Taenia solium Elimination versus control: what is the best way forward for Sub-Saharan Africa?

Aims and Objectives: This PhD project will be carried out within the framework of the ITM Project ‘Taenia solium Elimination versus control: what is the best way forward for Sub--‐Saharan Africa?’, funded by the Flemish Ministry of Research (EWI), in which a large--‐scale intervention study will be conducted. This ITM Project will compare the impact, cost--‐effectiveness, and acceptability of elimination (using integrated measures targeting both human and porcine hosts), versus control (using a single method) of T. solium in two communities within the highly endemic Eastern province of Zambia. The ITM study will be of 6 years’ duration.
For my three--‐year PhD project, the specific aims and objectives are:
Primary objectives:
• To evaluate whether elimination of T. solium can be achieved in the defined study area within the prescribed time--‐frame
• To describe the economics related to pig keeping and the economic impact of T. solium, both on an individual and societal level and capturing both animal--‐ and human--‐related data
• To define the cost of elimination of T. solium
• To describe the perception/acceptability of the local communities regarding the proposed intervention measures
Secondary objectives:
• To evaluate the impact of the educational program ‘The Vicious Worm’ on T. solium--‐ related knowledge/attitude and practices in school--‐aged children
• To evaluate the burden of T. solium in Zambia