Typhoid modeling studies for typhoid conjugate vaccine cost effectiveness and for typhoid delivery strategy.

Evaluating typhoid conjugate vaccine delivery strategies for controlling typhoid fever in endemic countries. Improvements in sanitation and the provision of clean drinking water led to the elimination of typhoid fever from developed countries in the beginning of the 20th century. However, Salmonella Typhi and Paratyphi A remain a major source of morbidity and mortality in many developing countries today. The dynamics of typhoid transmission are poorly understood. Two vaccines against typhoid are currently licensed and used worldwide, and new and improved conjugate vaccines are on the horizon, but there is conflicting evidence as to whether these vaccines are expected to confer benefit for the population. During this project, mathematical models are developed to compare the transmission dynamics of typhoid in present-day endemic settings, including Vellore, India; Dhaka, Bangladesh; Kathmandu, Nepal; and Blantyre, Malawi. These models will be used to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different methods of typhoid control, including vaccination. Currently data on typhoid disease and economic burden are scarce. Therefore in-depth sensitivity analysis will be used to identify key areas for future research. This project is in collaboration with the Yale School of Public Health (Pitzer lab, http://campuspress.yale.edu/pitzer/) and funded by the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation.

Keywords:VACCINOLOGY

Disciplines:Public health care, Public health sciences, Public health services