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Background Praziquantel typically requires weight-based field administration when used to treat helminthic diseases. Proper dosage adjustment of praziquantel by bodyweight can be difficult to achieve if accurate weighing scales are unavailable. The WHO has recommended for use a dose pole that substitutes height for weight during field administrations of praziquantel. Methods This cross-sectional study aims to validate the WHO dose pole for Philippine populations using height and drug administration data collected from 1427 Filipino schoolchildren. This study expands upon prior studies by specifically targeting Filipino schoolchildren and by introducing statistical techniques to increase the rigor of the validation process. Results The study found an average dose of 42.7 mg per kg (mg/kg) administered among 1427 students with a standard deviation of 3.5 mg/kg. The dose pole estimated a WHO-recommended dose (40–60 mg/kg) in 93.5% of students and a WHO-accepted dose (30–60 mg/kg) in 99.7% of all students. The 95% CIs showed that 99–100% of all tested students fell within the WHO-accepted dose range, while 91–93% of all tested students fell within the WHO-recommended dose range. Conclusions The results suggest that the WHO dose pole is valid for mass treatment of Filipino schoolchildren with praziquantel. Further validation studies are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While preventive chemotherapy remains to be a major strategy for the prevention and control of soil-transmitted helminthiases (STH), improvements in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) comprise the long-term strategy to achieve sustained control of STH. This study examined the parasitological and nutritional status of school-age and preschool-age children in four villages in Southern Leyte, Philippines where two of the villages attained Open-Defecation-Free (ODF) status after introduction of Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS). A total of 341 children (89.0% of the total eligible population) submitted stool samples which were examined using the Kato-Katz technique. Results showed that 27.9% of the total stool samples examined had at least one type of STH (cumulative prevalence), while 7.9% had moderate-heavy intensity infections. Between the two villages where CLTS was introduced, Buenavista had a significantly higher cumulative prevalence of STH at 67.4% ( p < 0.001) and prevalence of moderate-heavy intensity STH at 23.5% ( p = 0.000), while Caubang had a significantly lower cumulative prevalence at 4.9% and prevalence of moderate-heavy intensity at 1.8%. On the other hand, the non-CLTS villages of Bitoon and Saub had similar rates for cumulative prevalence (16.7% and 16.8%, respectively; p = 0.984) and prevalence of moderate-heavy intensity STH (2.0% and 3.1%, respectively; p = 1.000). The findings may be explained by factors that include possible reversion to open defecation, non-utilization of sanitary facilities, and mass drug administration (MDA) coverage, although further studies that can accurately assess the impact of CLTS are recommended. While this study was descriptive, the data indicate no clear pattern among the parasitological and nutritional parameters, as well as the presence of CLTS in the village, suggesting the need to monitor the ODF status of villages on a regular basis even after the end of CLTS activities to ensure the sustainability of the CLTS approach. In order to achieve effective control of STH, deeper collaboration between the WASH and STH sectors are recommended where partners can work together in the area of monitoring and evaluation that may include improved parasitological and nutritional status in high-risk groups, as well as sustainable behavior change as outcome indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]