We are pleased to announce the publication of the final report for our Thanzi Labwino (Better Health) project. Funded by the Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE), the project was a collaboration between the University of York, the ECSA Health Community, and Imperial College London. The aim of Thanzi Labwino was to generate tools and evidence to address neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in East and Southern Africa.
The report details how Thanzi Labwino generated novel economic evidence, strengthened regional partnerships, and built long-term capacity to inform resource allocation for disease elimination across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Key Areas of Research
The project’s interdisciplinary research was structured around three interconnected areas:
- Economic Frameworks to Guide Elimination: Developed analytical frameworks to help policymakers assess when and how pursuing disease elimination is cost-effective, incorporating trade-offs, opportunity costs, and metrics like Population Net Health Benefit.
- Health System Strengthening & Resilience: Explored system-wide enablers for disease elimination, evaluating national investments in Community Health Workers (CHWs) and private medicine retailers in Uganda, as well as health system performance and vulnerability in African Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
- NTDs Epidemiology & System Response: Combined epidemiological transmission dynamics with health system modelling to evaluate Schistosomiasis strategies in Malawi, demonstrating the value of geographically targeted elimination efforts and prioritising treatments for children. These insights were integrated directly into the open-source Thanzi la Onse (TLO) model.
Key Project Achievements & Impact
- Strengthening Regional Policy Engagement: Supported the ECSA Health Community’s Health Economics Community of Practice (HE-COP). These meetings brought together disease specialists and health planners, contributing to regional ministerial resolutions on combating NTDs.
- Global Working Group: Co-established the International Working Group on the Economics of Disease Elimination & Integration (IWG-EDEI) alongside GLIDE to convene global health policy leaders, academia and practitioners to discuss the latest research and economic evidence, and advance thinking and practical delivery in disease elimination.
- Capacity Building via Studentships: Funded two cohorts of African health professionals to complete the Health Economics Distance Learning MSc at the University of York, equipping policymakers and researchers across the region with practical health economics skills.
- Project Catalyst & Expansion: Served as a foundation for new research, including the NIHR-funded SCHEMA-Uganda project on community health systems, expanded Thanzi activities in Namibia and Zambia, and an ongoing legacy for the Thanzi Studentship Programme.
Read the Full Report
To explore our work in greater depth, and access a complete list of peer-reviewed publications, download the 2026 Thanzi Labwino Project Final Report.
Links to further information
- Explore our published research from across the wider Thanzi Programme.
- Find out more about the Thanzi Studentships.
- Take a look at the Thanzi Three Pillars of Activity.
By: Kath Devlin | October 2026
