Laura Braun

Effectiveness of water and sanitation options alongside mass drug administration for eliminating schistosomiasis in Ethiopia

Started: October 2016

Supervisor: Dr Michael Templeton

Industry Partner: Merck

Description of Research

Schistosomiasis is a widely-spread helminthic disease caused by schistosomes, which are parasitic flatworms found in freshwater. This project will examine the ability of water treatment methods to remove schistosomiasis cercariae from water, to inform how water treatment in endemic areas should be designed. This will be complimented by fieldwork in Ethiopia, where the impact of water and sanitation improvements implemented alongside mass drug administration will be examined. Modelling will create a tool for assessing different potential water and sanitation intervention strategy options.