Grant Proposal Rough Draft

Abstract:

The grant proposal aims to implement a comprehensive approach to address Lyme disease, a growing concern. It proposes using three primary methods: targeted prevention strategies, awareness and education, and community engagement. The proposal uses recent and relevant epidemiological data and research to outline and present a multiyear initiative that promotes behavioural changes, improves diagnostic capabilities, and increases surveillance to address disease transmission. The proposal aims to strengthen community resilience by leveraging psychosocial determinants and community partnerships to mitigate Lyme disease’s adverse effect on public health.

Introduction: 

Lyme disease has become a growing concern because of its adverse effect on global public health. The bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi’ caused diseases to rise sharply in recent years, necessitating well-thought strategies to prevent, manage, and diagnose. The grant proposal highlights a comprehensive and strategic approach to addressing and managing Lyme disease using targeted educational initiatives, improved surveillance techniques, and community-based interventions.

Statement of Need: 

The increased Lyme disease prevalence shows a critical public health challenge that needs urgent attention and well-thought-out approaches to address its impact. Various researchers and experts have recently highlighted the need to embrace an effective strategy to manage Lyme disease. Burrows et al. (2021) research shows that high-stable locations host tick populations, encouraging the update of tick surveillance and awareness. Johnson et al. (2014) state that Chronic Lyme condition patients suffer implications such as out-of-pocket medical costs and inability to work effectively. Lindsay et al. (2024) caution against failing to act on Lyme disease’s sharply increasing prevalence, proposing a well-developed diagnosis and strengthening community resilience. Moon et al. (2019) argue that the traditional surveillance approaches could be more sustainable with resource-intensive and underreporting challenges. Ozdenerol, Bingham-Byrne, & and Seboly (2021) evaluate how different lifestyles may impact risks, demonstrating the need for awareness and education. Petrulioniene et al. (2020) consider the groups having higher prevalence rates with older people, urban dwellers, and women identified and highlight erythema migrans as the frequent symptom. The research shows the need for community intervention to manage the disease. Potes et al. (2023) evaluate whether a specific outreach strategy can help improve prevention project output. Seifert et al.

(2016) demonstrates how education intervention, community partnerships, and collaboration can help succeed in Lyme disease management. Valois et al.’s (2023) analysis of perceived behavioural control helps gain insight into people’s beliefs, helping develop better interventions. According to Wright et al. (2012), early detection helps with therapy, and preventive measures are also discussed. The annotated bibliography shows the growing concern about the rise of the disease and why comprehensive strategies and approaches should be quickly developed and implemented to address Lyme disease. Therefore, the grant proposal represents an integral phase to addressing and managing the complex problems of Lyme disease in the modern world.

Methods: 

The study will employ qualitative and quantitative approaches to meet the desired outcome. Enhanced tick surveillance represents the first primary component. The surveillance will build on current systems with active surveillance approaches helping monitor and offer information on black-legged tick distribution and population. Improved diagnostic capabilities will include laboratories and healthcare providers’ close coordination and collaboration with standardized tests, ensuring timeliness and accuracy. Community engagement will be performed via citizen science projects, outreach events, and educational workshops to spread awareness of transmission and prevention. Focus groups and surveys represent the embraced psychosocial determinant analysis tools to gain insight into attitudes and beliefs and help design targeted interventions.

Budget: 

The following table presents the proposed budget. The total budgeted amount is $1,000,000

Conclusion: 

The proposed project will play an integral role in helping manage Lyme disease. The project is well placed to manage the disease through community partnership leveraging, behavioural changes in communities’ promotion, and surveillance approaches improvement. Adequate support and funding will help the initiative significantly manage, control, and prevent Lyme disease.

References

Burrows, H., Talbot, B., McKay, R., Slatculescu, A., Logan, J., Thickstun, C., … & Kulkarni, M.A. (2021). A multiyear assessment of blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) populationestablishment and Lyme disease risk areas in Ottawa, Canada, 2017-2019. PLoS One, 16(2), e0246484.

Johnson, L., Wilcox, S., Mankoff, J., & Stricker, R. B. (2014). Severity of chronic Lyme disease compared to other chronic conditions: a quality-of-life survey. PeerJ, 2, e322.

Lindsay, L. R., Bernat, K., & Dibernardo, A. (2014). Clinical aspects of Lyme disease: Laboratory diagnostics for Lyme disease. Canada Communicable Disease Report, 40 (11), 209.

Moon, K. A., Pollak, J., Hirsch, A. G., Aucott, J. N., Nordberg, C., Heaney, C. D., & Schwartz,

250. S. (2019). Epidemiology of Lyme disease in Pennsylvania 2006–2014 using electronic health records. Ticks and tick-borne diseases, 10(2), 241-250.

Ozdenerol, E., Bingham-Byrne, R. M., & Seboly, J. D. (2021). The effects of lifestyle on the risk of Lyme disease in the United States: Evaluation of market segmentation systems in prevention and control strategies. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(24), 12883.

Petrulionienė, A., Radzišauskienė, D., Ambrozaitis, A., Čaplinskas, S., Paulauskas, A., & Venalis, A. (2020). Epidemiology of Lyme disease in a highly endemic European zone. Medicina, 56(3), 115.

Potes, L., Bouchard, C., Rocheleau, J. P., Richard, L., Leighton, P., Pelletier, J., … & Aenishaenslin, C. (2023). Evaluation of a community-based One Health intervention to reduce the risk of Lyme disease in a high-incidence municipality. CABI One Health, (2023), ohcs202300017.

Seifert, V. A., Wilson, S., Toivonen, S., Clarke, B., & Prunuske, A. (2016). Community partnership designed to promote Lyme disease prevention and engagement in citizen science. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, 17(1), 63-69.

Valois, P., Bouchard, C., Aenishaenslin, C., Talbot, D., Tessier, M., Pelletier, R., … & Bouchard, D. (2023). Preventing Lyme disease through identification of key beliefs. PLOS Climate, 2(11), e0000176.

Wright, W. F., Riedel, D. J., Talwani, R., & Gilliam, B. L. (2012). Diagnosis and management of Lyme disease. American Family Physician, 85(11), 1086-1093.