22 Jun 2016
22 Jun 2016
COMBINING REMOTELY SENSED ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS WITH SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL CONDITIONS THAT AFFECT SURFACE WATER USE IN SPATIOTEMPORAL MODELLING OF SCHISTOSOMIASIS IN GHANA
A. V. Kulinkina1, Y. Walz2, A. Liss1, K. C. Kosinski3, N. K. Biritwum4, and E. N. Naumova5
A. V. Kulinkina et al.
A. V. Kulinkina1, Y. Walz2, A. Liss1, K. C. Kosinski3, N. K. Biritwum4, and E. N. Naumova5
- 1Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, 200 College Ave, Medford, USA
- 2Institute for Environment and Human Security, United Nations University, Bonn, Germany
- 3Dept. of Community Health, Tufts University, 574 Boston Avenue, Medford, USA
- 4Neglected Tropical Disease Control Program, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana
- 5Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, 150 Harrison Ave, Boston, USA
- 1Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, 200 College Ave, Medford, USA
- 2Institute for Environment and Human Security, United Nations University, Bonn, Germany
- 3Dept. of Community Health, Tufts University, 574 Boston Avenue, Medford, USA
- 4Neglected Tropical Disease Control Program, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana
- 5Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, 150 Harrison Ave, Boston, USA
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Keywords: Schistosomiasis Risk, Habitat Suitability Index, Domestic and Recreational Surface Water Use, Ghana
Schistosoma haematobium transmission is influenced by environmental conditions that determine the suitability of the parasite and intermediate host snail habitats, as well as by socioeconomic conditions, access to water and sanitation infrastructure, and human behaviors. Remote sensing is a demonstrated valuable tool to characterize environmental conditions that support schistosomiasis transmission. Socioeconomic and behavioral conditions that propagate repeated domestic and recreational surface water contact are more difficult to quantify at large spatial scales. We present a mixed-methods approach that builds on the remotely sensed ecological variables by exploring water and sanitation related community characteristics as independent risk factors of schistosomiasis transmission.
