Quantitative evaluation of the strategy to eliminate human African trypanosomiasis in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
BACKGROUND
The virulent vector-borne disease, Gambian human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), is one of several diseases targeted for elimination by the World Health Organization. This article utilises human case data from a high-endemicity region of the Democratic Republic of Congo in conjunction with a suite of novel mechanistic mathematical models to address the effectiveness of on-going active screening and treatment programmes and compute the likely time to elimination as a public health problem (i.e. <1 case per 10,000 per year).


METHODS
The model variants address uncertainties surrounding transmission of HAT infection including heterogeneous risk of exposure to tsetse bites, non-participation of certain groups during active screening campaigns and potential animal reservoirs of infection.


RESULTS
Model fitting indicates that variation in human risk of tsetse bites and participation in active screening play a key role in transmission of this disease, whilst the existence of animal reservoirs remains unclear. Active screening campaigns in this region are calculated to have been effective, reducing the incidence of new human infections by 52-53 % over a 15-year period (1998-2012). However, projections of disease dynamics in this region indicate that the elimination goal may not be met until later this century (2059-2092) under the current intervention strategy.


CONCLUSIONS
Improvements to active detection, such as screening those who have not previously participated and raising overall screening levels, as well as beginning widespread vector control in the area have the potential to ensure successful and timely elimination.
Life Sciences, Warwick University, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK. k.s.rock@warwick.ac.uk.|WIDER, Warwick University, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK. k.s.rock@warwick.ac.uk.
Kat S
KS
Rock
WIDER, Warwick University, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.|Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.
Steve J
SJ
Torr
Programme National de Lutte contre la Trypanosomiase Humaine Africaine (PNLTHA), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Crispin
C
Lumbala
Life Sciences, Warwick University, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.|WIDER, Warwick University, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.|Mathematics Institute, Warwick University, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
Matt J
MJ
Keeling
D000818:Animals; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000502:physiology; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014370:Tsetse Flies / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology