SPRINGS is teaming up with the Coastal Community Resilience to Climate Change (C2RCD) project, which is currently being led by the University of Ghana in 4 coastal communities in the Central, Greater Accra, and Volta Delta regions. The Volta Basin is especially at risk for severe weather events like flooding from sea-level rise and heavy rainfall, made worse by poor city planning.
The C2RCD project is looking at how things like the environment, social and demographic factors, health habits, and local government affect the spread of diarrheal diseases. They're gathering information on water quality, hygiene practices, and overall health in the communities, and keeping track of diarrheal disease cases.
SPRINGS is collaborating with the Haydom Global Health Research Centre, who are conducting the SCAT study to investigate the transmission of causes of diarrhea in young children in the Haydom area.
Haydom is a remote rural farming area in north-central Tanzania that faces challenges such as limited access to electricity, clean water, and proper sanitation, alongside high rates of malnutrition. SCAT is focused on Shigella and Campylobacter, and SPRINGS will add testing for rotavirus and Cryptosporidium.
SPRINGS partner AQUATIM is a water and wastewater treatment company serving 202,000 households, with 53 water treatment plants and 26 wastewater treatment plants in Western Romania. The population in their area is approximately 539,500, with 95% having access to centralized water supply and 74% to sewerage systems.
Romania is facing significant flooding risks, leading to infrastructure damage and endangering communities. SPRINGS will conduct a case study in a densely populated urban area and a rural area with intensive animal and agricultural land use. AQUATIM operates a water quality control lab that conducts weekly surveillance of water samples, though microbiological assessment of index pathogens is not yet performed.
In Italy, especially in Campania, the risk of environmental changes like floods is increasing due to factors such as higher population density, urbanization, and environmental issues like deforestation and poor slope maintenance. These changes often impact public health, but their effects are not well-documented.
SPRINGS is collaborating with UNINA, which monitors waterborne diseases and water quality. UNINA also hosts WHOCC ITA-116, focusing on intestinal parasites. Their key activities include improving diagnosis and control of diseases like waterborne protozoa, monitoring disease prevalence globally, supporting research and education in affected countries, and providing healthcare to migrant populations.