NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Respiratory Infections
Conducting and applying multidisciplinary public health research
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is funded through the Department of Health to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. The Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) is an integrated consortium within the NIHR comprising world-class expertise in all areas of laboratory, public health, epidemiology and health-economic sciences.
Our driving goal and motivation is to protect and improve the public’s health through better application of cost-effective interventions"
The mission of the NIHR HPRU in Respiratory Infections at Imperial College London is to support UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) by creating a centre of excellence to design, conduct and share internationally-leading multidisciplinary health protection research.
The NIHR Health Protection Unit in Respiratory Infections supports research projects across SARS-CoV-2, influenza, tuberculosis and other respiratory infections . Please find further information on our Research themes page.
3 column colour block - About us, Research themes, Engagement
Finding hidden tuberculosis
In 2023, over 10 million people worldwide developed TB disease and caused an estimated 1.25 million deaths in 2023. *
TB has most likely returned to being the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, replacing COVID-19.*
One person dies of TB every 25 seconds, and these statistics are especially shocking in the context of a disease which is preventable and curable, even though the treatment is long and difficult, and requires commitment on part of the patient and their clinical carers.
*World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tuberculosis
