About This Seminar
The Center for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (CEMA) at the University of Nairobi is pleased to announce an upcoming seminar on the sustainable control of soil-transmitted helminths (STH). Join us to explore the latest insights and model-predicted impacts of WASH and drug resistance on STH control.
Globally, over 1 billion people are infected with soil-transmitted helminths (STH), and many more are at risk of infection. To prevent and reduce STH-related morbidity, the WHO recommends regular deworming campaigns (once or twice per year) for high-risk populations such as (pre-)school-age children and women of reproductive age. In addition, improved access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is needed to reduce transmission through reduced open defecation and exposure (e.g., through shoe-wearing).
Key Topics
Model-predicted impacts of WASH on STH control
Drug resistance challenges in STH control
Scaling up deworming campaigns to target all ages
Evidence generation for WASH impact on STH
Sustainability challenges in STH control programs
Focus Areas
The role and impact of WASH on STH control
The potential for drug resistance on the sustainability of STH control
Context
As WASH requires significant investment and long-term maintenance of critical infrastructure, and given that deworming is relatively cheap (with drugs donated by pharmaceutical companies), STH control currently leans heavily on deworming campaigns. There are growing calls to scale up deworming campaigns to target all ages (rather than just high-risk age groups) to hopefully interrupt transmission, for which several trials are ongoing or have recently concluded. Meanwhile, generating evidence for the impact of WASH on STH has proven challenging. These developments pose important challenges for the sustainability of STH control.
Seminar Details
Dr. Luc Coffeng is an assistant professor at the Department of Public Health at Erasmus MC Rotterdam, The Netherlands. He is one of the principal investigators of the NTD Modelling Consortium and works on several neglected tropical diseases, including soil-transmitted helminths. His work focuses on informing global health policy (e.g., WHO guidelines and manuals), program decision-making, and study design for monitoring and evaluating NTD control programs.
