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Felix Gerber

Department of Clinical Research
Profiles & Affiliations

Felix Gerber completed his MD/PhD at the University of Basel in 2025, focusing on HIV/TB co-infection and service delivery models for non-communicable diseases in rural Lesotho. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Basel while pursuing clinical training as a resident in internal medicine at Kantonsspital Aarau, Switzerland.

He studied medicine in Basel, Leuven, and Lausanne. His earlier research explored rabies epidemiology in West Africa, and his clinical experience includes residency training in rural family medicine in Switzerland.

Selected Publications

Gerber, F., Gupta, R., Sanchez-Samaniego, G., Lejone, T. I., Tahirsylaj, T., Raeber, F., Saavedra, E. B., Esquivel-Valdés, I., Chitja, M., Molulela, M., Khomolishoele, M., Mota, M., Bane, M., Masike, S., Sematle, M. P., Mofokeng, M., Makabateng, R., Mphunyane, M., Sao, L., et al. (2026). Community health worker-led versus facility-based type 2 diabetes care in rural Lesotho: a cluster-randomized trial within the ComBaCaL cohort study [Journal-article]. BMC Medicine, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-026-04943-4

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Gerber, Felix, Sanchez-Samaniego, Giuliana, Gupta, Ravi, Lejone, Thabo Ishmael, Tahirsylaj, Thesar, Raeber, Fabian, Chitja, Mamakhala, Mathulise, Malebona, Kabi, Thuso, Mokaeane, Mosoetsi, Maphenchane, Malehloa, Molulela, Manthabiseng, Khomolishoele, Makhebe, Mota, Mota, Masike, Sesale, Bane, Matumaole, Mofokeng, Manthati, Sematle, Mamoronts’ane Pauline, Makabateng, Retselisitsoe, et al. (2026). Lay community health worker-led care with mobile decision support for uncontrolled hypertension: a cluster-randomized trial. Nature Medicine, 32, 915–923. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-026-04208-w

URLs
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Gerber, Felix, Semphere, Robina, Lukau, Blaise, Mahlatsi, Palesa, Mbale, Hannah, Sanchez-Samaniego, Giuliana, Sass, Nikita, Amstutz, Alain, Molatelle, Mamello, Marake, Nthuseng Bridgett, Tarumbiswa, Tapiwa, Nliwasa, Marriot, Ayakaka, Irene, Glass, Tracy R, MacPherson, Peter, Burke, Rachael M, & Labhardt, Niklaus D. (2026). Same-day versus rapid ART initiation in people with HIV and symptoms of tuberculosis (SaDAPT): a randomised, non-inferiority trial in Lesotho and Malawi. The Lancet HIV. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2352-3018(25)00276-0

URLs
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Gerber, Felix, Sanchez-Samaniego, Giuliana, Tahirsylaj, Thesar, Lejone, Thabo Ishmael, Lee, Tristan, Raeber, Fabian, Chitja, Mamakhala, Mathulise, Malebona, Kabi, Thuso, Mokaeane, Mosoetsi, Maphenchane, Malehloa, Molulela, Manthabiseng, Mota, Mota, Masike, Sesale, Bane, Matumaole, Makabateng, Retselisitsoe, Khomolishoele, Makhebe, Sematle, Mamoronts’Ane, Gupta, Ravi, et al. (2025). Cohort profile: The open, prospective Community-Based chronic Care Lesotho (ComBaCaL) cohort - Design, baseline chronic disease risk factors and hypertension and diabetes care cascades. BMJ Open, 15(7). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-093852

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Selected Projects & Collaborations

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SaDAPT: Same-day vs Rapid ART Initiation in HIV-positive Individuals Presenting With Symptoms of TB

Research Project  | 2 Project Members

SaDAPT is a randomized controlled trial in Lesotho and Malawi investigating when to start antiretroviral therapy in persons testing positive for HIV and simultaneously showing symptoms of a possible TB infection.

Rapid, if possible same-day initiation (SDI) of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is recommended for all persons living with HIV (PLHIV) without contraindication who are ready to start treatment. A possible contraindication to initiating ART is the presence of an untreated tuberculosis (TB) infection as it increases the risk of TB-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (TB-IRIS) after ART initiation. In case of TB symptoms (presumptive TB), previous guidelines recommended to postpone ART initiation until investigations for active TB infection have been completed to avoid initiating ART in presence of untreated TB and thus reduce the risk of TB-IRIS. However, the 2021 guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) changed to recommending rapid or SDI even in case of TB symptoms without awaiting results of TB diagnostic tests based on the assumption that TB tests often unnecessarily delay ART initiation increasing the risk for pre-ART attrition from care while the clinical relevance of TB-IRIS outside the central nervous system remains unclear. To date, there is no conclusive evidence about whether SDI of ART or TB test results should be prioritized in PLHIV with presumptive TB.

SaDAPT is a two arm, individually randomized, pragmatic trial comparing two approaches for the timing of ART initiation in PLHIV with presumptive TB (“ART first” versus “TB results first”). PLHIV in Lesotho and Malawi, aged 12 years and older (re)initiating ART who have at least one of TB symptom (cough, fever, night sweats or weight loss) and who do not have signs of meningitis are eligible. Participants in the “ART first” arm will be offered SDI of ART while those in the “TB results first” arm will be offered ART only after results of TB tests are available.

We hypothesize that the “ART first” approach is safe and non-inferior to the “TB results first” approach with regard to HIV viral suppression (<400 copies/ml) six months after enrollment. Secondary outcomes include retention in care and adverse events consistent with TB-IRIS.

Trial registration: The trial has been registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05452616; July 11 2022).

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ComBaCaL: Community-based Chronic Care Lesotho

Research Project  | 14 Project Members

Community Based Chronic Care Lesotho (ComBaCaL) is a collaborative program between Lesotho and Switzerland dedicated to developing, testing, and sharing innovative solutions to enhance chronic disease care in remote settings in low- and middle-income countries.

 

At the core of ComBaCaL is the concept of Community Health Workers (CHWs) supported by a digital clinical decision support system, enabling them to provide treatment for selected conditions in remote areas with limited access to clinics.

 

In phase 1, we empowered CHWs to independently prescribe and manage treatment of uncomplicated hypertension and type 2 diabetes. This approach was effective in large cluster-randomised trials.

 

In the current phase 2, the focus has expanded to integrated care packages addressing a wider range of conditions, including HIV, sexual and reproductive health, and health services for children under five. The aim of this phase is to prepare ComBaCaL for scale.

 

For detailed information and a comprehensive list of our publications, visit: www.combacal.org.