MANHICA DSS

An International Network of field sites with continuous Demographic
Evaluation of Populations and Their Health in developing countries

Manhica DSS, Mozambique

The Manhiça DSS is in the district of Manhiça (Maputo Province) in southern Mozambique. It lies at an average altitude of 50 m above sea level and covers an area of 100 km2. The district has two distinct zones: the fertile lowlands, which comprise the floodplains of the Incomati River, are sparsely inhabited, and are subject to intensive sugar cane and fruit farming; and an escarpment of moderate height, which gives rise to a flat plateau on which virtually the entire DSS is situated. The town of Manhiça and the surrounding villages have a population of about 36 600 inhabitants, with a density of 360 inhabitants/km2. The population is peri-urban and rural. People of the area are mainly Xironga and Xichangana, and their languages are often termed Ronga and Changana. The first census was carried out in the second half of 1996, registering a total of 33 500 inhabitants in the area. The DSS area has been currently expanded to incude new areas to the north of the original study area, and currently includes 68,000 inhabitants within the Manhica district. The DSS was set up in the area, immediately after the first enumeration and was based on the household-registration system (HRS), with some modifications.

Objectives

To describe the health profile of a rural population in southern Mozambique and thereby help identify priority research issues and inform policy;
To describe in detail the epidemiology and burden of disease associated with malaria, acute respiratory infections and other diseases; and
To create a platform to help implement and evaluate new control strategies.

Priority Research Areas

Currently, the main research activities of the centre include a double-blind randomised controlled phase I study to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals' candidate malaria vaccine RTS,S/AS02A, in children aged 1 to 4 years. The phase IIb of the study will begin in mid 2003.

A trial of the efficacy and effectiveness of Intermittent Treatment of Malaria with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine following the EPI schedule is also ongoing.

There are ongoing studies on the etiology and clinical presentation of Acute Respiratory Infections studies, including the clinical and molecular epidemiology of Respiratory Sincitial Virus (RSV), and the burden of disease and epidemiology of Streptococus pneumonia invasive disease.

Other studies include the epidemiology of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Human Papiloma Virus and measles.

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