Session title: What can citizen science do for snail-borne disease control? Lessons learned from Uganda.

This session was recorded Thursday March 21 2024. Watch the recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYWOw74cOD4&t=309s

Session topic: In this session, Mercy and Maxson share the journey of implementing ATRAP, a citizen science initiative in Uganda to address snail-borne diseases within endemic communities along the shores of Lake Albert. Specifically, they share insights into the valuable lessons learned from engaging communities in scientific research (tracking snail populations) while at the same time dissemination and co-design as well as conducting awareness-raising activities and interviewing policy actors to probe their trust in CS-generated data thereby fostering positive changes in knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding schistosomiasis (bilharzia). This session will highlight the successes, challenges, and transformative potential of citizen involvement in combating snail-borne diseases.

Session speakers:

Mercy is a PhD student at KU Leuven and is also affiliated with the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Belgium. She has a strong background in introductory and applied biological disciplines (BSc in Biology; Botany and Zoology, at Makerere University) and human-environment interactions (MSc of Science in Biology; Human-Ecology at Vrije Universiteit Brussels). Currently, Mercy is focused on investigating the feasibility of implementing citizen science (CS) initiatives in the Global South as part of her research. The main objective of her research lies in understanding both the policy and community-level facilitators and barriers that shape the dynamics of CS based on three CS networks set up in southwest Uganda. Through this investigation, she aims to provide insights that can contribute to the development and implementation of successful CS initiatives in regions characterized by distinct socioeconomic dynamics such as Uganda.

Maxson recently completed his double PhD degree at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Uganda and at University of Antwerp (UA) in Belgium. Maxson is a seasoned and effective result-oriented Sociologist with a background in Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences majoring in Sociology and Social Administration and a Master of Arts in Sociology both from Makerere University in Uganda. He has a passion for offering to the community his knowledge, skills, and experience acquired in the areas of Health Sociology, Medical Anthropology, Agriculture and Rural Development, Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research, Participatory Action Research, Citizen Science, and community engagement. Maxson investigated the application of behaviour change interventions that employ community-led bottom-up approaches using citizen science and other participatory research approaches in preventing schistosomiasis within endemic communities of western Uganda. The findings of the study could guide the development and implementation of interventions that are community-led and community-owned, thereby empowering the communities to appreciate their problems, recommend actions, and take a lead in addressing health problems that affect them.