Cross-disciplinary risk assessment of cysticercosis in eastern and southern Africa (CESA)

Published on 11 September 2010

Research Areas

Livestock

Countries

Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania

Timeline

Start Date: 1 June 2006 | End Date: 31 January 2009

Overview

Cysticercosis is emerging as a serious public health and agricultural problem in eastern and southern Africa. The disease is caused by a pork tapeworm, Taenia solium, and is transmitted from pigs to humans through infected pork.

The project addresses the problem of cysticercosis (cysts by the tapeworm Taenia solium in pigs and humans ), involving a multidisciplinary coalition of researchers from veterinary, agricultural, human medical and social sciences in Tanzania, Mozambique and Denmark that will address four major obstacles for combating cysticercosis:

• Characterizing the disease and its risk factors and societal impact
• Increasing capacity for identifying and managing cysticercosis cases
• Identifying appropriate and sustainable “best bet” prevention and control strategies
• Promoting collaboration among the various relevant stakeholder groups

At its conclusion, the project will have raised awareness among policymakers and community leaders as well as within the affected populations and scientific, health professional and agricultural development communities in the selected countries and eastern and southern Africa region about the true extent of the problem and appropriate responses to it. These activities are intended to result in a sustainable coordinated control strategy in the form of full-fledged national and regional campaigns. This will lead to reduced incidence of cysticercosis and improved livelihoods of poor farming communities and consumers.

The project is coordinated from Denmark but all field work done by 1 post doc, 3 PhD and 6 MSc students in the partner countries Tanzania and Mozambique in close collaboration with Universities in Kenya and South Africa.

The project is funded by the Danish International Developing Agency (DANIDA) under the Danish Foreign Ministry.

Research Partners

• ARI - Advanced Research Institute
• Centre for Health Research and Development (DBL) - University of Copenhagen
• University of Pretoria
• University
• Eduardo Mondlane University
• Muhumbili University College of Health Sciences
• Sokoine University of Agriculture - Tanzania

Tags

Capacity building, disease control, Livestock Health, risk assessment