SCI researchers attended the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) Annual Meeting to present findings from a range of projects.

The 5-day educational conference between 5-9 November brought together tropical medicine and global health professionals representing academia, government, non-profits, philanthropy, NGOs, military, industry and private practice.

The conference, held annually for over 60 years, acts as a platform to share ideas and further advance the field of tropical medicine, with over 4,000 attendees attending this year’s event.

Dr Fiona Fleming, MER Director at SCI, presented research findings in the use of more sensitive tests to map schistosomiasis infections. She also chaired two sessions: one to define schistosomiasis treatment programme targets and the other to discuss tools to ensure and measure equity of treatment coverage.

She commented: “It was really exciting to see so many experts come together to share their research at the ASTMH conference. I feel that the insights gathered will advance our work in the field of neglected tropical diseases, to ensure that we are doing all that we can to achieve elimination and help the millions of people in countries affected.”

Dr Carlos Torres Vitolas, SCI’s Social Scientist, presented research on what social determinants influence the uptake of treatments against schistosomiasis during treatment programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Finally, SCI’s Dr Anna Phillips, Senior Programme Manager; Arminder Deol, Operational Researcher; and Programme Advisors Jane Whitton and Carolyn Henry, also presented their research. Research topics included: the evaluation of different treatment strategies against schistosomiasis in Niger and Mozambique; how to achieve the global goals of controlling and eliminating schistosomiasis; the use of mHealth to promote hand washing in Tanzania; and how to reach non-enrolled children and under 5 year-olds with treatment for schistosomiasis and intestinal worm infections.

All presentations are available to download on the ASTMH website, for members.