Cost-effectiveness analysis of Taenia solium control programmes in Ecuador

Taenia solium taeniosis and cysticercosis is a zoonotic disease affecting pig production and human Health in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Studies conducted in Ecuador have shown the presence of T. solium related epilepsy, cysticercosis and taeniosis but at the present time, no T. solium control programme has been elaborated or conducted in this country, in spite of the disease being considered potentially eradicable. To eliminate the disease from an area, various control programmes are needed. The effectiveness of which, will depend on their efficacy on infection and financial implication. Few studies document the effectiveness of T. solium control programmes. Moreover the burden of T. solium taeniosis/cysticercosis has never been estimated in Ecuador. This proposal seeks to analyse the cost-effectiveness of T. solium control programmes using scientific evidence from Ecuador. This will be done through extensive literature review, simulation of T .solium transmission dynamics, simulation of the efficacy of control programmes on human and pig infection and estimation of the financial cost of intervention. The outcome from this work will be useful to inform policy on the cost- effectiveness of control programmes in Ecuador. In addition, the simulation tool developed from this work will be applicable for assessing the cost-effectiveness of control programmes of other diseases.