Taenia Solium Control Case Study in Zambia

Summary

Summary Diseases due to T. solium and soil transmitted helminths (STHs) are of cosmopolitan distribution and strongly linked with poor sanitation and poverty. These infections are to a great extent perpetuated by open defecation (OD). Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) is an approach in which people in rural communities are facilitated to do their own appraisal and analysis, come to their own conclusions, and take their own actions. To date no rigorous study has been conducted to evaluate the impact of CLTS on the transmission of taeniasis/cysticercosis or STHs, despite the worldwide acclaim which CLTS has received as an approach to improve sanitation. The overall aim of the study is to contribute to the reduction and subsequent control of T. solium and STH infections through the implementation of CLTS approaches in 1 districts in the Eastern Province of Zambia. By using CLTS it is hypothesised that toilet acquisition and usage will be increased with a resultant reduction in OD which will in turn reduce the transmission of T. solium and STH infections in the district. This will be measured by porcine/human cysticercosis prevalence (serological test) and STH infections in humans (quantitative coprological test).

Conditions

• Cysticercosis
• Helminthiasis

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

CLTS

CLTS (Community Led Total Sanitation) involves facilitating a process to inspire and empower rural communities to stop open defecation and to build and use latrines, without offering external hardware subsidies. Communities are encouraged to appraise and analyse their own sanitation profile, including the extent of open defecation and the spread of faecal-oral contamination. This approach ignites a sense of disgust and share among the community. The community then collectively realises the impact of its unsanitary practices and this realisation mobilises and initiates collective action to improve the existing sanitation profile.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Zambia

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Chummy Sikasunge, PhD · University of Zambia

• Evans K. Mwape, MSc · University of Zambia

• Sarah Gabriel, PhD · Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium

• Pierre Dorny, PhD · Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium

• Giveson Zulu, PhD · UNICEF

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2012-04-30

Primary Completion

2015-01-31

Completion

2015-01-31

Countries

• Zambia