Achieving Elimination as a Public Health Problem for Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium: When Is Community-Wide Treatment Required?

J Infect Dis. 2020 Jun 11;221(Suppl 5):S525-S530. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiz609.

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) has set elimination as a public health problem (EPHP) as a goal for schistosomiasis. As the WHO treatment guidelines for schistosomiasis are currently under revision, we investigate whether school-based or community-wide treatment strategies are required for achieving the EPHP goal. In low- to moderate-transmission settings with good school enrolment, we find that school-based treatment is sufficient for achieving EPHP. However, community-wide treatment is projected to be necessary in certain high-transmission settings as well as settings with low school enrolment. Hence, the optimal treatment strategy depends on setting-specific factors such as the species present, prevalence prior to treatment, and the age profile of infection.

Keywords: community-wide treatment; elimination as a public health problem; mass drug administration; schistosomiasis; school-based treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Animals
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Community Health Services
  • Humans
  • Mass Drug Administration / standards*
  • Middle Aged
  • Models, Biological
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Public Health
  • Schistosoma haematobium*
  • Schistosoma mansoni*
  • Schistosomiasis haematobia / drug therapy*
  • Schistosomiasis haematobia / epidemiology
  • Schistosomiasis mansoni / drug therapy*
  • Schistosomiasis mansoni / epidemiology
  • Young Adult