Modeling Water Use & Health in Rural South Africa: An Innovative Training Tool

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案描述了一种创新培训和研究工具的开发，一种新的基于主体的模型（ABM），以应对一项关键的全球健康挑战，即幼儿腹泻（ECD）的毁灭性代价。将开发一个ABM来模拟ECD、供水和水质、肠道感染和其他环境因素的复杂系统。ABM将利用以前从南非两个农村社区收集的与理解幼儿发展有关的定量和定性数据创建。综合ABM随后将通过与在相同社区中前瞻性收集的结果数据进行比较来验证。该模型将由弗吉尼亚大学和文达大学（南非）的一个跨学科小组开发，将医学、公共卫生、护理、工程、规划、微生物学和环境科学结合起来。指导博士后学员发展跨学科工作所需的知识和技能。他们还将有机会参与基于代理的模型的实际开发和测试。具体目标是：1。设计基于agent的模型——林波波水与健康agent- abm (Water and Health in Limpopo agent-based model)，模拟南非林波波省两个农村社区儿童早期腹泻（ECD）、供水和水质、肠道感染和其他环境因素之间的关系。通过与正在进行的实地项目中收集的儿童生长、水质和其他环境条件的前瞻性数据进行比较，验证wh - abm。3. 利用wh - abm的发展为博士后在复杂系统分析、基于主体的建模、数据收集、环境评估、社区参与和全球卫生研究伦理方面创造指导培训机会。4. 促进弗吉尼亚大学（UVa）和文达大学（UNIVEN）有意义的跨学科教师合作。5. 在文达大学举办一个以智能体为基础的建模工作坊，以加强目前的合作，并培养教师和研究生在复杂系统分析方面的能力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal describes the development of an innovative training and research tool, a novel agent-based model (ABM), to address a critical global health challenge, the devastating toll of early childhood diarrhea (ECD). An ABM will be developed to simulate the complex system of ECD, water supply and quality, enteric infection, and other environmental factors. The ABM will be created using quantitative and qualitative data relevant to the understanding of ECD previously collected from two rural communities in South Africa. The comprehensive ABM will subsequently be validated by comparison with outcome data collected prospectively in the same communities. The model will be developed by a trans-disciplinary team from the University of Virginia and the University of Venda (South Africa), incorporating medicine, public health, nursing, engineering, planning, microbiology, and environmental science. Post-doctoral trainees will be mentored to develop knowledge and skills necessary for trans-disciplinary work. They will also be provided with the opportunity to engage in the practical development and testing of the agent-based model. The specific aims are: 1. To design an agent-based model, the Water and Health in Limpopo Agent-Based Model (WHIL-ABM), to simulate the relationships between early childhood diarrhea (ECD), water supply and quality, enteric infection, and other environmental factors in two rural communities in Limpopo Province, South Africa. 2. To validate the WHIL-ABM through comparison with prospective data on child growth, water quality, and other environmental conditions collected in on-going field projects. 3. To use the development of the WHIL-ABM to create mentored training opportunities for post-doctoral students in analysis of complex systems, agent-based modeling, data collection, environmental assessment, community engagement, and global health research ethics. 4. To foster meaningful trans-disciplinary faculty collaboration at the University of Virginia (UVa) and the University of Venda (UNIVEN). 5. To conduct a workshop on agent-based modeling at the University of Venda to reinforce the on-going collaboration and build the capacity of faculty and post-graduate students in complex system analysis. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Researchers have struggled for decades in resource-limited communities to develop and implement effective and sustainable strategies to decrease ECD through the improvement of water and sanitation. The development of an ABM that describes a community with endemic ECD will allow researchers to test hypotheses in silico, facilitating the identification of the most promising hypothetical interventions and accelerating the development of sustainable strategies to reduce the devastating costs of ECD.