Eliminating schistosomiasis in the Gambia

The Gambia’s Ministry of Health is applying implementation research (IR) tools offered through TDR’s Massive Open Online Course on IR to explore new approaches to eliminating schistosomiasis.

Schistosomiasis is endemic in both the central and upper river region of the Gambia. Two mass drug administrations of praziquantel, an approach recommended by WHO, have not stopped the transmission of these infections. As a result, the Ministry of Health has decided to conduct implementation research to explore a new approach in an effort to eliminate schistosomiasis in the country by 2030, in line with WHO’s road map for neglected tropical diseases.

TDR’s Massive Open Online Course (MOCC) on implementation research has guided the development and design of this research, which will be conducted this year.

The target population will be farmers engaged in rice growing in river sites and swampy areas, as well as fishermen. Many women also do their laundry around farmland water bodies or freshwater river sites, where infections typically occur. The data collected will be analyzed and interpreted to provide a better understanding of knowledge, attitudes and practices of these nomadic communities regarding the risk factors of schistosomiasis transmission, control and prevention. 

The results will then inform the development of community engagement activities to increase awareness of the disease, improve health seeking behaviors and increase treatment uptake. 

“We hope that this community-led intervention will help to reduce the prevalence of schistosomiasis in Upper and Lower Falladou Districts of the Gambia,” said Bakary Sanneh, who is leading this research at the Ministry of Health. “We thank TDR for offering the free implementation research training, which has been instrumental in guiding our research.”