Afterword IV Case studies

Through malaria elimination in Italy at the end of 19th century (when the epidemiological situation could be seen as similar to the one present in low-income countries today) and control strategies against Buruli ulcer and schistosomiasis in Africa, we have shown examples demonstrating that the translation of evolutionary ecology knowledge to infectious diseases control in low-income countries can be successful. These successes have reached different stages, from increasing our understanding of the whole infectious system dynamics toward implementation of innovative control strategies in the short term (Buruli ulcer), to improving transmission control by reducing abundance of host population (schistosomiasis in Senegal), as well as ensuring complete disease elimination locally, through a combination of massive reduction of vector populations at key periods and human-population protection and education (malaria in Italy)....