Report of the Workshop on Schistosomiasis Sub-District Level Data Review for Shrinking the Map
This workshop was organized for NTD programme coordinators, schistosomiasis focal points and NTD data managers from 11 Anglophone countries in the African region. These countries were selected based on the potential significant impact that could be gained by moving from the district level implementation to subdistrict level implementation.
The session for the English-speaking countries of the African region followed the one of Francophone countries conducted from 23 to 26 July 2019, Brazzaville, Congo. ESPEN convened 11 Anglophone countries who were selected based on the population requiring PC, the availability of subimplementation unit (sub-IU) level prevalence data and where a move to sub-IU level analysis and planning could have a significant impact on the efficient use of PZQ through “shrinking the map”.
The workshop brought together schistosomiasis focal points and managers from country MoH, NTD data managers and schistosomiasis experts. This initiative was convened by Dr Pauline Mwinzi SCH/STH Focal at ESPEN, and facilitated by facilitated by Dr Eugene Ruberanziza, a team of WHO data consultants lead by Mr Boniface Kinvi, implementing partners and the ESPEN team. Dr Anouk Gouvras from the Global Schistosomiasis Alliance chaired the workshop. The workshop introduced a practical tool using Microsoft Excel 10 that compiled demographic and epidemiological data at the implementation unit (IU) and sub-IU level, allowing countries to assign endemicity and PC action to each sub-IU.
The participants were trained on how to use this tool and all reported that this tool would be of vital support to them, enabling them to use their data to:
- calculate how much PZQ they need to treat at risk populations in their countries,
- determine where to distribute the PZQ they have at the sub-IU using community wide implementation and
- determine where mapping gaps exist and further assessment is needed either to confirm endemicity or confirm non-endemicity when it is suspected.