Integrated Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis Control over Five Years on Kome Island, Tanzania

Abstract

Integrated control strategies are important for sustainable control of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis, despite their challenges for their effective implementation. With the support of Good Neighbors International in collaboration with National Institute of Medical Research, Mwanza, Tanzania, integrated control applying mass drug administration (MDA), health education using PHAST, and improved safe water supply has been implemented on Kome Island over 5 years for controlling schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths (STHs). Baseline surveys for schistosomiasis and STHs was conducted before implementation of any integrated control strategies, followed by 4 cross-sectional follow-up surveys on randomly selected samples of schoolchildren and adults in 10 primary schools and 8 villages, respectively, on Kome islands. Those follow-up surveys were conducted for impact evaluation after introduction of control strategies interventions in the study area. Five rounds of MDA have been implemented from 2009 along with PHAST and improved water supply with pumped wells as other control strategies for complementing MDA. A remarkable steady decline of schistosomiasis and STHs was observed from 2009 to 2012 with significant trends in their prevalence decline, and thereafter infection rate has remained at a low sustainable control. By the third follow-up survey in 2012, Schistosoma mansoni infection prevalence was reduced by 90.5% and hookworm by 93.3% among schoolchildren while in adults the corresponding reduction was 83.2% and 56.9%, respectively. Integrated control strategies have successfully reduced S. mansoni and STH infection status to a lower level. This study further suggests that monitoring and evaluation is a crucial component of any large-scale STH and schistosomiasis intervention.

Intersectoral collaboration for the prevention and control of vector borne diseases to support the implementation of a global strategy: A systematic review

“…Most studies reported more than one outcome as shown in S4 and S5 Tables. Of the 25 studies involving intersectoral collaboration which measured pre-post-outcomes compared against disease indicators, such as the number of cases or incidence or prevalence of malaria (15 studies) [ 4 , 30 – 43 ], dengue (four studies) [ 44 – 47 ], schistosomiasis (two studies) [ 48 , 49 ], zika (one study) [ 50 ], Japanese encephalitis (one study) [ 51 ], and leishmaniasis (one study) [ 52 ]. Amongst the 16 studies which measured vector variables (adult density, pupae or larval indices) as outcomes eleven studies were dengue [ 44 , 46 , 47 , 53 – 60 ], followed by two studies on schistosomiasis [ 48 , 49 ], and one on malaria [ 4 ] and on Chagas diseases [ 61 ].…”

“…Of the 50 articles, intersectoral collaboration with an intervention to mobilize community and health education was the most common. The interventions implemented through the collaboration between the sectors varied from providing human or financial resources, designing to executing an intervention, developing policy and mobilizing communities (24 studies) [ 30 , 32 , 35 , 43 – 45 , 47 – 50 , 53 – 58 , 60 – 65 , 68 , 72 ], followed by diagnosis and treatment (12 studies) [ 35 , 36 , 39 – 43 , 49 , 52 , 68 – 71 ], prevention method (IRS and LLINs distribution (11 studies) [ 31 , 35 – 37 , 39 , 41 , 43 , 66 – 68 , 73 ], surveillance, monitoring and evaluation (nine studies) [ 35 , 38 – 42 , 52 , 68 , 69 ], mass drug administration (four studies) [ 48 , 72 , 75 , 76 ], cross border collaboration (four studies) [ 35 , 40 , 43 , 52 ], two studies for research [ 40 , 51 ] and one study for advocacy and legislation […”

National mapping of soil-transmitted helminth and schistosome infections in Ethiopia

“…The presence of STH and SCH co-infections shows the efficiencies that might be gained with an integrated control strategy. Indeed, in the past, integrated control has led to impressive reductions in prevalence and related morbidity [27]. In addition to integrating control against various parasites, the delivery of different types of parasite control might also be integrated.…”

Validating a questionnaire to identify women in first trimester of pregnancy during preventive chemotherapy interventions against soil-transmitted helminths in North-western Tanzania

“…In Buchosa District, the study was conducted at Kome Island. The selection of the study areas was based on the accessibility and the past history of preventive chemotherapy (PC) against STH and schistosomiasis through school-based and community-based approaches [13,14].…”