A new study by AM2NTD researchers demonstrates that mathematically optimized treatment strategies could significantly improve the effectiveness of Schistosomiasis control programs in Kenya. The research, published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, used geospatial modeling techniques to identify high-transmission hotspots and simulate various intervention scenarios.
The team found that targeting specific geographic areas and age groups could reduce disease burden by up to 40% compared to current mass drug administration approaches, without requiring additional resources.
"This represents a major step forward in our understanding of how to maximize the impact of limited resources for NTD control," said Dr. Sarah Mwangi, lead author of the study and AM2NTD researcher at the Kenya Medical Research Institute. "By applying sophisticated modeling approaches, we can develop more efficient strategies tailored to local conditions."
The study was conducted in collaboration with the Kenyan Ministry of Health and local partners, incorporating extensive field data collected over three years. The modeling approach developed by the team has been packaged into a decision support tool that program managers can use to optimize their own intervention strategies.
AM2NTD will host a webinar on May 15, 2025, to present these findings and demonstrate the new decision support tool for interested stakeholders across Africa.
