One Health showcase from Asia: the Lawa model—a community-based approach to liver fluke control in Thailand

Liver fluke infection caused by Opisthorchis viverrini is a significant public health challenge in the Lower Mekong Basin, affecting over 10 million people and leading to cholangiocarcinoma, a fatal bile duct cancer. Traditional control efforts often fail due to complex socio-cultural and ecological...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Banchob Sripa, Sirikachorn Tangkawattana
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-01-01
Series:Science in One Health
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949704325000058
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850182679470800896
author Banchob Sripa
Sirikachorn Tangkawattana
author_facet Banchob Sripa
Sirikachorn Tangkawattana
author_sort Banchob Sripa
collection DOAJ
description Liver fluke infection caused by Opisthorchis viverrini is a significant public health challenge in the Lower Mekong Basin, affecting over 10 million people and leading to cholangiocarcinoma, a fatal bile duct cancer. Traditional control efforts often fail due to complex socio-cultural and ecological factors. The Lawa model, implemented in the Lawa Lake region of Khon Kaen, Thailand, adopts a One Health framework to integrate human health interventions, environmental modifications, and animal reservoir management, addressing the transmission cycle comprehensively. This approach respects the cultural context of Isan communities and leverages evidence-based, community-driven strategies. Over 15 years, the model has achieved remarkable success, reducing human infection rates from 60 % to below 5 % and eliminating infections in intermediate hosts. Key lessons include the importance of systems thinking, transdisciplinary collaboration, and community engagement in achieving sustainable health outcomes, despite challenges like cultural dietary practices and environmental disruptions such as flooding.
format Article
id doaj-art-29f81058de064cc6a19119c4e5b4cebf
institution OA Journals
issn 2949-7043
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Science in One Health
spelling doaj-art-29f81058de064cc6a19119c4e5b4cebf2025-08-20T02:17:34ZengElsevierScience in One Health2949-70432025-01-01410010810.1016/j.soh.2025.100108One Health showcase from Asia: the Lawa model—a community-based approach to liver fluke control in ThailandBanchob Sripa0Sirikachorn Tangkawattana1WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Control of Opisthorchiasis, Tropical Disease Research Center (TDRC), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; Corresponding author. Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Control of Opisthorchiasis, Tropical Disease Research Center (TDRC), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, ThailandLiver fluke infection caused by Opisthorchis viverrini is a significant public health challenge in the Lower Mekong Basin, affecting over 10 million people and leading to cholangiocarcinoma, a fatal bile duct cancer. Traditional control efforts often fail due to complex socio-cultural and ecological factors. The Lawa model, implemented in the Lawa Lake region of Khon Kaen, Thailand, adopts a One Health framework to integrate human health interventions, environmental modifications, and animal reservoir management, addressing the transmission cycle comprehensively. This approach respects the cultural context of Isan communities and leverages evidence-based, community-driven strategies. Over 15 years, the model has achieved remarkable success, reducing human infection rates from 60 % to below 5 % and eliminating infections in intermediate hosts. Key lessons include the importance of systems thinking, transdisciplinary collaboration, and community engagement in achieving sustainable health outcomes, despite challenges like cultural dietary practices and environmental disruptions such as flooding.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949704325000058Liver flukeOpisthorchis viverriniOpisthorchiasisControlOne HealthThailand
spellingShingle Banchob Sripa
Sirikachorn Tangkawattana
One Health showcase from Asia: the Lawa model—a community-based approach to liver fluke control in Thailand
Science in One Health
Liver fluke
Opisthorchis viverrini
Opisthorchiasis
Control
One Health
Thailand
title One Health showcase from Asia: the Lawa model—a community-based approach to liver fluke control in Thailand
title_full One Health showcase from Asia: the Lawa model—a community-based approach to liver fluke control in Thailand
title_fullStr One Health showcase from Asia: the Lawa model—a community-based approach to liver fluke control in Thailand
title_full_unstemmed One Health showcase from Asia: the Lawa model—a community-based approach to liver fluke control in Thailand
title_short One Health showcase from Asia: the Lawa model—a community-based approach to liver fluke control in Thailand
title_sort one health showcase from asia the lawa model a community based approach to liver fluke control in thailand
topic Liver fluke
Opisthorchis viverrini
Opisthorchiasis
Control
One Health
Thailand
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949704325000058
work_keys_str_mv AT banchobsripa onehealthshowcasefromasiathelawamodelacommunitybasedapproachtoliverflukecontrolinthailand
AT sirikachorntangkawattana onehealthshowcasefromasiathelawamodelacommunitybasedapproachtoliverflukecontrolinthailand