Benin for the last time! Recruitment was completed after a period of almost two years: CNHU-HKM enrolled 778 participants and Boko Hospital enrolled 414 participants with symptoms of bloodstream infections since June 2023.

Barbara Barbé and Anke Breine, respectively the Principal Investigator (PI) at ITM and a postdoctoral researcher at the Unit of Tropical Bacteriology at ITM, traveled to Cotonou and Boko for a final monitoring visit from 17 to 22 May 2025, with online support from Annelies De Hondt of the Clinical Trial Unit at ITM. They verified the informed consent forms and performed source data verification. A second batch of bacterial isolates was shipped to ITM for final identification during this visit. Next, the database will be prepared for data analysis.

Congratulations to the Beninese study teams at CNHU-HKM and the Boko hospital for their dedication and collaboration during the SIMBLE field study!

Monitoring visit at the bacteriology laboratory of the Saint-Jean de Dieu hospital in Boko. From left to right: Grâce Hounmasse, Carine Kotchare, Brice Aholoufon, Dr Gutemberg Kpossou, Estelle Dedonougbo, Barbara Barbé and Dr. Anke Breine

Monitoring visit at the bacteriology laboratory of CNHU-HKM in Cotonou. From left to right: Dr Magloire Sodjinou, Dr Anke Breine, Barbara Barbé and Hervé Kpotou