Challenges and Approaches to Establishing Multi-Pathogen Serosurveillance: Findings from the 2023 Serosurveillance Summit.

Multiplex-based serological surveillance is a valuable but underutilized tool to understand gaps in population-level exposure, susceptibility, and immunity to infectious diseases. Assays for which blood samples can be tested for antibodies against several pathogens simultaneously, such as multiplex bead immunoassays, can more efficiently integrate public health surveillance in low- and middle-income countries. On March 7-8, 2023 a group of experts representing research institutions, multilateral organizations, private industry, and country partners met to discuss experiences, identify challenges and solutions, and create a community of practice for integrated, multi-pathogen serosurveillance using multiplex bead assay technologies.

Accelerating Progress Towards the 2030 Neglected Tropical Diseases Targets: How Can Quantitative Modeling Support Programmatic Decisions?

Over the past decade, considerable progress has been made in the control, elimination, and eradication of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Despite these advances, most NTD programs have recently experienced important setbacks; for example, NTD interventions were some of the most frequently and severely impacted by service disruptions due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Mathematical modeling can help inform selection of interventions to meet the targets set out in the NTD road map 2021-2030, and such studies should prioritize questions that are relevant for decision-makers, especially those designing, implementing, and evaluating national and subnational programs.

Tropical Data: Approach and Methodology as Applied to Trachoma Prevalence Surveys.

Purpose: Population-based prevalence surveys are essential for decision-making on interventions to achieve trachoma elimination as a public health problem. This paper outlines the methodologies of Tropical Data, which supports work to undertake those surveys.

Methods: Tropical Data is a consortium of partners that supports health ministries worldwide to conduct globally standardised prevalence surveys that conform to World Health Organization recommendations.

Lessons learned from the implementation of integrated serosurveillance of communicable diseases in the Americas.

Objective: Systematize the experience and identify challenges and lessons learned in the implementation of an initiative for integrated serosurveillance of communicable diseases using a multiplex bead assay in countries of the Americas.

Methods: Documents produced in the initiative were compiled and reviewed. These included concept notes, internal working papers, regional meetings reports, and survey protocols from the three participating countries (Mexico, Paraguay, and Brazil) and two additional countries (Guyana and Guatemala) where serology for several communicable diseases was included in neglected tropical diseases surveys.

The elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in Mexico: From national health priority to national success story.

Introduction: Mexico was the first country in the Americas and the third in the world to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem, as validated by the WHO in 2017.

Objective: To describe the critical elements that favored the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in Mexico and the public health impact of this success.

Methodology: A revision and compilation of data and information contained in the dossier presented by the country to PAHO/WHO to obtain the validation of trachoma elimination as a public health problem was conducted by a group of delegates from the national and local trachoma prevention and control program.

Associated factors of the co-occurrence of trachoma and soil-transmitted helminthiases in children 1 to 9 years old in rural communities of the Amazon basin in Loreto Department, Peru: Results from a population-based survey.

Background: There is evidence of the occurrence of trachoma in Peru, and studies have shown that soil-transmitted helminthiases (STH) are affecting rural communities in the Amazon basin in Loreto Department. This study was done to estimate trachoma prevalence, STH prevalence, and the associated factors for both diseases in children aged 1-9 years in rural communities of Peru.

Methodology: A population-based cross-sectional survey was carried out in rural communities of Loreto.

Association of vision impairment and blindness with socioeconomic status in adults 50 years and older from Alto Amazonas, Peru.

Objective: To determine the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and visual impairment (VI) or blindness in the rural Peruvian Amazon, hypothesizing that higher SES would have a protective effect on the odds of VI or blindness.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study of 16 rural communities in the Peruvian Amazon, consenting adults aged ≥ 50 years were recruited from ~30 randomly selected households per village. Each household was administered a questionnaire and had a SES score constructed using principal components analysis.

Population Prevalence of Trachoma in Nine Rural Non-Indigenous Evaluation Units of Brazil.

Purpose: To assess the contemporary prevalence of trachoma in Brazil's non-indigenous population, surveys of those thought to be at greatest risk of disease were conducted.

Methods: Rural census tracts of non-indigenous population from nine mesoregions were selected to compose the survey evaluation units (EUs) by considering previously endemic municipalities at greatest risk of trachoma. In each of the nine EUs, we conducted a population-based prevalence survey.

Trachoma Rapid Assessments in Venezuela, an Example of the Integration of Data Gathering with Service Delivery in Hard-to-reach Populations.

A) Purpose: The objective of the study was to assess the presence of trachoma in high priority districts in the Amazon state of Venezuela (the Bolivarian Republic of), and use trachoma data gathering platform to offer integrated primary health care services to underserved hard-to-reach populations living in the border with Colombia.

B) Methods: Trachoma Rapid Assessments (TRA) were conducted in indigenous communities of three municipalities of the Amazonas State of Venezuela from June 2018 to April 2019 using the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Integrated health services were delivered based on the identified needs of the population of the assessed communities.

Interaction between environmental and socioeconomic determinants for cutaneous leishmaniasis risk in Latin America.

Objective: Determine and characterize potential risk areas for the occurrence of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Latin America (LA).

Method: Ecological observational study with observation units defined by municipalities with CL transmission between 2014-2018. Environmental and socioeconomic variables available for at least 85% of the municipalities were used, combined in a single database, utilizing the R software.

[Interaction among environmental and socioeconomic determinants of risk for cutaneous leishmaniasis in Latin AmericaInteração entre os determinantes ambientais e socioeconômicos para o risco de leishmaniose cutânea na América Latina].

Objective: Determine and characterize areas at potential risk for the occurrence of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Latin America.

Method: Ecological observational study with observation units defined by municipalities with CL transmission during 2014-2018. Environmental and socioeconomic variables available for at least 85% of municipalities were combined in a single database, using R software.

Lessons from the Field: Integrated survey methodologies for neglected tropical diseases.

The 2021-2030 Neglected Tropical Diseases road map calls for intensified cross-cutting approaches. By moving away from vertical programming, the integration of platforms and intervention delivery aims to improve efficiency, cost-effectiveness and programme coverage. Drawing on the direct experiences of the authors, this article outlines key elements for successful integrated surveys, the challenges encountered, as well as future opportunities and threats to such surveys.

Trachoma elimination in Latin America: prioritization of municipalities for surveillance activities.

Objective: To identify and prioritize municipalities in 22 countries of Latin America for trachoma surveillance activities, to measure the absence or prevalence of trachoma, and to support validation and trachoma elimination efforts in the Region of the Americas.

Methods: A prioritization scale was developed in 2017 to rank each municipality by considering a combination of three characteristics: (a) its trachoma vulnerability index, derived from three socioeconomic factors known to be risks for trachoma-lack of access to improved sanitation, to clean drinking water, and to adequate education, according to housing census data from early 2017; (b) its history of trachoma in countries where the disease was not a known public health problem in 2016; and (c) whether or not it shares a border with a municipality where trachoma was a known public health problem in 2016. Municipalities in 22 countries were classified as either very high, high, medium, or low priority for trachoma surveillance.

Epidemiological situation of yaws in the Americas: A systematic review in the context of a regional elimination goal.

Background: Yaws is targeted for eradication by 2020 in the WHA66.12 resolution of the World Health Assembly. The objective of this study was to describe the occurrence of yaws in the Americas and to contribute to the compilation of evidence based on published data to undertake the certification of yaws eradication.

[Experience with development of tools to monitor vaccination coverage and preventive chemotherapy coverageExperiência do desenvolvimento de ferramentas para o monitoramento da cobertura vacinal e quimioprofilaxia].

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Exploring Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in the Americas, 2001-2011.

Methods: Cases reported in the period of 2001-2011 from 14/18 CL endemic countries were included in this study by using two spreadsheet to collect the data. Two indicators were analyzed: CL cases and incidence rate. The local regression method was used to analyze case trends and incidence rates for all the studied period, and for 2011 the spatial distribution of each indicator was analyzed by quartile and stratified into four groups.