The Sero-Epidemiology in Africa of Invasive Non-Typhoidal Salmonella (SAiNTS) study has been extended to other Enumeration Areas (EAs) within Chikwawa District. SAiNTS study, which focuses on understanding how children’s immune system responds to Non-Typhoidal Salmonella, has been launched in three other new Enumeration Areas between 14 and 26 October, taking the total population of targeted EAs to 29 in Chikwawa District.

Community meetings, van sensitisations and film shows are some of the public engagement drives that were adopted to introduce SAiNTS study in the new EAs with villages such as Rauchi, Diwa, Bereu 1 and 2.

Lead Nurse for the SAiNTS Study Georgina Makuta said that regardless of challenges encountered, the recruitment of study participants is going on well and faster than expected.

Makuta highlighted that the study is meeting several challenges which among others include growing resistance among potential participants in some EAs because researchers are considered as bloodsuckers for collecting blood samples in some of their work.

“When we meet with community resistance or geographical location makes houses hard to be reached for recruitment or we exhaust the targeted population, that Enumeration Area is replaced with the new one,” added Makuta.

SAiNTS study is targeting under-five children, requires 2000 participants, and was rolled out in October 2020 with the expectation to Phase out in October 2022.