Impact of community-directed treatment on soil transmitted helminth infections in children aged 12 to 59 months in Mazabuka District, Zambia

TY - JOUR

T1 - Impact of community-directed treatment on soil transmitted helminth infections in children aged 12 to 59 months in Mazabuka District, Zambia

AU - Halwindi, Hikabasa

AU - Magnussen, Pascal

AU - Siziya, Seter

AU - Handema, Ray

AU - Meyrowitsch, Dan Wolf

AU - Olsen, Annette

N1 - Symposia of the British Society for Parasitology Volume 47

PY - 2011/10

Y1 - 2011/10

N2 - This study assessed the impact of adding community-directed treatment (ComDT) to the routine health facility (HF)-based treatment on prevalence and intensity of soil transmitted helminth (STH) infections among children aged 12 to 59 months. Repeated cross-sectional surveys were conducted among randomly selected children of this age group from the intervention area (HF+ComDT area) and the comparison area (HF area) at baseline (n=986), 12 months (n=796) and 18 months (n=788) follow-up. The prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides was significantly higher in the HF+ComDT as compared to the HF area at baseline (P=0.048), but not at 12 and 18 months follow-up. At baseline the HF+ComDT area had significantly higher intensities of A. lumbricoides compared to the HF area (P<0.001), but not at 12 and 18 months follow-ups. Prevalence and intensity of hookworm did not differ significantly between treatment arms at any time. Analysis of trends showed a significant decrease in prevalence of A. lumbricoides and hookworm in the HF+ComDT area (P<0.001), of hookworm in the HF area (P<0.05), but not of A. lumbricoides in the HF area. It is concluded that the ComDT approach generally enhanced the treatment effect among under-five year children and that this alternative approach may also have advantages in other geographical settings.

AB - This study assessed the impact of adding community-directed treatment (ComDT) to the routine health facility (HF)-based treatment on prevalence and intensity of soil transmitted helminth (STH) infections among children aged 12 to 59 months. Repeated cross-sectional surveys were conducted among randomly selected children of this age group from the intervention area (HF+ComDT area) and the comparison area (HF area) at baseline (n=986), 12 months (n=796) and 18 months (n=788) follow-up. The prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides was significantly higher in the HF+ComDT as compared to the HF area at baseline (P=0.048), but not at 12 and 18 months follow-up. At baseline the HF+ComDT area had significantly higher intensities of A. lumbricoides compared to the HF area (P<0.001), but not at 12 and 18 months follow-ups. Prevalence and intensity of hookworm did not differ significantly between treatment arms at any time. Analysis of trends showed a significant decrease in prevalence of A. lumbricoides and hookworm in the HF+ComDT area (P<0.001), of hookworm in the HF area (P<0.05), but not of A. lumbricoides in the HF area. It is concluded that the ComDT approach generally enhanced the treatment effect among under-five year children and that this alternative approach may also have advantages in other geographical settings.

KW - Former LIFE faculty

KW - soil trainsmitted helminthiasis

KW - community-directed treatment

KW - health facility

KW - child health week

KW - under-five children

KW - Zambia

U2 - 10.1017/s0031182011000059

DO - 10.1017/s0031182011000059

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 21320386

SN - 0031-1820

VL - 138

SP - 1578

EP - 1585

JO - Parasitology

JF - Parasitology

IS - Special issue 12

ER -