STRATEGY TO ERADICATE NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES

Chief Officer health services Dr. Mary Anyiendah received a delegation from International Centre of Insect Physiology Ecology (ICIPE) organisation led by Dr. Lynne Elson ahead of Tungiasis research project that is set to be rolled out in Vihiga.

The tungiasis project involves generating interventions towards severely neglected tropical disease caused by sand fleas (jiggers) that significantly impacts children and elderly individuals in resource-poor communities in Vihiga and Kenya at large.

This initiative will bridge the gaps and

provide robust evidence that will inform policy development and funding priorities.

More so the project aims to:

Investigate environmental determinants of the heterogeneous distribution of tungiasis in

space and time.

Assess the impact of environmental stress and exposure to insect growth regulators.

This three-year project (2025–2027 by the German Research Foundation (DFG), targets to deliver practical, evidence-based outcomes that will inform policy and control strategies for tungiasis in Vihiga County.