A Research Agenda for Helminth Diseases of Humans: Social Ecology, Environmental Determinants, and Health Systems

Abstract

In this paper, the Disease Reference Group on Helminth Infections (DRG4), established in 2009 by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), with the mandate to review helminthiases research and identify research priorities and gaps, focuses on the environmental, social, behavioural, and political determinants of human helminth infections and outlines a research and development agenda for the socioeconomic and health systems research required for the development of sustainable control programmes. Using Stockols' social-ecological approach, we describe the role of various social (poverty, policy, stigma, culture, and migration) and environmental determinants (the home environment, water resources development, and climate change) in the perpetuation of helminthic diseases, as well as their impact as contextual factors on health promotion interventions through both the regular and community-based health systems. We examine these interactions in regard to community participation, intersectoral collaboration, gender, and possibilities for upscaling helminthic disease control and elimination programmes within the context of integrated and interdisciplinary approaches. The research agenda summarises major gaps that need to be addressed.

Soil Contamination with Soil Transmitted Helminthes in Schools and Play Areas of Kermanshah City, West of Iran

“…The places where children play are important for public health (9). In many studies, it has been demonstrated that parasitic infections have a considerable negative influence on health factors such as weight and height (10,11).…”

Desigualdad en la prevalencia de parasitosis intestinal en escolares de una escuela urbana y dos rurales de la comuna de Puerto Montt

“…Chile no está libre de este problema, clasificándose entre los países con mayor desigualdad en el mundo 3 . Las infecciones parasitarias son enfermedades asociadas a condiciones de desigualdad social, siendo más prevalentes en contextos de pobreza, hacinamiento, deficientes condiciones sanitarias, bajo nivel educacional y residencia en cordones urbano marginales y rurales 4 . Múltiples estudios identifican factores sociales, económicos, culturales y sanitarios asociados a parasitosis intestinal en niños 5,6 .…”

Fasciolopsis buski infection in a Vietnamese pregnant woman with systemic lupus erythematosus

“…Furthermore, parasitic intrinsic factors such as parasitemia and toxins produced during the growth and the reproduction of the parasite, coupled with several host factors such as malnutrition, lifestyle, comorbidities and immunosuppression or other conditions like pregnancy, are important clues to predict the outcome of infection [22].…”