The Global Atlas of Helminth Infection is compiled and maintained by the London Applied and Spatial Epidemiology Research Group (LASER) at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. LASER combines expertise in the fields of spatial statistics and GIS technology, quantitative epidemiology and operational research to build the evidence-base around diseases of poverty and the communities they affect.
The inspiration for this project goes back to the work of Dr. Norman Stoll in the 1940s. Making these ideas a reality has required collaboration with a range of partners, and the continual exploration of rapidly developing database and mapping technologies.
Goal
Our goal is to provide reliable and updated maps and data describing helminth (worm) infection distribution that are essential to target treatment to populations in greatest need. Although many surveys of worms have been conducted, the data are rarely available in a form that is accessible to policy makers and the managers of public health programmes. This is especially true in Sub-Saharan Africa, where empirical data are seldom in the public domain.
In an attempt to address this paucity of geographical information on infection risk, this Global Atlas of Helminth Infections has been developed. The goal is to build an open-access, global information resource on the distribution of helminthic neglected tropical diseases: soil-transmitted helminths (STH), schistosomiasis and lymphatic filariasis.
Aims
- Collate in a single database all available information on the prevalence of STH, schistosomiasis and lymphatic filariasis
- Describe the global distribution and prevalence of STH, schistosomiasis and lymphatic filariasis
- Provide an information resource to guide control efforts
- Highlight areas where further survey information is required
Our maps are possible thanks to the generous contribution of data and support from various individuals and institutions worldwide. Acknowledgements and bibliographies for each map are provided in individual map pages, and full citations are provided with downloaded data. Please let us know if you think we've missed someone.