Africa-wide: Dams & parasites
Water Infrastructure and Disease Control: A State-of-the-Art Opportunity in Africa
DECO addresses the dual challenges of water infrastructure development and parasitic disease control in Africa, focusing on the impact of over 650 new dams planned across sub-Saharan Africa. These dams can create habitats for aquatic snails that transmit schistosomiasis—a disease affecting over 200 million people annually.
Mass drug administration alone is not enough to control schistosomiasis. Partnering with the Global Schistosomiasis Alliance, the University of Notre Dame, development banks, and international agencies, DECO aims to integrate water-borne disease risk into environmental impact assessments for water infrastructure projects, seeking to set a new standard in water infrastructure planning. This includes developing comprehensive guidelines, a web portal of interventions, and rapid assessment software.
DECO's approach involves implementing scalable, low-resource ecological solutions, such as vegetation removal for composting and biofuel, integrated aquaculture-rice farming, and ladders for migratory species, to improve water quality and reduce disease transmission. These initiatives support sustainable agriculture, enhance ecosystem health, and offer a replicable model for proactive public health planning, contributing to long-term community health and climate resilience across Africa.
Team
Giulio De Leo, Nathan Lo, Lisa Mandle , Andrew Chamberlin, Amelia Meyer, May Sule, Jason Rohr
Partners
