Projects

• Mapping Neglected Tropical Diseases
• Spatial epidemiology for action: dengue, chikungunya and lymphatic filariasis in the Pacific
• Validating, Strengthening, and Enhancing the Utility of Multiplex Bead Assays for Surveillance of Neglected Tropical Diseases
• Harnessing a novel genetic epidemiology platform for the control of zoonotic soil-transmitted helminths in the Asia Pacific

Mapping Neglected Tropical Diseases

This ENGAGE‑funded project will generate high‑resolution maps of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) across Southeast Asia to support more effective health action. Delivered by a collaboration of researchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia, Curtin University, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, and the University of the Philippines, the project focuses on infections such as leprosy, scabies, yaws, food‑borne trematodes, and soil‑transmitted helminths.

By bringing together survey data with environmental and socio-economic information, the project will identify geographies where disease burden is high and where multiple infections overlap. Using advanced spatial modelling, reliable disease estimates will be produced even in areas with limited data, to help target surveillance, treatment, and prevention efforts and progress the World Health Organization’s 2030 NTD Roadmap.

Through collaboration, the project also aims to strengthen regional expertise in data analysis, mapping, and evidence‑informed decision‑making. This work reflects ENGAGE’s commitment to robust evidence, regional capacity building, sustainable partnerships, and improved health outcomes.

Spatial epidemiology for action: dengue, chikungunya and lymphatic filariasis in the Pacific

Mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and lymphatic filariasis remain significant public health challenges across the Pacific. This project strengthens spatial epidemiological capacity in Fiji, Samoa, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu to support country-led analyses of where and when disease transmission occurs. Working closely with Ministries of Health and in-country partners, the project begins with structured consultations to identify national priorities and available data, followed by preliminary geospatial analyses using existing surveillance, serological and entomological datasets to characterise geographic variation and temporal trends in disease incidence. Tailored secondary analyses then address country-specific questions using methods suited to each context, such as evaluating intervention coverage, identifying high-risk areas or modelling environmental and demographic drivers of transmission. Throughout, the project provides shared analytical tools, reproducible code and training resources to ensure data ownership remains with national teams while building lasting regional capacity for evidence-based disease control.

Validating, Strengthening, and Enhancing the Utility of Multiplex Bead Assays for Surveillance of Neglected Tropical Diseases

This project aims to improve how countries in the Pacific monitor and respond to neglected tropical diseases, including lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, and yaws. Using a single blood sample, new laboratory methods can measure antibodies (markers of disease exposure and/or vaccination) to multiple diseases at once, making surveillance more efficient and more affordable than traditional single-disease tests. By analysing samples from Samoa, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu, this project will track how disease exposure and immune responses change over time and assess the impact of interventions such as mass drug administration. It will also strengthen laboratory standards to ensure results are reliable and comparable across countries. Working closely with Ministries of Health, the project will support better-targeted public health responses and help sustain progress towards disease elimination across the region.

Harnessing a novel genetic epidemiology platform for the control of zoonotic soil-transmitted helminths in the Asia Pacific

This project aims to elucidate the transmission dynamics of zoonotic soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) between humans and domestic animals in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Vanuatu using a genomics-driven One Health approach. Current control strategies rely on mass drug administration. However, animal reservoirs may sustain transmission of key species such as Ancylostoma ceylanicum and Strongyloides stercoralis.  We will characterise the intestinal nemabiome of human and animal populations using a validated nanopore-based metabarcoding platform, followed by whole mitochondrial genome sequencing to shed light into parasite population structure and transmission pathways.  By integrating field epidemiology, molecular diagnostics, and population genomics, this project will address critical knowledge gaps on zoonotic transmission, inform control strategies, and support regional elimination efforts, while strengthening in-country capacity and partnerships across the Asia-Pacific.