Centre for Research on Filariasis and Other Tropical Diseases (CRFilMT)

This study will pilot the Slash and Clear methodology in an oncho-Loa loa co-endemic setting. Previous pilots in Uganda and Nigeria have demonstrated that this simple strategy of removing breeding sites can result in significant black fly reductions that last for several months. This study will provide important data on the impact of Slash and Clear on black fly biting, and consequently its impact on oncho elimination. Two intervention and one control community will be compared for two years, with repeated measurements being taken of biting rates.

To assess the specificity of diagnostic tools in Loa co-endemic areas and to conduct a prospective assessment of the impact of ALB MDA and Vector control on malaria, LF and STH indicators.

The success of MDA programs requires effective planning, community engagement, and delivery by community drug distributors. This proposal seeks to assess barriers and facilitators of effective coverage. Using in depth interviews, focus group discussions, and surveys, they will investigate factors related to acceptance, availability, and accessibility of MDA from the perspectives of drug distributors, healthcare workers, community leaders, the NTD program, and community members. Using the findings from the formative phase, an intervention package will be developed and implemented during MDA, followed by an evaluation of the impact of the intervention on coverage.

This project is part of a larger series of four studies that use a mixed methods approach to understand why particular districts that have undergone 5+ years of MDA are failing or are likely to fail transmission assessment surveys (TAS). Other studies include 169.1D Ghana, 169.2U Burkina Faso, and 177U Nepal. This study in Uttar Pradesh also provides a second opportunity to deploy the rapid ethnographic approach that will be first tested in Nepal. Team members from HERD Nepal will be traveling to India to train their team on the technique and assist with roll out.

How does the performance of the AP ELISA compare to the Ov16 SD ELISA, when conducted in a country lab?

To pilot a strategy for mapping and treating Onchocerciasis and Lymphatic Filariasis in Loa loa co-endemic areas.

To assess if transmission assessment surveys (TAS) for lymphatic filariasis (LF) are a feasible platform to integrate transmission assessment for onchocerciasis, using the same age group (6-7 years old) and the same prevalence threshold (<2%) that the LF programs utilize.

1. To perform the TAS for stopping LF MDA and use it as platform for Oncho impact assessment. 
2. To assess the level of endemicity of Oncho following at least five rounds of MDA in hypo, meso and hyper endemic districts. 
3. To study the performance of the Wb123/Ov16 Biplex rapid diagnostic test (RDT) to assess Oncho and LF transmission interruption.

How does the 3rd generation LoaScope perform when deployed in the field? Can it be validated for use in operational research and programmatic activities?

1. What is the comparative prevalence of STH among children and adults in settings where IVM and ALB/MBZ-based MDA have been implemented for at least 10 years in comparison to settings where only ALB/MBZ-based MDA have been used with similar baseline prevalence?

2. What is the estimated time to elimination of STH in settings where IVM and ALB/MBZ-based MDA have been implemented for at least 10 years in comparison to settings where only ALB/MBZ-based MDA have been used with similar baseline prevalence using mathematical modeling?
 

What strategic innovative alternatives could be developed for the control of onchocerciasis?

A formative study to quantify and describe implementation challenges in integrating NTD data into a data warehouse using the national DHIS2 platform and make recommendations for program improvements