Report | Putting Schistosomiasis Precision Mapping into Practice
Standard schistosomiasis (SCH) control strategies are based on district level overall prevalence, which can lead to over-treatment in some areas, and under-treatment in others. Precision mapping, or sub-district mapping, is recommended by the WHO and the GSA, and rolled out by national programmes in collaboration with partners as a method for refining a targeted treatment strategy, to ensure optimum treatment and improved efficiencies in resource utilization.
Multiple countries have implemented revised SCH mapping protocols in the past five years and more recently during the COVID-19 pandemic, incorporating mitigating measures to ensure the safety of all involved. Some of these countries, as well as those who implemented precision mapping surveys prior to the pandemic presented their experience on the selection of sub-districts, the development of sampling protocols, and the challenges faced in the implementation of the revised protocols in the Research Links Session on the 22nd of September 2021.
We identified 5 research priorities in the COR NTD Research Links session that took place on the 22nd of September:
- Diagnostics for precision mapping
- Cost-Benefit Analysis
- Data criteria, analysis & visualization
- Sampling Frameworks and
- Integration with other NTDS
These were listed in the draft COR NTD report and shared with COR NTD participants ahead of the session at the COR NTD annual meeting (9th November). At the COR NTD annual meeting we reviewed and refined these priorities.
The report has been submitted to COR NTD to inform future research priorities for schistosomiasis mapping.