Liang Co-Organizes Training Workshop in Infectious Disease Transmission and Control in Zanzibar

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Song Liang

Song Liang, Professor and Chair of Environmental Health Sciences, co-organized a National Science Foundation-funded workshop on modeling infectious disease transmission and control held earlier this year in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The workshop – a first of its kind for the region – was co-organized with Calistus Ngonghala, Associate Professor of Mathematical Biology at the University of Florida, and Yang Yang, Professor of Statistics at the University of Georgia, and hosted by the Zanzibar Health Research Institute.

The weeklong training focused on schistosomiasis, a chronic parasitic disease caused by flatworms transmitted through contact with contaminated fresh water, as well as malaria case studies from Zanzibar, Thailand, and Ethiopia, to highlight the applications of mathematical and geospatial modeling to guide effective disease control strategies. Participants included early-career researchers, public health professionals, and interdisciplinary experts from Cameroon, Ethiopia, China, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, and the USA. 

The training convened diverse attendees to strengthen capacity in infectious disease modeling skills and policy translation. Through interactive lectures, hands-on sessions, panel discussions, and a field visit to schistosomiasis control sites, the participants gained practical experience in constructing transmission models, performing geospatial risk analysis, and translating model outputs into public policy and practice. 

Mathematical and geospatial modeling are powerful tools for understanding transmission of infectious diseases, evaluating control strategies, and guiding efficient resource allocation, the organizers noted. By simulating transmission pathways and intervention outcomes, models support evidence-based decision-making in public health. However, effective disease control requires close collaboration between modelers, public health professionals, and policymakers to ensure that models address real-world challenges and translate into actionable policies. The workshop aimed to bridge that gap–facilitating interdisciplinary dialogue to enhancing public health preparedness and response. 

The workshop aimed to bridge the gap – facilitating interdisciplinary dialogue to enhance public health preparedness, surveillance, disease control, and modeling capacity. The organizers hope that the workshop will lay the groundwork for the development of a collaborative research proposal focused on infectious diseases modeling in Zanzibar and beyond, aiming to generate locally relevant insights for disease control. One of their key priorities forward is the continued mentorship of early-career scientists interested in mathematical epidemiology, ensuring they have access to guidance, training, and networks.