Decision support tools

Programmes to aid in the planning of operations to control tsetse

Two programmes to assist in the planning of control operations are provided.

Tsetse Plan
The first programme, 'Tsetse Plan', is designed primarily to help in the design of community-based interventions against tsetse. The programme assumes that the user is not an expert in tsetse or trypanosomiasis but is, rather, probably working with an NGO, development project or local government institution concerned with promoting tsetse control as part of a wider development initiative.

With this in mind, the Tsetse Plan prompts the user with a series of questions to build up a picture of the local tsetse problem. The programme then uses this information to produce a plan of how, and for what cost, tsetse might be controlled. The interventions are based solely on the use of bait technologies (eg, insecticide-treated cattle, odour-baited traps and targets) since these are more practicable and affordable to poor communities living in tsetse-affected areas.

Tsetse Muse
Baits are just one of the methods available for tsetse control. For interventions conducted and funded by national governments or donors, more technically complex techniques are available such as aerial and ground spraying and the sterile insect technique. These techniques are often applied on a large scale (>5,000 square kilometres) and may involve the integrated use of several techniques applied at different times and places. The second decision tool available at tsetse.org is Tsetse Muse, a programme designed to assist more specialised users to plan such operations.

Tsetse Muse follows a similar approach to that used for Tsetse Plan, but assumes that the user has some basic knowledge of the biology and control of tsetse. The user is prompted with an array of questions that allows the programme to build up a picture of the dynamics and distribution of the tsetse population and the cost and performance of the various control methods. The programme then simulates the cost and impact of various interventions and the user can explore how the outcome varies vary with different control strategies or changes in key assumptions.

HAT-trick
The third programme, HAT-trick, combines elements of Tsetse Plan and Tsetse Muse but allows the user to simulate the impact of vector control not only on tsetse populations but also sleeping sickness (human sleeping sickness, HAT). As with the other programmes, the user is prompted with an array of questions that allows the programme to build up a picture of the dynamics and distribution of tsetse and HAT and then simulate the impact of various vector control interventions. The beta version of this programme will be available for download from 28 March 2011.

To read more about Tsetse Plan, Tsetse Muse or HAT-trick, including how to download, install and run, follow the respective links.