Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences-Bugando
Towards sustainability of Schistosomiasis Control: improving health of lake shore communities and engaging civil society structures, educational and health facilities in the hyper-endemic area of Mwanza, Tanzania
Schistosomiasis is among the neglected tropical diseases which are highly endemic in Tanzania, especially along and on the Island of Lake Victoria, in northwestern region. After Nigeria, Tanzania is second country in sub-Saharan Africa for having the highest prevalence of schistosomiasis infection and it is estimated that 52% of approximately 50 million people are living with the disease. Current control strategies in Tanzania focus on mass drug administration (MDA) of Praziquantel (PZQ) mainly in school children. Despite of these efforts, the burden of disease remains high, showing local infection rates of up to 97% among school children. School- based MDA alone is unlikely to have a lasting effect on transmission. Awareness creation and engagement across sectors and of civil society (cooperatives, community councils) structures will help to achieve more sustainable results. The objective of this project is to engage affected communities and civil society structures representing risk population (cooperatives, beach management units) to create awareness through e.g. CHAST (children’s hygiene and sanitation training), participation in control activities and improved health seeking behaviors. Secondarily, the study aims to institutionalize measures for early diagnosis and treatment in health facilities of Nyamagana and Ilemela district, along the Lake Victoria, northwestern Tanzania.
Integrating use of point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen rapid diagnostic by community health workers during mass drug administration campaign to increase uptake of praziquantel treatment among adult populations in North-Western Tanzania
To assess if introducing point-of-care Circulating Cathodic Antigen rapid test to community health workers will increase access, compliance and coverage to treatment among adult individuals at Kome Island in North-Western Tanzania, an area on the Lake Victoria highly endemic for schistosomiasis
Assessing the utility of female genital schistosomiasis symptoms and risk factors checklist and efficacy of praziquantel on genital lesions associated with urogenital schistosomiasis in adolescent girls and women in Maswa District, Tanzania
1. What is the specificity and sensitivity of the FGS symptoms and risk factors checklist in identifying women with suggestive symptoms of FGS compared to urine filtration test and colposcopy?
2. Does treatment with praziquantel lead to regression or healing of genital lesions related to FGS in adolescent girls and women?
Integrating use of point-of-care Circulating Cathodic Antigen rapid diagnostic tests by Community Health Workers during Mass Drug Administration
Will integrating point-of-care Circulating Cathodic Antigen in Community Directed Mass Drug Administration campaign increases the uptake, compliance and coverage of schistosomiasis treatment among adult?
Bringing Down Hurdles for Female Genital Schistosomiasis Access to Care: A Multi-Country Socio-Structural Integrated Approach to Developing A Community-Based Teaching Platform
This study aims to answer: Can female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) screening be successfully promoted through a community-based teaching intervention addresing stigma and other socio-structural barriers to increase health-seeking behaviors nested in broader sexual and reproductive health prevention services. It pilots an approach that combines awareness, anti-stigma education, and integrated screening for FGS. Investigators will work with women, adolescent girls, and key stakeholders to develop a community-based teaching platform for FGS, cervical cancer, HIV, and STIs that could decrease the burden of genital tract morbidity in women of reproductive age. Zambia will serve as the main study site and once the team has developed the intervention, it will be rolled out remotely to Malawi and Tanzania. Additionally, the team plans to adapt validated HIV stigma indicators to include FGS and pilot test the scale throughout the course of the project.
Towards sustainability of Schistosomiasis Control: improving health of lake shore communities and engaging civil society structures, educational and health facilities in the hyper-endemic area of Mwanza, Tanzania
Schistosomiasis is among the neglected tropical diseases which are highly endemic in Tanzania, especially along and on the Island of Lake Victoria, in northwestern region. After Nigeria, Tanzania is second country in sub-Saharan Africa for having the highest prevalence of schistosomiasis infection and it is estimated that 52% of approximately 50 million people are living with the disease. Current control strategies in Tanzania focus on mass drug administration (MDA) of Praziquantel (PZQ) mainly in school children. Despite of these efforts, the burden of disease remains high, showing local infection rates of up to 97% among school children. School- based MDA alone is unlikely to have a lasting effect on transmission. Awareness creation and engagement across sectors and of civil society (cooperatives, community councils) structures will help to achieve more sustainable results. The objective of this project is to engage affected communities and civil society structures representing risk population (cooperatives, beach management units) to create awareness through e.g. CHAST (children’s hygiene and sanitation training), participation in control activities and improved health seeking behaviors. Secondarily, the study aims to institutionalize measures for early diagnosis and treatment in health facilities of Nyamagana and Ilemela district, along the Lake Victoria, northwestern Tanzania.
Bringing Down Hurdles for Female Genital Schistosomiasis Access to Care: A Multi-Country Socio-Structural Integrated Approach to Developing A Community-Based Teaching Platform
This study aims to answer: Can female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) screening be successfully promoted through a community-based teaching intervention addresing stigma and other socio-structural barriers to increase health-seeking behaviors nested in broader sexual and reproductive health prevention services. It pilots an approach that combines awareness, anti-stigma education, and integrated screening for FGS. Investigators will work with women, adolescent girls, and key stakeholders to develop a community-based teaching platform for FGS, cervical cancer, HIV, and STIs that could decrease the burden of genital tract morbidity in women of reproductive age. Zambia will serve as the main study site and once the team has developed the intervention, it will be rolled out remotely to Malawi and Tanzania. Additionally, the team plans to adapt validated HIV stigma indicators to include FGS and pilot test the scale throughout the course of the project.