You see a little stream going through the native rather untouched green forest.

The Loa loa Initiative

A BNITM – CERMEL Collaboration

Loiasis is a more than neglected tropical disease affecting the rural communities of the rainforest and savannah regions of Central and parts of West Africa.

While loiasis is known for centuries due to its archetypical clinical signs when the adult worm migrates through the conjunctiva of the eye (“eye worm migration” or when transient swellings of the limbs occur (“Calabar swellings”)), this filarial disease has attracted little attention by researchers, public health programs, and national or international decision makers.

The aim of the Loa loa Initiative


Based on more than 25 years of successful collaboration, the Department of Clinical Research at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg Germany, and the Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné, Gabon, have initiated a collaborative program addressing the still many research gaps, advancing our knowledge in all relevant aspects of the disease, interacting with national and international stakeholders, and assisting to address this important unmet health priority.


This webpage shall provide context to the disease by providing concise information about the relevant aspects of the disease, further resources on loiasis, current ongoing research projects, and by letting those affected by the disease or involved in its control share their experience and convictions.