We propose and analyze a heterogeneous, multigroup, susceptible-infectivesusceptible (SIS) sexually transmitted disease (STD) model where the desirability and acceptability in partnership formations are functions of the infected individuals. We derive explicit formulas for the epidemic thresholds, prove the existence and uniqueness of the equilibrium states for the two-group model and provide a...

Safe drinking water and hygiene are essential to reducing Kenya's diarrhoeal disease burden. A school-based safe water and hygiene intervention in Kenya was evaluated to assess its impact on students' knowledge and parents' adoption of safe water and hygiene practices. We surveyed 390 students from nine schools and their parents at baseline and conducted a final evaluation of 363 students and t...

Recent work has estimated that sub-Saharan Africa could lose US$3.5 billion of economic productivity every year as a result of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis. One of the main interventions to control schistosomiasis is the provision of safe water to limit the contact with infected water bodies and break the cycle of transmission. To date, a rigorous quantification of the imp...

To prevent diarrheal diseases in western Kenya, CARE Kenya initiated the Water, Sanitation, and Education for Health (WASEH) Project in 1998. The project targets 72 farming and fishing communities with a total population of 43 000. Although the WASEH Project facilitated construction of shallow wells and pit latrines, the water quality still needed improvement. Consequently, in 2001, CARE implem...

BACKGROUND Access to "safe" water and "adequate" sanitation are emphasized as important measures for schistosomiasis control. Indeed, the schistosomes' lifecycles suggest that their transmission may be reduced through safe water and adequate sanitation. However, the evidence has not previously been compiled in a systematic review. METHODOLOGY We carried out a systematic review and meta-analys...