ISNTD Connect | Precision mapping of human water contact and implications for WASH: Findings from the SchistoTrack cohort

There is a need for more targeted approaches to improve control of schistosomiasis and other neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). For ecologically focal diseases, such as schistosomiasis, precision mapping has largely focused on identifying hotspots of infection prevalence without necessarily mapping patterns of current human exposure, i.e. water contact. This webinar presents results from the large-scale community-based cohort, SchistoTrack, which was established along the shorelines of Lake Albert, the River Nile, and Lake Victoria in Uganda. Generalisable models, principles of human water contact and the role of safe water provision, and the identification of the minimal data required for mapping human water contact will be shared from studies using survey data and wearable GPS loggers. The policy relevance for national NTD programmes will be discussed. We anticipate these results will help guide researchers and policymakers to improve the distribution of available treatment and complementary interventions for schistosomiasis, as well as the provision of safe water more generally for NTDs.

Speakers:

• Associate Professor Goylette F. Chami, University of Oxford, UK “Introduction to SchistoTrack”
• Dr Fabian Reitzug, University of Oxford, UK “Precision mapping of human water contact”
• Dr Narcis B. Kabatereine, Division of Vector Borne Diseases and Neglected Tropical Diseases, Uganda Ministry of Health “Policy relevance of mapping human water contact”