Providing the scientific evidence and tools for reaching 2021-2030 NTD Roadmap goal of eliminating schistosomiasis as a public health problem in Africa

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) as those which are neglected by research and funding, and disproportionately infect poor and marginalised communities. One such NTD is schistosomiasis, a waterborne parasitic disease which infects over 250 million people worldwide, and is second only to malaria in terms of socioeconomic burden. In the new NTD roadmap 2020-2030, the WHO aims to eliminate schistosomiasis as a public health problem by 2030. Preventive chemotherapy has been a pillar of intervention strategy for many years in endemic countries of Africa, but some regions do not respond as expected, with persistent high prevalence of schistosomiasis. In this PHD I aim to investigate factors which could be maintaining these persistent hotspots, and therefore hindering the goal of elimination. I will investigate whether using preventive chemotherapy at a defined time in the transmission pattern of S.haematobium would reduce prevalence and reinfection. I will also carry out a survey of attitudes and practices involving WASH in Zimbabwe with a focus on COVID-19 and its effects on endemic schistosomiasis. Finally, I will explore genetic differences in parasite populations, post treatment in persistent and non-persistent regions, allowing an investigation into parasite susceptibility to treatment.