Researchers investigate the links between mobility and health

With around 7.1 million euros, the Volkswagen Foundation is funding five new projects that deal with transdisciplinary issues of global health - from spreading resistance to malaria drugs to planning tools for healthcare systems and the shortage of medical professionals. They are based in Berlin, Erlangen-Nuremberg and Fulda, among other places.

Fintess watch: instrument for self-optimization on the wrist.

How does mobility influence the health of people and societies - both locally and globally? And how can equitable, resilient health systems be designed in the face of global migration movements? With the funding initiative "Transdisciplinary Approaches to Mobility and Global Health", the Volkswagen Foundation, together with its European partner foundations Novo Nordisk Fonden and Wellcome Trust, is focusing on these and other pressing questions. The Volkswagen Foundation has now selected five projects that are characterized by transdisciplinary, international cooperation, high scientific originality and social relevance.

"Global health is inextricably linked to issues of mobility - think of flight, labor migration or cross-border disease risks. This complexity can only be grasped together: across disciplinary boundaries, in international dialog and together with practice partners," says Dr. Nora Kottmann, who is responsible for the call for proposals at the Volkswagen Foundation. Funding is provided for scientifically excellent projects that address social, health and ethical issues and research sustainable solutions together with relevant stakeholders. The research teams consist of partner institutions in high-, middle- and low-income countries, are interdisciplinary and work closely with local communities, authorities and NGOs in Africa, Europe, Asia and South America, among others.

Three projects are briefly presented below:

Hitch-hiking East Africa: Spread of Artemisinin-Resistant Malaria through Mosquito and Human Mobility

(Dr. Welmoed van Loon, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin; Jules Ndoli Minega, M.D., University Teaching Hospital of Butare, Rwanda; Dr. Esto Bahizire, Catholic University of Bukavu, The Democratic Republic of the Congo; Dr. Philip Koliopoulos, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz; Emmanuel Mande, Infectious Diseases Institute, Uganda; approx. EUR 1.5 million)

Malaria ist nicht nur eine äußerst gefährliche Krankheit. In Ostafrika kommt hinzu, dass Parasiten, die Malaria auslösen, zunehmend Resistenzen gegen das Hauptmedikament Artemisinin entwickeln. Diese Resistenzen könnten sich bald durch infizierte Mücken, die bspw. als "blinde Passagiere" in Nachtbussen reisen, sowie infizierte Reisende über größere Entfernungen und weitere Länder verbreiten. Ein interdisziplinäres Forschungsteam untersucht die Ausbreitungswege der Artemisinin-Resistenz in vier aneinandergrenzenden Ländern der Great-Lakes-Region in Ostafrika. Es sammelt detaillierte Daten und entwickelt mathematische Modelle, um gezielte Maßnahmen in den Resistenz-Hotspots zu erproben. Durch die Zusammenarbeit mit lokalen Stakeholder:innen und die Einführung eines Frühwarnsystems soll die Resistenz wirkungsvoll eingedämmt werden.

From Health System Transformation to Well-Being Ecosystems: Integrating Volatile Mobility Settings into Inclusive Development Pathways (TRANS-WELL)

(Prof. Dr. Fred Krüger, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg; Dr. Astrid Knoblauch, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Switzerland; Prof. Pobsook Chamchong, Chiang Mai University, Thailand; Dr. Gonzalo Basile, Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Dominican Republic; Dr. Herminio Cossa, Manhiça Health Research Centre CISM, Mozambique; approx. 1.6 million euros)

The research team is investigating the interplay between migration and health in crisis regions, where economic problems, violence and climate change are driving people to migrate. These mobility flows challenge conventional policy approaches and measures. The team is committed to using approaches from southern countries to create inclusive policy solutions that are tailored to the needs of those affected. Case studies from Mozambique, the Dominican Republic and Thailand show how an "ecosystem of wellbeing" opens up new perspectives on societal transformations. The team aims to develop an easy-to-use planning tool for health systems that prioritizes social justice and sustainable development.

Global Health Diasporas. How Mobile Health Professionals Abroad Improve Health of Minority Groups in Communities in Colombia, Ghana, and Sri Lanka

(Prof. Dr. Uwe Hunger, Fulda University of Applied Sciences; Dr. Sascha Krannich, Justus Liebig University Giessen; Prof. Dr. Martin Nyaaba Adokiya, University for Development Studies, Ghana; Prof. Rajendra Surenthirakumaran, University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka; Prof. Dr. Andres Cubillos, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia; approx. 1.6 million euros)

Many countries in the Global South, particularly in rural regions, are struggling with a shortage of skilled workers in the healthcare system, while at the same time large numbers of medical professionals are migrating to wealthy countries. This "medical brain drain" is weakening the domestic healthcare system. But there are opportunities: return migration, knowledge transfer and investment can help to strengthen healthcare systems in the countries of origin. The research team is investigating how healthcare professionals living abroad can bring about positive change in Colombia, Ghana and Sri Lanka. The focus is on societal and social factors that influence the return of these professionals and on the exchange with local communities.

Other approved projects:

Nexus4Her: Addressing the Nexus: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Mental Health of Young Refugee and Migrant Women in Ecuador and Uganda

(Dr. Olena Ivanova, Klinikum der Universität München; Dr. Elizabeth Kemigisha, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda; Dr. Bernardo Jose Vega Crespo, University of Cuenca, Ecuador; approx. 1 million euros)

Understanding the education and labor market consequences of Indonesia's quest to become the world's leading nurse exporting nation

(Dr. Julia Lohmann, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; Prof. Ferry Efendi, University Airlangga, Indonesia; Prof. Dr. Rini Rachmawaty, Hasanuddin University, Indonesia; Prof. Dr. Firman Witoelar Kartaadipoetra, Australian National University, Australia; approx. 1.4 million euros)

(Published: 12 August 2025)