The US magazine TIME has included Prof. Dr. Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma in the TIME100 Health 2026 – a list of 100 leading personalities who are significantly shaping global healthcare. The issue will be published on 23 February 2026 (in stores from 13 February) and can be accessed online at time.com/time100health.

Mombo-Ngoma is an internationally recognized expert in clinical and implementation research on poverty-associated infectious diseases. He heads the “Drug Implementation” research group at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) in Hamburg and holds a joint professorship with the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). His focus is on the development and evaluation of new therapies against malaria, schistosomiasis and other infections that mainly affect women, children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa.

His work includes the design and implementation of multinational clinical trials, the building of local research capacities, and evidence-based improvements in maternal and child health care. His publications contribute to a better understanding of infection dynamics and therapeutic strategies. It closely links research institutions in Europe and Africa.

A key success is the management of a phase 3 study in Gabon, which showed that a single therapy with a quadruple combination of established antimalarial agents achieves comparable cure rates to the usual three-day standard treatment. This approach addresses drug resistance and low adherence in multi-day regimens and could represent an important advance in resource-poor regions. The results were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in 2025.

The inclusion in TIME100 Health not only recognizes his individual leadership role, but also underlines the importance of biomedical research that leads to concrete, sustainable improvements in global health – especially for particularly affected population groups.

Prof. Dr. Jürgen May, Chairman of the Board of the BNITM, emphasized the successful cooperation with the Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL) in Gabon and the UKE. The long-standing partnership enables large-scale clinical trials and the sustainable expansion of local research infrastructures.

The Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) is Germany’s largest institution for research, care and teaching on tropical and emerging infectious diseases. With Level 4 high-security laboratories and a BSL-3 insectarium, it is one of the world’s leading centers. The research is organized into five sections (Pathogen, Interface, Patient, Population, Implementation) and covers the entire path from basic research to application. The BNITM is a member of the Leibniz Association and maintains close cooperations, especially in Africa.

Original Paper:

TIME100 Health: Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma | TIME

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

Gender Notice. The personal designations used in this text always refer equally to female, male and diverse persons. Double/triple naming and gendered designations are used for better readability. ected.