Parasitic worms cost UK livestock farming roughly £300 million a year in lost productivity, while infecting around 1 billion people globally, mostly in low-income countries. The problem is getting worse: the few drugs available to control these infections are losing effectiveness as resistance spreads, and climate change is shifting where parasites and their vectors survive and thrive. This hub brings together UK researchers from molecular biology, immunology, ecology, and veterinary science to tackle helminth infections in a coordinated way. The goal is to move beyond piecemeal advances—such as the genome resources already produced at the Sanger Institute—toward integrated solutions for both agriculture and human health. If successful, the hub could slow drug resistance, improve diagnostics, and inform policy on sustainable parasite control. That would mean more reliable food production and fewer chronic, debilitating infections in vulnerable populations. The work is applied, not fundamental science: it aims to translate existing UK expertise into practical tools and strategies that address a clear, measurable economic and health burden.
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Helminth Parasites Significantly Undermine Eco-Health and Productivity Parasitic helminths (flatworms and roundworms) inflict the most prevalent infections of humans, plants and animals, impacting on planetary health, agricultural productivity, and food security. Globally, the economic burden of helminth parasites amounts to billions of pounds annually through increased mortality and morbidity, reduced productivity and anthelmintic costs. In the UK and Ireland, gastrointestinal (GI) parasitic roundworms are among the most economically important livestock infections, costing ~€16 m/year, while flatworm infections, such as Fascioliasis, profoundly impact livestock health and welfare resulting in UK productivity losses of ~£300 million. Furthermore, many helminth parasites are zoonotic pathogens responsible for chronic, debilitating infections of ~1 billion humans, predominantly in Low-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). We rely almost entirely on a limited range of anthelmintics to control parasitic helminths however sustainable helminth control is threatened by increasing drug resistance pressures and will be exacerbated by climate change which will influence parasite and vector distribution and transmission dynamics. A step-change is urgently required to address local and global helminth disease burdens, in order to assure sustainable agriculture and meet global productivity demands. The UK is an Untapped Hub of Helminth Expertise Historically the UK has made major contributions to global helminth research driving better understanding of complex helminth parasite biology to shape improvements in therapeutics, diagnostics, technology innovation, training, education and policy. Indeed, the volume of publications, grant income, international collaborations, and centers of scientific excellence demonstrate that the UK is a global leader in helminth parasitology research, with over 10,000 publications produced since 2000, representing ~10% of global outputs (Scopus). The diversity in UK helminth parasitology expertise is multi-disciplinary spanning molecular, microbial, immunological, ecological and veterinary science underscoring the scope of UK expertise in this area. While advances have been made in each area, for example the genome and transcriptome resources generated at the Sanger Institute, working more collectively and employing a true interdisciplinary approach will greatly progress knowledge and solutions, now and for the next generation of helminth researchers. To promote the UK position as a global leader in helminth parasitology research and innovation we must unite UK-based expertise and centres of excellence to advance shared research goals. Helminth Eco-Health Hub UK: Strengthening UK Global Leadership in Helminth Parasitology We will establish the Helminth Eco-Health Hub UK to unite multi-disciplinary scientists across disciplines, expertise, and career-stages to drive innovative research and impact in helminth parasitology. The Hub will: (i) advance scientific knowledge to address global helminth disease and UN Sustainable Development Goals; (ii) train next-generation researchers; (iii) enhance researcher mobility; (iv) engage stakeholders, and (v) influence policy. It will align with the UKRI Strategic Delivery Plan 2025 by integrating diverse multidisciplinary teams across renowned research institutes to harness the capability to deliver world-leading science, innovation and impact. The Helminth Eco-Health Hub UK will unite UK-based expertise in helminth parasitology to address global helminth disease challenges and showcase UK leadership.
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