Cost–Benefit Analysis of Tsetse Fly Control in Tanzania

Abstract

ABSTRACTFinancial resources to control the tsetse fly, the primary vector of African trypanosomiasis, have declined since the 1970s. This decrease in funding is mainly due to the dissatisfaction of governments and development partners with the limited benefits from large investments in previous control campaigns. This study, therefore, conducts a cost–benefit balance to target the beneficial tsetse control areas regarding the return on investment in mainland Tanzania. The spatiotemporal distribution of the tsetse fly is simulated from 2003 to 2013 via the tsetse ecological distribution model. The tsetse control costs are calculated based on the seasonally constrained fly distribution, termed control reservoirs. With benefits measured as the drop in potential exposure, beneficial control areas are defined as high residential population areas with frequent presence of the tsetse fly; that is, those places with over 52 percent tsetse presence and population densities over 1,000 per square kilometer. The results show a high concentration of beneficial control areas around Lake Victoria, some periurban areas, and national parks. This study improves the cost–benefit equation for future broad tsetse control campaigns and disease management.