NIH grant: Mali, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire MGC-EPIC-NTD: A 5-Year West Africa Implementation Research Platform to accelerate Elimination of Major Neglected Tropical Diseases and Mitigate Their Threats to the US (1U01CK000729-01)

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NIH grant 1U01CK000729-01: Mali, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire MGC-EPIC-NTD: A 5-Year West Africa Implementation Research Platform to accelerate Elimination of Major Neglected Tropical Diseases and Mitigate Their Threats to the US
Institute: {'code': 'CK', 'abbreviation': 'NCEZID', 'name': 'National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases', 'admin_org_id': '12501084', 'admin_funding_url': ''}. PI: YAYA IBRAHIM COULIBALY. Award: $50000.
Start: 2026-10-01T00:00:00.
Project Summary
 Despite decades of control efforts, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) remain a major public health
challenge in West Africa. In Mali, Guinea, and Côte d'Ivoire, persistent transmission of lymphatic
filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, and skin NTDs continues in
remote, mobile, and underserved populations, including communities along border areas, mining sites,
transhumance routes, and riverine settings. These populations are often missed by routine surveillance
and mass drug administration (MDA), threatening progress toward WHO 2030 elimination targets.
 To address these gaps, EPIC-NTD will establish a five-year regional implementation research
platform linking Mali, Guinea, and Côte d'Ivoire. Using a hybrid effectiveness-implementation design,
the project will integrate epidemiological surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, implementation science,
community-based reporting, geospatial analysis, and cross-border collaboration to generate evidence
for more effective NTD elimination strategies.
 The project has four objectives:(1) establish a harmonized regional platform with shared
governance, laboratory capacity, and interoperable data systems;(2) identify residual transmission
hotspots and optimize interventions through integrated human, entomological, and geospatial
surveillance;(3) strengthen community-based surveillance by engaging Community Drug Distributors
(CDDs) and Community Health Workers (CHWs) in case detection, referral, and reporting; and (4)
develop a regional data-to-action system that transforms surveillance data into timely programmatic
decisions for MDA optimization, hotspot response, and leprosy prevention.
 EPIC-NTD will evaluate innovative tools including xenosurveillance, digital reporting systems,
geospatial risk mapping, teledermatology, the WHO Skin NTD App, and monitoring of single-dose
rifampicin post-exposure prophylaxis (SDR-PEP) for leprosy contacts. Implementation outcomes will
be assessed using the RE-AIM and CFIR frameworks to identify factors influencing effectiveness,
adoption, scalability, and sustainability.
 By the end of the project, EPIC-NTD will deliver a sustainable regional implementation research
platform, strengthened surveillance systems, harmonized operational procedures, trained frontline
health workers, community-based reporting networks, and evidence-based decision-support tools.
The project will provide scalable solutions for eliminating persistent NTD transmission, strengthening
regional health security, and supporting achievement of WHO 2030 NTD targets across West Africa.

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