Publications
105 results found
Wariri O, Utazi CE, Okomo U, et al., 2023, Mapping the timeliness of routine childhood vaccination in The Gambia: A spatial modelling study., Vaccine, Vol: 41, Pages: 5696-5705
INTRODUCTION: Timeliness of routine vaccination shapes childhood infection risk and thus is an important public health metric. Estimates of indicators of the timeliness of vaccination are usually produced at the national or regional level, which may conceal epidemiologically relevant local heterogeneities and makeitdifficultto identify pockets of vulnerabilities that could benefit from targeted interventions. Here, we demonstrate the utility of geospatial modelling techniques in generating high-resolution maps of the prevalence of delayed childhood vaccination in The Gambia. To guide local immunisation policy and prioritize key interventions, we also identified the districts with a combination of high estimated prevalence and a significant population of affected infants. METHODS: We used the birth dose of the hepatitis-B vaccine (HepB0), third-dose of the pentavalent vaccine (PENTA3), and the first dose of measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) as examples to map delayed vaccination nationally at a resolution of 1 × 1-km2 pixel. We utilized cluster-level childhood vaccination data from The Gambia 2019-20 Demographic and Health Survey. We adopted a fully Bayesian geostatistical model incorporating publicly available geospatial covariates to aid predictive accuracy. The model was implemented using the integrated nested Laplace approximation-stochastic partial differential equation (INLA-SPDE) approach. RESULTS: We found significant subnational heterogeneity in delayed HepB0, PENTA3 and MCV1 vaccinations. Specificdistricts in the central and eastern regions of The Gambia consistentlyexhibited the highest prevalence of delayed vaccination, while the coastal districts showed alower prevalence forallthree vaccines. We also found that districts in the eastern, central, as well as in coastal parts of The Gambia had a combination of high estimated prevalence of delayed HepB0, PENTA3 and MCV1 and a significant population of affected infants. CONCLUSIONS: Our approa
Murray K, Saager E, Iwamura T, et al., 2023, Deforestation for oil palm increases microclimate suitability for the development of the disease vector Aedes albopictus, Scientific Reports, Vol: 13, Pages: 1-13, ISSN: 2045-2322
A major trade-off of land-use change is the potential for increased risk of infectious diseases, a.o. through impacting disease vector life-cycles. Evaluating the public health implications of land-use conversions requires spatially detailed modelling linking land-use to vector ecology. Here, we estimate the impact of deforestation for oil palm cultivation on the number of life-cycle completions of Aedes albopictus via its impact on local microclimates. We apply a recently developed mechanistic phenology model to a fine-scaled (50-m resolution) microclimate dataset that includes daily temperature, rainfall and evaporation. Results of this combined model indicate that the conversion from lowland rainforest to plantations increases suitability for A. albopictus development by 10.8%, moderated to 4.7% with oil palm growth to maturity. Deforestation followed by typical plantation planting-maturation-clearance-replanting cycles is predicted to create pulses of high development suitability. Our results highlight the need to explore sustainable land-use scenarios that resolve conflicts between agricultural and human health objectives.
Charnley G, Yennan S, Ochu C, et al., 2023, Cholera past and future in Nigeria: are the Global Task Force on Cholera Control’s 2030 targets achievable?, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol: 17, Pages: 1-18, ISSN: 1935-2727
BackgroundUnderstanding and continually assessing the achievability of global health targets is key to reducing disease burden and mortality. The Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) Roadmap aims to reduce cholera deaths by 90% and eliminate the disease in twenty countries by 2030. The Roadmap has three axes focusing on reporting, response and coordination. Here, we assess the achievability of the GTFCC targets in Nigeria and identify where the three axes could be strengthened to reach and exceed these goals.Methodology/Principal findingsUsing cholera surveillance data from Nigeria, cholera incidence was calculated and used to model time-varying reproduction number (R). A best fit random forest model was identified using R as the outcome variable and several environmental and social covariates were considered in the model, using random forest variable importance and correlation clustering. Future scenarios were created (based on varying degrees of socioeconomic development and emission reductions) and used to project future cholera transmission, nationally and sub-nationally to 2070. The projections suggest that significant reductions in cholera cases could be achieved by 2030, particularly in the more developed southern states, but increases in cases remain a possibility. Meeting the 2030 target, nationally, currently looks unlikely and we propose a new 2050 target focusing on reducing regional inequities, while still advocating for cholera elimination being achieved as soon as possible.Conclusion/SignificanceThe 2030 targets could potentially be reached by 2030 in some parts of Nigeria, but more effort is needed to reach these targets at a national level, particularly through access and incentives to cholera testing, sanitation expansion, poverty alleviation and urban planning. The results highlight the importance of and how modelling studies can be used to inform cholera policy and the potential for this to be applied in other contexts.
Romanello M, Cai W, Costello A, et al., 2023, No climate change justice in lieu of global authorship equity - Authors' reply., Lancet, Vol: 401, Pages: 1074-1075
Di Napoli C, Romanello M, Minor K, et al., 2023, The role of global reanalyses in climate services for health: Insights from the Lancet Countdown, METEOROLOGICAL APPLICATIONS, Vol: 30, ISSN: 1350-4827
Rawson T, Doohan P, Hauck K, et al., 2023, Climate change and communicable diseases in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Epidemics: the journal of infectious disease dynamics, Vol: 42, Pages: 1-6, ISSN: 1755-4365
A review of the extant literature reveals the extent to which the spread of communicable diseases will be significantly impacted by climate change. Specific research into how this will likely be observed in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is, however, greatly lacking. This report summarises the unique public health challenges faced by the GCC countries in the coming century, and outlines the need for greater investment in public health research and disease surveillance to better forecast the imminent epidemiological landscape. Significant data gaps currently exist regarding vector occurrence, spatial climate measures, and communicable disease case counts in the GCC — presenting an immediate research priority for the region. We outline policy work necessary to strengthen public health interventions, and to facilitate evidence-driven mitigation strategies. Such research will require a transdisciplinary approach, utilising existing cross-border public health initiatives, to ensure that such investigations are well-targeted and effectively communicated.
Goldstein E, Erinjery JJ, Martin G, et al., 2023, Climate change maladaptation for health: Agricultural practice against shifting seasonal rainfall affects snakebite risk for farmers in the tropics, iScience, Vol: 26
Snakebite affects more than 1.8 million people annually. Factors explaining snakebite variability include farmers’ behaviors, snake ecology and climate. One unstudied issue is how farmers’ adaptation to novel climates affect their health. Here we examined potential impacts of adaptation on snakebite using individual-based simulations, focusing on strategies meant to counteract major crop yield decline because of changing rainfall in Sri Lanka. For rubber cropping, adaptation led to a 33% increase in snakebite incidence per farmer work hour because of work during risky months, but a 17% decrease in total annual snakebites because of decreased labor in plantations overall. Rice farming adaptation decreased snakebites by 16%, because of shifting labor towards safer months, whereas tea adaptation led to a general increase. These results indicate that adaptation could have both a positive and negative effect, potentially intensified by ENSO. Our research highlights the need for assessing adaptation strategies for potential health maladaptations.
Bonell A, Badjie J, Faal LB, et al., 2023, Equity in planetary health education initiatives., Lancet Planet Health, Vol: 7, Pages: e6-e7
Wariri O, Utazi CE, Okomo U, et al., 2023, Timeliness of routine childhood vaccination among 12-35 months old children in The Gambia: Analysis of national immunisation survey data, 2019-2020., PLoS One, Vol: 18
The Gambia's routine childhood vaccination programme is highly successful, however, many vaccinations are delayed, with potential implications for disease outbreaks. We adopted a multi-dimensional approach to determine the timeliness of vaccination (i.e., timely, early, delayed, and untimely interval vaccination). We utilised data for 3,248 children from The Gambia 2019-2020 Demographic and Health Survey. Nine tracer vaccines administered at birth and at two, three, four, and nine months of life were included. Timeliness was defined according to the recommended national vaccination windows and reported as both categorical and continuous variables. Routine coverage was high (above 90%), but also a high rate of untimely vaccination. First-dose pentavalent vaccine (PENTA1) and oral polio vaccine (OPV1) had the highest timely coverage that ranged from 71.8% (95% CI = 68.7-74.8%) to 74.4% (95% CI = 71.7-77.1%). Delayed vaccination was the commonest dimension of untimely vaccination and ranged from 17.5% (95% CI = 14.5-20.4%) to 91.1% (95% CI = 88.9-93.4%), with median delays ranging from 11 days (IQR = 5, 19.5 days) to 28 days (IQR = 11, 57 days) across all vaccines. The birth-dose of Hepatitis B vaccine had the highest delay and this was more common in the 24-35 months age group (91.1% [95% CI = 88.9-93.4%], median delays = 17 days [IQR = 10, 28 days]) compared to the 12-23 months age-group (84.9% [95% CI = 81.9-87.9%], median delays = 16 days [IQR = 9, 26 days]). Early vaccination was the least common and ranged from 4.9% (95% CI = 3.2-6.7%) to 10.7% (95% CI = 8.3-13.1%) for all vaccines. The Gambia's childhood immunization system requires urgent implementation of effective strategies to reduce untimely vaccination in order to optimize its quality, even though it already has impressive coverage rates.
Charnley G, Yennan S, Ochu C, et al., 2022, The impact of social and environmental extremes on cholera time varying reproduction number in Nigeria, PLOS Global Public Health, Vol: 2, ISSN: 2767-3375
Nigeria currently reports the second highest number of cholera cases in Africa, with numerous socioeconomic and environmental risk factors. Less investigated are the role of extreme events, despite recent work showing their potential importance. To address this gap, we used a machine learning approach to understand the risks and thresholds for cholera outbreaks and extreme events, taking into consideration pre-existing vulnerabilities. We estimated time varying reproductive number (R) from cholera incidence in Nigeria and used a machine learning approach to evaluate its association with extreme events (conflict, flood, drought) and pre-existing vulnerabilities (poverty, sanitation, healthcare). We then created a traffic-light system for cholera outbreak risk, using three hypothetical traffic-light scenarios (Red, Amber and Green) and used this to predict R. The system highlighted potential extreme events and socioeconomic thresholds for outbreaks to occur. We found that reducing poverty and increasing access to sanitation lessened vulnerability to increased cholera risk caused by extreme events (monthly conflicts and the Palmers Drought Severity Index). The main limitation is the underreporting of cholera globally and the potential number of cholera cases missed in the data used here. Increasing access to sanitation and decreasing poverty reduced the impact of extreme events in terms of cholera outbreak risk. The results here therefore add further evidence of the need for sustainable development for disaster prevention and mitigation and to improve health and quality of life.
Bonell A, Sonko B, Badjie J, et al., 2022, Environmental heat stress on maternal physiology and fetal blood flow in pregnant subsistence farmers in The Gambia, west Africa: an observational cohort study, LANCET PLANETARY HEALTH, Vol: 6, Pages: E968-E976
Charnley G, Jean K, Kelman I, et al., 2022, Association between conflict and Cholera in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Vol: 28, Pages: 2472-2481, ISSN: 1080-6040
Cholera outbreaks contribute substantially to illness and death in low- and middle-income countries. Cholera outbreaks are associated with several social and environmental risk factors, and extreme conditions can act as catalysts. A social extreme known to be associated with infectious disease outbreaks is conflict, causing disruption to services, loss of income, and displacement. To determine the extent of this association, we used the self-controlled case-series method and found that conflict increased the risk for cholera in Nigeria by 3.6 times and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by 2.6 times. We also found that 19.7% of cholera outbreaks in Nigeria and 12.3% of outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were attributable to conflict. Our results highlight the value of providing rapid and sufficient assistance during conflict-associated cholera outbreaks and working toward conflict resolution and addressing preexisting vulnerabilities, such as poverty and access to healthcare.
Romanello M, Di Napoli C, Drummond P, et al., 2022, The 2022 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: health at the mercy of fossil fuels., Lancet, Vol: 400, Pages: 1619-1654
Lopez-Carr D, Sokolow S, De Leo G, et al., 2022, Editorial: Planetary health impacts of pandemic coronaviruses, FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH, Vol: 10
Wells HL, Loh E, Nava A, et al., 2022, Classification of new morbillivirus and jeilongvirus sequences from bats sampled in Brazil and Malaysia, ARCHIVES OF VIROLOGY, Vol: 167, Pages: 1977-1987, ISSN: 0304-8608
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Ellepola G, Herath J, Dan S, et al., 2022, Climatic niche evolution of infectious diseases driving amphibian declines
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Climate change and infectious diseases continue to drive global amphibian population declines, contributing to one of the greatest vertebrate extinctions of the Anthropocene. Currently around 16% amphibian species across the world are affected by four pathogens – <jats:italic>Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis</jats:italic> (<jats:italic>Bd</jats:italic>), <jats:italic>B. salamandrivorans</jats:italic> (<jats:italic>Bsal</jats:italic>), <jats:italic>Ranavirus</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Perkinsea</jats:italic>. A climatic context behind the dispersal of some of these diseases is hypothesized. However, the interplay between niche conservatism (NC) and climatic niche evolution (CNE), essential to understand disease evolution and dispersal, has so far received little attention. Here we show that the impacts of amphibian pathogens are intensifying as their climatic niches evolve. NC-based analyses suggest that niches of these diseases overlap, especially in Europe and East/southeast Asia (ESEA), and that all four pathogens will continue to devastate amphibians through seasonality shifts and range expansions, penetrating deeper into temperate regions and global amphibian diversity hotspots. <jats:italic>Bd</jats:italic> will spread over diversity-rich mountain ranges and ranaviruses will overwhelm lowlands. CNE-based analyses suggest that the earliest lineages of these diseases originated in colder regions and that some lineages subsequently evolved towards warmer climatic niches. We caution that quiescent, warm-adapted strains are likely to become widespread and novel ranaviruses adapted to local climatic conditions and new hosts are likely to emerge. These results portend the dangers of introducing pathogens into new regions given their ability to adapt to changing climate scenarios. In a climatic background conducive to mo
Martin G, Erinjery JJ, Ediriweera D, et al., 2022, A mechanistic model of snakebite as a zoonosis: Envenoming incidence is driven by snake ecology, socioeconomics and its impacts on snakes, PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES, Vol: 16, ISSN: 1935-2735
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Wegner G, Murray KA, Springmann M, et al., 2022, Averting wildlife-borne infectious disease epidemics requires a focus on socio-ecological drivers and a redesign of the global food system, ECLINICALMEDICINE, Vol: 47
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- Citations: 4
Bonell A, Badjie J, Jammeh S, et al., 2022, Grassroots and Youth-Led Climate Solutions From The Gambia, FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH, Vol: 10
Di Napoli C, McGushin A, Romanello M, et al., 2022, Tracking the impacts of climate change on human health via indicators: lessons from the Lancet Countdown, BMC PUBLIC HEALTH, Vol: 22
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- Citations: 2
Charnley GEC, Gaythorpe KAM, Kelman I, et al., 2022, Accessing sub-national cholera epidemiological data for Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo during the seventh pandemic, BMC Infectious Diseases, Vol: 22, ISSN: 1471-2334
Background:Vibrio cholerae is a water-borne pathogen with a global burden estimate at 1.4 to 4.0 million annual cases. Over 94% of these cases are reported in Africa and more research is needed to understand cholera dynamics in the region. Cholera data are lacking, mainly due to reporting issues, creating barriers for widespread research on cholera epidemiology and management in Africa.Main body:Here, we present datasets that were created to help address this gap, collating freely available sub-national cholera data for Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The data were collated from a variety of English and French publicly available sources, including the World Health Organization, PubMed, UNICEF, EM-DAT, the Nigerian CDC and peer-reviewed literature. These data include information on cases, deaths, age, gender, oral cholera vaccination, risk factors and interventions.Conclusion:These datasets can facilitate qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research in these two high burden countries to assist in public health planning. The data can be used in collaboration with organisations in the two countries, which have also collected data or undertaking research. By making the data and methods available, we aim to encourage their use and further data collection and compilation to help improve the data gaps for cholera in Africa.
Shah H, Murray K, Hamlet A, et al., 2022, Exploring agricultural land-use and childhood malaria associations in sub-Saharan Africa, Scientific Reports, Vol: 12, ISSN: 2045-2322
Agriculture in Africa is rapidly expanding but with this comes potential disbenefits for the environment and human health. Here, we retrospectively assess whether childhood malaria in sub-Saharan Africa varies across differing agricultural land uses after controlling for socio-economic and environmental confounders. Using a multi-model inference hierarchical modelling framework, we found that rainfed cropland was associated with increased malaria in rural (OR 1.10, CI 1.03 – 1.18) but not urban areas, while irrigated or post flooding cropland was associated with malaria in urban (OR 1.09, CI 1.00 – 1.18) but not rural areas. In contrast, although malaria was associated with complete forest cover (OR 1.35, CI 1.24 – 1.47), the presence of natural vegetation in agricultural lands potentially reduces the odds of malaria depending on rural-urban context. In contrast, no associations with malaria were observed for natural vegetation interspersed with cropland (veg-dominant mosaic). Agricultural expansion through rainfed or irrigated cropland may increase childhood malaria in rural or urban contexts in sub-Saharan Africa but retaining some natural vegetation within croplands could help mitigate this risk and provide environmental co-benefits.
Hanley-Cook GT, Daly AJ, Remans R, et al., 2022, Food biodiversity: Quantifying the unquantifiable in human diets, CRITICAL REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION, ISSN: 1040-8398
Huxley PJ, Murray KA, Pawar S, et al., 2022, Competition and resource depletion shape the thermal response of population fitness in Aedes aegypti, COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY, Vol: 5
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Charnley GEC, Kelman I, Murray KA, 2022, Drought-related cholera outbreaks in Africa and the implications for climate change: a narrative review., Pathogens and Global Health, Vol: 116, Pages: 3-12, ISSN: 2047-7724
Africa has historically seen several periods of prolonged and extreme droughts across the continent, causing food insecurity, exacerbating social inequity and frequent mortality. A known consequence of droughts and their associated risk factors are infectious disease outbreaks, which are worsened by malnutrition, poor access to water, sanitation and hygiene and population displacement. Cholera is a potential causative agent of such outbreaks. Africa has the highest global cholera burden, several drought-prone regions and high levels of inequity. Despite this, research on cholera and drought in Africa is lacking. Here, we review available research on drought-related cholera outbreaks in Africa and identify a variety of potential mechanisms through which these outbreaks occurred, including poor access to water, marginalization of refugees and nomadic populations, expansion of informal urban settlements and demographic risks. Future climate change may alter precipitation, temperature and drought patterns, resulting in more extremes, although these changes are likely to be spatially heterogeneous. Despite high uncertainty in future drought projections, increases in drought frequency and/or durations have the potential to alter these related outbreaks into the future, potentially increasing cholera burden in the absence of countermeasures (e.g. improved sanitation infrastructure). To enable effective planning for a potentially more drought-prone Africa, inequity must be addressed, research on the health implications of drought should be enhanced, and better drought diplomacy is required to improve drought resilience under climate change.
Loh EH, Nava A, Murray KA, et al., 2022, Prevalence of bat viruses associated with land-use change in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil., Front Cell Infect Microbiol, Vol: 12
INTRODUCTION: Bats are critical to maintaining healthy ecosystems and many species are threatened primarily due to global habitat loss. Bats are also important hosts of a range of viruses, several of which have had significant impacts on global public health. The emergence of these viruses has been associated with land-use change and decreased host species richness. Yet, few studies have assessed how bat communities and the viruses they host alter with land-use change, particularly in highly biodiverse sites. METHODS: In this study, we investigate the effects of deforestation on bat host species richness and diversity, and viral prevalence and richness across five forested sites and three nearby deforested sites in the interior Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil. Nested-PCR and qPCR were used to amplify and detect viral genetic sequence from six viral families (corona-, adeno-, herpes-, hanta-, paramyxo-, and astro-viridae) in 944 blood, saliva and rectal samples collected from 335 bats. RESULTS: We found that deforested sites had a less diverse bat community than forested sites, but higher viral prevalence and richness after controlling for confounding factors. Viral detection was more likely in juvenile males located in deforested sites. Interestingly, we also found a significant effect of host bat species on viral prevalence indicating that viral taxa were detected more frequently in some species than others. In particular, viruses from the Coronaviridae family were detected more frequently in generalist species compared to specialist species. DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest that deforestation may drive changes in the ecosystem which reduce bat host diversity while increasing the abundance of generalist species which host a wider range of viruses.
Charnley GEC, Kelman I, Green N, et al., 2021, Exploring relationships between drought and epidemic cholera in Africa using generalised linear models, BMC Infectious Diseases, Vol: 21
BackgroundTemperature and precipitation are known to affect Vibrio cholerae outbreaks. Despite this, the impact of drought on outbreaks has been largely understudied. Africa is both drought and cholera prone and more research is needed in Africa to understand cholera dynamics in relation to drought.MethodsHere, we analyse a range of environmental and socioeconomic covariates and fit generalised linear models to publicly available national data, to test for associations with several indices of drought and make cholera outbreak projections to 2070 under three scenarios of global change, reflecting varying trajectories of CO2 emissions, socio-economic development, and population growth.ResultsThe best-fit model implies that drought is a significant risk factor for African cholera outbreaks, alongside positive effects of population, temperature and poverty and a negative effect of freshwater withdrawal. The projections show that following stringent emissions pathways and expanding sustainable development may reduce cholera outbreak occurrence in Africa, although these changes were spatially heterogeneous.ConclusionsDespite an effect of drought in explaining recent cholera outbreaks, future projections highlighted the potential for sustainable development gains to offset drought-related impacts on cholera risk. Future work should build on this research investigating the impacts of drought on cholera on a finer spatial scale and potential non-linear relationships, especially in high-burden countries which saw little cholera change in the scenario analysis.
Castaneda-Guzman M, Mantilla-Saltos G, Murray KA, et al., 2021, A database of global coastal conditions, SCIENTIFIC DATA, Vol: 8
Martin G, Erinjery J, Gumbs R, et al., 2021, Integrating snake distribution, abundance and expert-derived behavioural traits predicts snakebite risk, JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Vol: 59, Pages: 611-623, ISSN: 0021-8901
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Malhotra A, Wüster W, Owens JB, et al., 2021, Promoting co-existence between humans and venomous snakes through increasing the herpetological knowledge base., Toxicon X, Vol: 12
Snakebite incidence at least partly depends on the biology of the snakes involved. However, studies of snake biology have been largely neglected in favour of anthropic factors, with the exception of taxonomy, which has been recognised for some decades to affect the design of antivenoms. Despite this, within-species venom variation and the unpredictability of the correlation with antivenom cross-reactivity has continued to be problematic. Meanwhile, other aspects of snake biology, including behaviour, spatial ecology and activity patterns, distribution, and population demography, which can contribute to snakebite mitigation and prevention, remain underfunded and understudied. Here, we review the literature relevant to these aspects of snakebite and illustrate how demographic, spatial, and behavioural studies can improve our understanding of why snakebites occur and provide evidence for prevention strategies. We identify the large gaps that remain to be filled and urge that, in the future, data and relevant metadata be shared openly via public data repositories so that studies can be properly replicated and data used in future meta-analyses.
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