NHS Highland joins NorthTick Project
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NHS Highland is one of 10 partners from seven European countries chosen to lead the fight against the growing scourge of tick-borne diseases.
The health body will work with universities and public bodies on a research project aimed at improving how health care systems react to the challenge.
The NorthTick Project, set up in October last year, will seek to develop tools to prevent, diagnose, treat and provide better public information about tick-borne illnesses and infections.
Dr Sally Mavin, deputy director of the Scottish Lyme Disease and Tick-borne Infections Reference Laboratory at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, said: “In recent decades, the number of people and animals affected by tick-borne diseases has increased.
“The reasons for the increase in ticks that carry different diseases include climate change, increased urbanization and other human impacts on the ecosystem.
“Knowledge is increasing, but it is a challenge to get this knowledge out to the health care system and the general public.
“By improving collaboration between academic institutions, national and regional health authorities, patient organisations and other non-governmental organisations, the industry and decision-makers, the NorthTick research project will help us meet those challenges.”
NorthTick is co-funded by the EU/European Regional Development Fund/Interreg North Sea Region and will run for three-and-a-half years.
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