Understanding the prevalence/intensity of Schistosoma mansoni, Schistosoma haematobium and co-infection in school-aged children in Mangochi region and

The project would work with mainly with partners in sub-Saharan Africa also engaged in ongoing control programmes and disease surveillance of NTDs using traditional parasitological methods alongside new point-of-care diagnostics e.g. antigen detection methods. Throughout the project there will be direct comparisons of diagnostic methods from primary (field experimentation in Cameroon) as well as secondary data sources (national mapping data e.g. Namibia and Angola). Collectively this will investigate prevalence and intensity of infection and measures associated with it as well as their utilisation in disease burden forecasting. Subject to student progress, these proxies and indices may be used to develop computer simulation models that explore the temporal dynamics of transmission, as control progresses towards end-points of interventions. The student will receive training in molecular and spatial epidemiology.