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Elimination of STH morbidity in Zimbabwe: Results of 6 years of deworming intervention for school-age children
- Source :
- PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 14, Iss 10, p e0008739 (2020), Midzi, N, Santiago, H D C (ed.), Montresor, A, Mutsaka-Makuvaza, M J, Fronterre, C, Manangazira, P, Phiri, I, Johnson, O, Mhlanga, G & Diggle, P J 2020, ' Elimination of STH morbidity in Zimbabwe: Results of 6 years of deworming intervention for school-age children ', PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, vol. 14, no. 10, e0008739, pp. e0008739 . https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008739
- Publication Year :
- 2020
- Publisher :
- Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2020.
-
Abstract
- This paper reports the prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections measured in Zimbabwe before and after a control intervention based on annual deworming of school-age children (SAC) conducted from 2012 to 2018. In 2010, epidemiological data were collected from 13 195 SAC in 255 randomly selected schools in all districts nationwide using, as diagnostic methods, the Kato–Katz and the formal ether stool concentration technique. At follow up, conducted in 2017, only Kato–Katz was performed; specimens were collected from 13 352 children in 336 schools. The data were evaluated using a geospatial approach. The national prevalence of STH infection in SAC was estimated at 5.8% at baseline, with 0.8% of infections of moderate and heavy intensity. Preventive chemotherapy (PC) targeted all 2.5 million children of school age enrolled in Zimbabwe, with coverage ranging from 49% to 85%. At follow up, national prevalence of STH in SAC was estimated at 0.8%; infections of moderate and heavy intensity almost disappeared (0.1% prevalence). As a result, Zimbabwe can suspend deworming activities in 54 districts and reduce the frequency of PC in the remaining six districts. The total amount of albendazole tablets needed will be approximately 100 000 a year.<br />Author summary We analysed the impact of 6 years of preventive chemotherapy intervention by the Ministry of Health and Child Care of Zimbabwe (MoHCC) to control STH infections in Zimbabwe. We applied a geostatistical method to analyse the epidemiological data before and after the intervention. The results are interesting because they demonstrate a complete elimination of infection of moderate heavy intensity (that are considered the ones causing most of STH morbidity and a drastic reduction in prevalence that entails an estimated reduction of 90% in the need for anthelminthic medicines to maintain the situation and a consequent reduction in programme costs.
- Subjects :
- Ancylostomatoidea
Male
0301 basic medicine
Ascariasis/epidemiology
RC955-962
Helminthiasis
Social Sciences
Anthelmintics/administration & dosage
Helminthiasis/epidemiology
Pediatrics
Geographical Locations
Deworming
Families
Feces
Soil
Medical Conditions
0302 clinical medicine
Sociology
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
Epidemiology
Medicine and Health Sciences
Prevalence
Public and Occupational Health
Child
Children
Anthelmintics
Ascariasis
Schools
School age child
Geography
Child Health
Feces/parasitology
Trichuris
Infectious Diseases
Helminth Infections
Mass Drug Administration
Regression Analysis
Female
Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
Ascaris lumbricoides/isolation & purification
Research Article
Neglected Tropical Diseases
medicine.drug
Zimbabwe
Trichuris/isolation & purification
medicine.medical_specialty
Diagnostic methods
Adolescent
Trichuriasis
030231 tropical medicine
Albendazole
Chemoprevention
Child health
Education
Hookworm Infections
03 medical and health sciences
Soil/parasitology
Environmental health
Zimbabwe/epidemiology
Parasitic Diseases
medicine
Animals
Humans
Ascaris lumbricoides
Mass drug administration
Ancylostomatoidea/isolation & purification
Trichuriasis/epidemiology
Spatial Analysis
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Tropical Diseases
medicine.disease
Hookworm Infections/epidemiology
Health Care
Albendazole/administration & dosage
030104 developmental biology
Soil-Transmitted Helminthiases
Age Groups
People and Places
Africa
Population Groupings
Health Statistics
Morbidity
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 19352735
- Volume :
- 14
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....f12480731683791b9ffb87987e629345