The Impact of Targeted Treatment and Mass Drug Administration Delivery Strategies on the Prevalence and Intensity of Schistosomiasis in School Aged Children in Africa: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Schistosomiasis is a public health problem in more than 78 countries in the world. The disease is most prevalent among children than adults due to their high exposure to infectious water sources. Various interventions such as mass drug administration (MDA), snail control, safe water provision and health education have been implemented independently or jointly to control, reduce and ultimately eliminate Schistosomiasis. This scoping review focused on studies reporting the impact of different delivery strategies of targeted treatment and MDA on the prevalence and intensity of schistosomiasis infection in school aged children in Africa. The review focused on Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni species. A systematic search for eligible literature from peerreviewed articles was done from Google Scholar, Medline, PubMed and EBSCO host databases. The search yielded twenty-seven peer-reviewed articles. All articles found reported a decrease in the prevalence of schistosomiasis infection. Five studies (18.5%) reported a prevalence change below 40%, eighteen studies (66.7%) reported a change between 40% and 80%, and four studies (14.8%) reported a change above 80%. The infection intensity post-treatment was varied: twenty-four studies reported a decrease, while two studies reported an increase. The review showed that the impact of targeted treatment on the prevalence and intensity of schistosomiasis depended on the frequency at which it was offered, complementary interventions, and its uptake by the target population. Targeted treatment can significantly control the infection burden, but cannot eliminate the disease. Constant MDA programs coupled with preventative and health promotional programs are required to reach the elimination stage.

Effects of paediatric schistosomiasis control programmes in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review

“…haematobium and S . mansoni [ 4 ]. The symptoms of the acute form of the infection include Katayama fever, rash, diarrhoea, nausea, and stomach pains.…”

“…WHO recommends preventive chemotherapy and test-and-treat approaches for PSAC and SAC, along with health education, improved sanitation, and water access, however, no studies have been done to assess the collective effects of the schistosomiasis control programs in sub-Saharan Africa on the paediatric population [ 11 ]. Systematic reviews done in the field have reported on the impact of targeted treatment and mass drug administration delivery strategies, but no further exploration was done on different intervention strategies [ 4 ]. Sokolow et al [2016] evaluated the effectiveness of different schistosomiasis control strategies used globally over the 20th century.…”

Editorial: Neglected tropical diseases: tackling the challenges of a global world

“…In a study examining the first mass drug administration (MDA) campaign for schistosomiasis in a highly urbanized state in Nigeria, Olamiju et al focused on implementation strategies and highlighted the associated challenges. The implementation of public health MDA campaigns for schistosomiasis is crucial to achieving widespread coverage of preventive treatment, reducing transmission rates, and ultimately controlling the burden of disease in endemic regions ( Chanhanga et al, 2023 ). However, MDA plans must be efficiently designed to achieve their goals.…”